Self-Mastery

I've been most touched by two things this week:

1. There was a talk by N. Eldon Tanner in our readings this week called "Success is Gauged by Self-Mastery." In that talk, President Tanner shared this quote by Plato: "The first and best victory is to conquer self; to be conquered by self is, of all things, the most shameful and vile." This hit me hard. We can take on a lot of worthwhile endeavors and change the lives of a lot of people, but the life we need to change most, or the person we need to change most ... is ourselves. I've struggled so much with myself this week, especially with my fears and insecurities. I've had such a hard time being able to visualize success. I need to conquer myself - my weaknesses, my worries, all of those natural things that are preventing me from pursuing the life I want.

2. In the book Mastery, I learned that "man is a learning animal." The book says, "In this light, the mastery of skills that are not genetically programmed is the most characteristically human of all activities." We were made to learn. Our purpose here on earth is to learn, and we've been given incredible bodies and especially minds to help us do so. Anything is possible because we are designed to learn and grow.

I also learned a lot this week about the importance of prioritizing family over business, as well as overcoming feelings of inadequacy. It seems that truly anyone with enough determination and a good idea can be an entrepreneur. That gives me a lot of hope.