Launching leaders lesson 5 "7 habits" Jim Ritchie - launching leaders co-founder

The 7 habits

1. Be proactive
2. Begin with the end in mind
3. First thing is first
4. Think "win-win"
5. First seek to understand, then to be understood (empathetic listening)
6. Create synergy
7. Sharpen the saw

Passion vs. Money Guy Kawasaki, Garage Technology Ventures

http://ecorner.stanford.edu/videos/269/Passion-vs-Money

Whatever you build, says Kawasaki, it's about passion, and less about money. Your goals should be about changing the world, or making the world a better place, he says. He also talks about his experience growing up thinking that money was the most important thing in life. He advises students to study abroad and to spend as much time learning as possible.

Transcript

Whatever you're building, whatever you're building it's about passion because you love it. If you love it and you changed the world, you will be rich but you shouldn't do it because you want to be rich because it's not -- it's not lofty enough a goal, it's about changing the world. Now there are cases of people who changed the world who didn't make a lot of money, I must admit that, but there are lots of people who set out to only make a lot of money who didn't changed the world and didn't make a lot of money. All right. So if I were you, I'd pick changing the world and just have the optimistic belief that if you do change the world you will make money too. Money is not all it's cracked up to be too, you know but that's a different subject. I'd tell you a little bit. So because I went to Stanford just -- and I'm 48 years old. So I don't expect you to believe me because quite frankly when I was your age I didn't believe people who were over 40. So I don't think anything has changed.

So when I was an undergraduate here in a -- doing Parents Day or whatever they have, I used to see all these parents come and they were driving and they were driving their Porsches and Ferraris and Mercedes and I -- were playing basketball on that court between -- I don't even know what it's called. It's -- is it Merrelies is it still that's the -- I don't know. The dorm is on the other side of the campus. So I've been playing basketball there and I see all these people, their parents driving in Porsches and Ferraris and Mercedes I think, "God, someday I'm going to buy a Porsche or a Ferrari or Mercedes." That's it, that is really it. I'm going to drive on this campus in a Porsche and students are going to look at me and say, "Man, I wish I were him." Okay. So, I've had a few Porsches now I have three kids so I don't have a Porsche I just -- But that's different. That is a -- that's a choice I made. But I've had Porsches. I've had some of the finest Porsches made and I would drive on campus and you know what? As I was driving on campus and I would be looking at you playing basketball in that outdoor court, I look at you and I say, "Man, I wish I were a student again." You know, I wish my biggest problem were my midterm score. I wish my biggest problem were, you know, if I get housing next year or should I go to Stanford in Italy or Stanford in Japan, I mean, I wish these were my problems.

And so that's why I'm telling you, money isn't all that's cracked up to be that you know. I think if I were you guys, I'd give you another piece of advice that's completely orthagonal to this presentation is, while you're at Stanford live off your parents as long as you can. I'm telling you. Like -- see, I was as diligent oriental. It's just like in my DNA. So I was a diligent oriental, I took AP courses in high school, I took a heavily load -- academic load here, I was in such a rush to get into the work force and work for the rest of my life for bozos, okay. So I'm telling you with hindsight that's all wrong. You should take as light a course as possible. And I really regret this, you should go to these overseas campuses as much as you can. Don't be some crazy person who is taking all these engineering courses and trying to ram through because you want to get out there right away.

There's plenty of time to suffer later. Okay. So --

THE 7 HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE An Approach To Solving Personal and Professional Problems STEPHEN R. COVEY

https://content.byui.edu/file/3dda7de4-cd79-4390-9bcf-3cb660c48dd1/1/The%207%20Habits%20of%20Highly%20Effective%20People.pdf

Habit 1 – Be proactive

Habit 2 – Begin with the end in mind

Habit 3 – Put first things first.

Habit 4 – Think win/win.

Habit 5 – Seek first to understand, then to be understood.

Habit 6 – Synergize

Habit 7 – Sharpen the saw

The 7 Habits provide an incremental, sequential, integrated approach to the development of personal effectiveness moving us progressively from dependence (on others) to independence (taking care of ourselves) to interdependence (looking after others and combining strengths to multiply our individual effectiveness). The first three habits are the basis for private victories in which we develop the fiber of our own character traits. The second three habits are for public victories, those situations where we work with other people. The final habit improves the effectiveness of our lives in all areas. The 7 Habits give the ability to work from the inside out to build character of total integrity.

Habits 1,2 and 3 deal with self-mastery or private victories and lay the foundation for other habits. n Habits 4,5 and 6 deal with the public victories. n Habit 7 is the habit of renewal of the four basic dimensions of a meaningful life. The 7 habits are habits of effectiveness based on principles that make long-term beneficial results possible.

Habit 1 - Be proactive.

Being proactive means to actively choose what our response will be in any situation rather than to react blindly.

Between every stimulus and response, rational human beings have the freedom to choose a response. This is due to the presence of; n Self-awareness - the ability to control thoughts. n Imagination - the ability to mentally create a new reality. n Conscience - an inner awareness of right and wrong. n Independent will - the ability to act on thoughts. Proactivity means to subordinate impulses to values. Reactive people are swept away by the heat of the moment. Proactive people are driven by values that are both well thought out and internalized. Being proactive doesn’t mean being pushy, aggressive or insensitive. Rather, proactivity means to control a situation from the inside out. Or in other words, to affect positive change, stop focusing on the immediate circumstances and instead consider your response to the conditions that exist. Do that and you have removed the power of anything external to affect you. It is in the ordinary events of every day that we develop our proactive skills. It is in the little things that we show our true character traits. Our response to the little irritations in life will also affect responses to disasters.

Habit 2 - Begin with the end in mind.

Beginning with the end in mind means using an image or paradigm of your character at the end of your life as a frame of reference or criterion by which everything is examined. Each part of your life should be examined in the context of the whole - the long-term view. To begin with the end in mind requires a clear vision of your destination, and where you now are. Then you can clarify what needs to yet be done to get where you’d like to end up. Beginning with the end in mind is based on the principle that all things are created twice. There’s a mental or first creation, and a physical or second creation. The first creation can be either by conscious design, or as a result of outside pressures. We can create our own script or reactively live the scripts others create. Example: Clearing a jungle. The managers are there directing the workers and getting them to sharpen their saws, exercise to develop the right muscles and improving the efficiency of the workers. Leaders are climbing the highest tree, surveying the situation and yelling out “Wrong jungle!” The managers respond, “Who cares? Look at how efficiently we’re clearing away the undergrowth.” A mission statement is a personal constitution. It is a written standard, the key criterion by which everything is evaluated and directed. It becomes the basis by which decisions are made on a day to day basis. It is a basic direction from which to set long-term and short-term goals. A mission statement is not something you write overnight. It will take careful thought and many hours of introspection to produce. Yet, the process of writing one is as important as the product itself. And it will need to be rewritten and reviewed regularly to take into account additional insights or changing circumstances. Developing a mission statement calls for use of both sides of the brain. The left hemisphere of the brain is logical, dealing with words and specifics. The right hemisphere is more intuitive and creative, dealing with pictures and relationships.  Your first instinct in developing a mission statement is to use your left hemisphere only. However, equally important is the perspective the right hemisphere can add. To get this, you have to visualize the result of all your efforts. Some ways to do this might include; n Visualize being at your own funeral. Write a eulogy. What sort of things would you like to be said about you? n Visualize being at your 50th wedding anniversary. What kind of family relationship do you have? n Visualize your retirement day. What do people in your industry have to say about you? Personal leadership is not a single experience. It does not begin and end with writing your mission statement. It’s an ongoing process to keep your vision and values before you and to align your life consistently with the underlying principles you espouse most strongly. Use a mission statement to write affirmations that will guide your actions. Good affirmations are personal, positive, present tense, visual and emotional.

Habit 3 - Put first things first.

The heart of effective personal time management is to spend the maximum time possible doing important jobs in a non-urgent atmosphere that increases your efficiency. There are four basic types of activities;

1. Important and Urgent Activities These include responding to a crisis, pressing problem or tight deadline. Crisis managers and problem-minded people are consumed primarily with this area of time management.

2. Important But Not Urgent Activities Preventative maintenance, relationship building, creative thinking, planning and recreation. This area is at the heart of effective personal management, and holds the key to business efficiency.

3. Not Important But Urgent Activities Phone calls, mail, some meetings and other pressing matters. These tasks are often only urgent because someone else has that expectation, and some people spend time here thinking they are covering essential matters.

4. Not Important And Non-Urgent Activities Includes trivia, some mail, time wasters and pleasant harmless activities. Spending all your time here is a sure way to be totally ineffective.

Effective people are not problem minded - they are opportunity minded. They think preventively. The only way to concentrate efforts on quadrant 2 activities is to cut time spent on quadrants 3 and 4 activities

The six criteria of quadrant 2 time management skills are;

1. Coherence - harmony between your personal mission statement and both short- and long-term activities.

2. Balance - identify your various roles and keep them focused so important areas are not inadvertently ignored.

3. Quadrant 2 focus – deal with prevention and anticipation rather than crisis control. Rather than prioritizing your schedule, you schedule time to achieve your priorities.

4. A people dimension - your planning needs to reflect thinking in terms of dealing effectively with other people, as they can influence your time schedule. 5. Flexibility - time management needs to be tailored to exactly the way you need it to work for your life.

6. Portability - time management needs to be on the go and with you at all times, not just in your office.

Time management begins with four key activities;

1. Identify the key roles of your life. Everyone wears a number of different hats in their business, personal and social lives. Write down the roles you fill in the average week.

2. Select goals – maybe two or three that you want to achieve in the coming week in each of your roles.

3. Scheduling. Look at each week with your goals in mind. When are you going to set aside time to achieve your goals?

4. Adapt on a daily basis.

This may mean responding to unexpected events in meaningful ways.

The more completely weekly goals are tied in to a wider framework of correct principles and a mission statement, the greater the increase in effectiveness. Long term organizing means the mission statement leads to the roles leading to goals and then to plans.

Key Thoughts

“Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least.” — Goethe

“The successful person has the habit of doing the things failures don’t like to do. They don’t like doing them either necessarily. But their disliking is subordinated to the strength of their purpose.” — E.M. Gray

“Management is doing things right, leadership is doing the right things.” — Peter Drucker & Warren Bennis

Public Victory

Effective interdependence can only be built on a foundation of true independence. Private victory precedes a public victory. You can’t be successful with other people if you haven’t paid the price of success with yourself first. Interdependence is a choice only independent people can make.

Make deposits into your Emotional Bank Account by;

1. Understanding the individual. What may be a deposit to one person may be nothing or even a withdrawal to another. Therefore, you need to get to know the individual.

2. Attending to the little things. In relationships or associations, the big things are really the little things – courtesies and small acts of kindness. Little forms of disrespect can make large withdrawals if you’re not careful.

3. Keeping commitments. Keeping a promise is a very large deposit, breaking a promise is the largest withdrawal it’s possible to make. People tend to build their hopes around promises.

4. Clarifying expectations. The cause of many problems is simply conflicting or ambiguous expectations. Therefore, it’s vital in any new situation to get all expectations tabled so they can be discussed and covered. This may take courage on the part of all parties involved.

5. Showing personal integrity. Integrity is the basis of many kinds of deposits, while lack of integrity undermines almost all other efforts to make deposits. Honesty is telling the truth or conforming our words to reality. Integrity is conforming reality to our words or keeping promises and fulfilling expectations. One important way to manifest integrity is to be loyal to those who are not present, as that communicates consistency. Integrity means you treat everyone by the same set of rules.

6. Apologizing sincerely when you make a withdrawal. This requires a great deal of strength of character.

Key Thoughts

“There can be no friendship without confidence, and no confidence without integrity.” — Samuel Johnson

“It is more difficult to give yourself completely to one individual than to labor diligently for the salvation of the masses.” — Dag Hammarskjold, U.N. Secretary-General

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” — Oliver Wendell Holmes

Habit 4 - Think win/win.

The most effective way to work with other people is to structure a win/win relationship focused on results, not methods.

Basic paradigms of human interaction are;

1. Win/Win – A frame of mind and heart constantly seeking mutual benefit in business and personal transactions. All parties feel good about decisions and commit to the plan.

2. Win/Lose – Authoritarian approach involving the use of position, power, credentials, possessions or personality. Also involves an extrinsic approach by comparisons to others.

3. Lose/Win – This is capitulation, allowing the other party to do whatever they like. It can also be permissiveness or indulgence. Some people alternate between Win/Lose and Lose/Win constantly.

4. Lose/Lose – Comes about through being so centered on an enemy that you become willing to hurt your own interests if it will mean the other person will also lose.

5. Win – Thinking in terms of our own interests alone, we leave the other person to look out for themselves and give no thought to their position.

6. Win/Win-or-No-Deal – Means that if a mutually beneficial deal cannot be structured, then there is general agreement to disagree agreeably! In other words, if you find you are both wanting to head in different directions, it is better not to try and set up a deal between both parties. Provides tremendous emotional freedom.

There are five dimensions to the habit of thinking Win/Win;

1. Character – Thinking win/win requires integrity (the value we place on our own principles) on the part of both parties. It also requires maturity – the balance between courage and consideration. Expressing feelings with courage tempered by consideration for the feelings of others is the mark of a mature person. Finally, to think win/win, we need an abundance mentality, meaning we realize there is plenty out there for everyone. People with a scarcity mentality think there is only one pie and they are fighting to get as large a slice as possible. People with an abundance mentality realize there are lots of opportunities, more than a person can take advantage of.

2. Relationships – The Emotional Bank Account is a key to structuring a Win/Win. If enough deposits have been made over a period of time, you have a degree of credibility enabling you to focus on the issues, not on personality conflicts. If both parties have high emotional bank balances combined with a commitment to Win/Win, a tremendous amount of synergy is possible. If the other person is not thinking Win/Win, you have to take the lead and be proactive enough to keep hammering until they realize you genuinely want a Win/Win deal. The relationship can be the key to the success of the entire process.

3. Agreements – These give definition and direction to Win/Win. To be effective, agreements should focus on desired results rather than the methods to be followed. Guidelines specifying the parameters for the results and the resources available to achieve the results should be included. Also a method of accountability for evaluation and an outline of what will happen as a result of the evaluation.

4. Systems – Win/Win can only survive in an organization when the systems support it. If you talk Win/Win but reward Win/Lose, then don’t be surprised when everyone goes for Win/Lose scenarios. The training, planning, budgeting, communication, information and compensation systems all have to be geared towards Win/Win.

5. Processes – The essence of structuring Win/Win is to separate the person from the problem, to focus on interests and not on positions, to invent options for positive mutual gain and to insist on objective criteria – some external standard or principle that both parties can accept. These processes are more fully examined in Habits 5 and 6.

Habit 5 - Seek first to understand, then to be understood.

Everyone has a natural tendency to rush in and try to give advice or try to fix things before taking the time to diagnose or try to understand why the other person feels the way they do. The trick, however, is to seek first to understand the other person, then to try and be understood yourself.

Most people have no training in how to listen effectively. By comparison, years are spent learning how to read and write effectively. If you really want to interact with another person, you need to take the time to listen to where they now are. Unless you have shown the person you acknowledge their uniqueness, they are not going to be open to any advice from you. This is not technique alone - you have to build skills on a foundation base of character and deposits to Emotional Bank Accounts. Most people don’t listen with an intent to understand - they listen with the intent to reply. They are either speaking or preparing to speak. They see others through the lens of their own autobiographies. The key to understanding another person is empathetic listening – really trying to understand everything (including the nonverbal signals) the other person is communicating. You listen for feeling and for meaning, for behavior and other signals. You are totally focused on the other person’s point of view, not projecting your own life’s story into their words.

Remember, satisfied needs do not motivate a person to action. When they are fed, they no longer look around for food. Similarly, you cannot and should not move on to satisfying a person’s need to solve a problem before satisfying the need for them to feel like they have been understood by you. Diagnose before you prescribe. It actually requires a great deal of security on your own part, as you will also be opening up yourself to be influenced by that person. This is actually the mark of all true professionals. The amateur salesman sells products, the professional salesman sells solutions to needs and problems. A lawyer first gathers the facts to understand the situation, including laws and precedents, before preparing a case. A good engineer will understand the forces and stresses at work within a design before drawing a bridge. The key to good judgment is understanding. If we judge first, we will never fully understand. When people have a problem and you really listen to understand them, you’ll be surprised how quickly and how fully they will open up to you. Empathetic listening takes time, but not nearly as much time as it will take to back up and correct misunderstandings when you are much further down the road. Once you understand, then you have got to try to be understood yourself. Maturity is defined as the balance between courage and consideration. Seeking to understand requires consideration, seeking to be understood takes courage. Win/Win requires a high degree of both.

Habit 6- Synergize.

Synergy means that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. In other words, each of the parts combine to create new and exciting unexpected discoveries that were not possible before. It is a creative force of unparalleled power created in the principles of creative cooperation.

Synergy is the true test and manifestation of all the other habits combined. When you communicate synergistically, you are opening your mind and heart to new possibilities, new alternatives and new options. You create something entirely new that is better than you ever thought it could be. This is the very essence of team spirit. When you work along synergetic lines, you can never be sure where the final result will lie. The only thing you can be certain of is that the end result of applying this method will truly justify the means. You literally can achieve more as a combined group than you ever could alone. Whole new worlds of insights, new perspectives, new paradigms leading to new options and alternatives are opened to your vision. Synergy draws its energy and its effectiveness from the differences between people – mental, emotional and psychological differences all contribute. It is this combination of individual paradigms that make the synergetic process so powerful. When we value the differences in perception that exist between people, we are able to transcend the limits created. If two people are of the same opinion, one is unnecessary. Synergy can also be used to deal with negative forces working against growth and change. Any current level of performance is actually a state of equilibrium between the driving forces (positive, logical, conscious or economic) encouraging upward movement and the restraining forces that discourage it (negative, emotional, illogical or unconscious). Increasing the driving forces will bring results for a time, but the application synergy both increases the driving forces and decreases the restraining forces. Synergy is the result of applying all the previous habits. It cannot be built except on a foundation established by Habits 1 to 6. It can exist in a teamwork environment with other people or you can be personally synergetic in your own actions.

Key Thoughts

“We have committed the Golden Rule to memory; let us now commit it to life.” — Edwin Markham

Habit 7 - Sharpen the saw.

Habit 7 is taking time to sharpen the saw. In other words, don’t get so busy sawing that you don’t realize you are using a blunt saw. Take the time on a regular basis to sharpen your saw in the physical, spiritual, mental and social or emotional dimensions.

Sharpening the saw involves four separate dimensions;

1. Physical exercise – Spending a minimum of 30 minutes per day exercising will vastly improve the quality of the remaining hours every day. Exercise on a regular basis will preserve and enhance your capacity to work and adapt and enjoy. Exercise is rarely ever urgent, you have to be proactive and set your own standard. You also find as you exercise, you will experience a paradigm shift of your own self image.

2. Spiritual – Renewing the spiritual dimension provides leadership to your life. It is highly related to Habit 2. The spiritual dimension is at the very core of your value system, drawing upon the sources that inspire and uplift you. People draw spiritual strength in many different ways. Rather than concentrating on how this should be done, the key principle is to make sure it is being refreshed frequently in your own life. Immersion in great literature or music can provide spiritual renewal for some people. So too can time spent alone communicating with nature. Everyone has different needs, and draw upon different wells of spiritual strength. This is a definite Quadrant 2 activity. It is rarely ever urgent - we usually have to make time for spiritual renewal on a regular basis. The idea is to take the time to draw on the leadership center of our lives. As we consider our battles in the larger context, we can draw renewed strength for the challenges at hand. A personal mission statement can be very important to spiritual renewal. We can take this time to recommit ourselves to our center and purpose in life. We can mentally live out events before they actually occur. We can achieve our private victories before our actions ever move into the public gaze.

3. The mental dimension – Formal education teaches the processes of mental development, study discipline, exploration of new subjects, analytical thought and expressive writing. Many people trade the classroom for the TV set as the basis of their thinking when they leave school. Habit 3 gave the basis for developing the self-discipline to ignore TV and instead develop serious study programs around new subjects. Television is a good servant but a poor master. Continuing education – honing and expanding the mind – is vital mental renewal. Proactive people develop many ways to educate themselves, or use the external discipline of systemized study programs. It is extremely valuable to train the mind to stand apart and examine its own program. It is also valuable to read broadly and to expose yourself to the thoughts of great minds. Reading good books on a regular basis broadens your outlook on life. Writing is another powerful way to sharpen the mental saw. Writing also affects our ability to think clearly, to reason accurately and to be understood effectively. Organizing and planning are other habits which sharpen the mind

4. The social / emotional dimension – Centered in the principles discussed in Habits 4, 5 and 6, the skills required to renew the social and emotional dimension require communication and creative cooperation. Our emotional lives are primarily developed out of and manifested in our relationships with others. Renewing our social / emotional dimension can be carried out in our normal, everyday interactions with other people. All it takes is the correct emphasis and a little bit of effort. Success in this area is highly related to our sense of intrinsic security. If we are relying on the paradigms of other people for our own sense of worth, we are walking a perilous path. We should instead be developing an inner sense of integrity built on accurate paradigms and correct principles. Peace of mind comes when your life is in harmony with true principles and values and no other way except effective interdependent living. There is also an intrinsic security that comes from service, from helping other people in a meaningful way. When you view your own life as constructive and exciting because of the difference you are making in the lives of other people, you’re on the path towards a long, healthy and helpful life. The self-renewal process must include balanced renewal in all four dimensions of our nature. To neglect any one area impacts negatively on the rest. A mission statement should provide recognition of each of these four dimensions Renewal is the principle – and the process – enabling us to move on an upward spiral of growth and change, of continuous improvement.

The upward spiral consists of three steps;

1. To Learn

2. To Commit

3. To Do

Moving along the upward spiral requires us to learn, commit and do on increasingly higher planes. To keep progressing, we must repeat the cycle over and over.

Key Thoughts

“They cannot take away our self respect if we do not give it to them.” — Gandhi 

Stand True and Faithful Gordon B. Hinckley President of the Church

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1996/04/stand-true-and-faithful?lang=eng

You constantly are faced with difficult choices. Your problems are not new, but they are intensified. You are subjected to temptations that are attractive and appealing. You represent the future of this Church, and the adversary of truth would like to injure you, would like to destroy your faith, would like to lead you down paths that are beguiling and interesting, but deadly.

I wish to talk with you about being true to the faith, about being true to yourselves and your associates, about being true to your parents and your heritage, about being true to the Church and to our Heavenly Father and His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Being true to ourselves means being honest. It means being honest in school. We cannot afford to cheat or do anything of that kind. Suppose that you needed a life-saving operation. You would not want that operation performed by a surgeon who had cheated in medical school, would you? Of course not. We go to school to learn and to equip ourselves for the work which we will do in the future. It is imperative that we take advantage of the opportunity to learn. The Lord has said concerning us of this Church that He expects us to study and learn. I know of no other church that has scripture instructing its people to pursue secular knowledge as well as spiritual knowledge.

Be honest in your lives. As a Latter-day Saint you cannot do shoplifting or anything of the kind. It was said a long time ago that honesty is the best policy. The finger of the Lord wrote on tablets of stone: “Thou shalt not steal. … Thou shalt not covet” (Ex. 20:15, 17).

We must be true to ourselves in matters of personal virtue. You and I as members of this Church cannot become involved in immorality. The Lord has said by way of commandment, “Let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly” (D&C 121:45). He is saying to us that we cannot even think about immoral matters. Why? Because evil thoughts lead to evil deeds. Then He has said that if we will let virtue garnish our thoughts, we shall stand with confidence in the presence of God. Think of that. He goes on to say the Holy Ghost shall be our constant companion. Our dominion shall be an everlasting dominion. (See D&C 121:45–46.) What marvelous and remarkable promises these are, and they are given to those who walk in virtue.

We cannot afford to be tainted by moral sin. We live in a world where temptation is constantly being thrown at us, particularly at you young people. It is on television. It is in magazines. It is in books. It is on videos which are readily available. Stay away from these things. They will only hurt you. When it comes to the moral law, you know what is expected of you. If you find yourself slipping under the pressure of circumstances, discipline yourselves. Stop before it is too late. You will be forever grateful that you did.

Be true to yourselves and the best you have within you. That best is very good. Shakespeare said, “To thine own self be true, / And it must follow, as the night the day, / Thou canst not then be false to any man” (Hamlet, act 1, scene 3, lines 78–80).

Many young women at your age suffer from lack of self-esteem. Contrary to what you may think, an immoral act of any kind will only lower your self-esteem. Be true to yourselves, and your respect for yourself will increase. Know that yours is a divine birthright. Cultivate a good opinion of yourselves. Others may make cutting remarks concerning you. This is only a sign of their ignorance and not of your qualities. Walk with that dignity which is becoming a young woman who is a daughter of God.

Do not become involved in illegal drugs. Do not touch them. Never experiment with them. I plead with you, with every one of you, to shun them as you would poison. You are young women. A great future is ahead of you. Your lives are radiant with promise. Most of you will someday wish to be married and have children. The use of illegal drugs could place a terrible handicap not only upon you, but also upon your children. I do not hesitate to say that if you tamper with these things, you will regret it. If you discipline yourselves to avoid them, you will have reason to rejoice.

Be true to yourselves, my dear friends. Be true to one another, your friends and associates. Look for the good in those about you, and emphasize that good. Never go around gossiping about your associates or speaking unkind words concerning them. Such words will only backfire to hurt you. Jehovah has commanded, “Thou shalt not bear false witness” (Ex. 20:16).

Reach out to help one another. All of us need help from time to time. We need encouragement. We need friends who will stand by us through thick and thin. I ask each of you to be that kind of a friend.

Some of you may have read in the March issue of the New Era the story of a handicapped girl named Jenni. She was lonely and not very attractive. One day she said to her classmates, “I need a friend. I need someone who will eat lunch with me. Who will be my friend?” One girl stood and said, “I will be your friend,” and then another did likewise. They ate lunch with her. They encouraged her. They helped her. They brought new life into the dark world of this handicapped girl. And in the process they brought new happiness into their own lives. (See Victor W. Harris, “The Miracle of Jenni,” New Era,Mar. 1996, 12–14.)

Be true to your parents and your heritage. Regrettably there are a few parents who act in a way that does serious injustice to their children. But these cases are relatively few. No one has a greater interest in your welfare, in your happiness, in your future than do your mothers and fathers. They are of a prior generation. That is true. But they were once the age that you are now. Your problems are not substantially different from what theirs were. If they occasionally place restrictions on you, it is because they see danger down the road. Listen to them. What they ask you to do may not be to your liking. But you will be much happier if you do it. Your mother is your best friend. Never forget that. She gave you life. She cared for you, nurtured you, nursed you when you were sick, and looked after your every need. Listen to her now. Talk with her candidly and confidentially. You will find that she will keep your confidence and that her wisdom will prove to be wonderful.

Many of you are descended from pioneers in this Church. They struggled so hard; they paid such a terrible price for their faith. Be true to them and true always to the Church they loved so much. I wish that each of you would remember that tonight you heard me say that this Church is true. Other churches also do much good, but this is the “true and living church” of the Lord Jesus Christ, whose name it bears (see D&C 1:30). Be true to it. Cling to it. If you will do so it will become as an anchor in the midst of a stormy sea. It will be a light to your lives and a foundation upon which to build them. I give you my solemn testimony that this Church will never be led astray. It is in the hands of God, and should any of its leaders ever attempt to lead it astray, His is the power to remove them. He has said that He has restored His work for the last time, “never again to be destroyed nor given to other people” (D&C 138:44; see also Dan. 2:44–45).

I hope all of you who are eligible are attending seminary. This organization provides wonderful opportunities to learn the doctrines that will make you happy. It provides wonderful opportunities for socializing with those of your own kind.

Look to the Church and its leaders for counsel and direction. We have only one desire, and that is that you be happy, that your lives be challenging and satisfying, that you be saved from pitfalls of evil which could destroy you, that you will be the kind of people who will carry high the torch of eternal truth and hand it on to the generation which will succeed you.

The truths of this gospel are everlasting and eternal. Philosophies change. Customs change. Culture changes. But with all of these changes, there are gospel fundamentals that have never changed and never will change.

How lucky can you be to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! Here you find choice and wonderful friends. Here you find able and faithful teachers. Here you find opportunities for service. For instance, where else is there any service to compare with being baptized for the dead? You, each of you, may have that opportunity of going to the Lord’s holy house, there to be baptized in behalf of someone who is helpless to go forward in the world beyond without the service you can give. That individual might have been a woman of great power and influence when she was upon the earth. But without the ordinance of baptism she is stopped in her eternal progress. Yours is the opportunity to free her. What an unselfish and wonderful thing this is. You, through a little effort, can become the one to unlock the gate which will permit that individual to move forward on the way of immortality and eternal life. There is not another organization in all the world that offers you this opportunity. It affords the means by which to give the most unselfish kind of service. You will receive no thanks in this life for that which you do in being baptized for the dead. But you will receive a satisfaction in your heart of having done something totally unselfish and much appreciated. Be true to the Church of which you are a part.

Be true to our Eternal Father and His Beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Never forget who you are, as you have sung tonight. You are in very deed a child of God, a daughter of Him. He is your Eternal Father. He loves you. You can go to Him in prayer. He has invited you to do so. Every one of you knows this, and what a wonderful thing this is. He is the Greatest of All. He is the Creator and Governor of the universe. And yet He will listen to your prayer!

He wants His sons and daughters to be happy. Sin never was happiness. Transgression never was happiness. Disobedience never was happiness. The way of happiness is found in the plan of our Father in Heaven and in obedience to the commandments of His Beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now let me mention a related matter. I refer to the habit—yes, it has become a habit—of many young people, including young women, in junior high and high school to profane the name of Deity in their conversations. Jehovah wrote on the tablets of stone, “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for [he] will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain” (Ex. 20:7).

Let me tell you of an experience I had when I was a little boy in the first or second grade. I came home from school one day, threw my books on the table, and took the name of the Lord in vain in expressing my relief that school was out for the day.

My mother heard me. She was shocked. She took me by the hand and led me to the bathroom. There she got a clean washcloth and a clean bar of soap. She told me to open my mouth, then proceeded to wash my mouth out with that terrible soap. I blubbered and protested. She stayed at it for what seemed a long time, and then said, “Don’t let me ever hear such words from your lips again.”

The taste was terrible. The reprimand was worse. I have never forgotten it, and I hope that I have never used the Lord’s name in vain since that time.

When President Spencer W. Kimball underwent surgery years ago, he was wheeled from the operating room to the intensive care room. The attendant who pushed the gurney which carried him stumbled and let out an oath using the name of the Lord. President Kimball, who was barely conscious, said weakly, “Please! Please! That is my Lord whose names you revile.”

There was a deathly silence; then the young man whispered with a subdued voice, “I am sorry.” (See The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, ed. Edward L. Kimball [1982], 198.)

And while I am speaking of language, may I plead with you young women never to indulge in dirty, sleazy talk of any kind. There is so much of it and it is so common. There is no need to use such language. It only advertises to others that your vocabulary is so deficient that you cannot express yourself without picking words up out of the gutter. Do not do it. Please do not do it. Do not use such filthy language, and do not profane the name of the Lord.

Be true to our Eternal Father and His Beloved Son. When all else fails, our Lord is there to help us. He has said, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28). Each of you has burdens. Let the Lord help you in carrying those burdens. Again He has said, “Take my yoke upon you, … for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matt. 11:29–30). He stands ready to help—to help each of us—with every burden. He loves us so much that He shed drops of blood in Gethsemane, then permitted evil and wicked men to take Him, to compel Him to carry the cross to Golgotha, to suffer beyond any power of description terrible pain when He was nailed to the cross, to be lifted up on the cross, and to die for each of us.

He was the one perfect man, without blemish, to walk the earth. He was the Savior and Redeemer of mankind. Because of His sacrifice, because of His Atonement, all of us will at some time arise in the Resurrection, and beyond that there will be marvelous opportunities to go forward on the road of immortality and eternal life.

He invites us to come unto Him. He has said to each of us, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you” (Matt. 7:7).

Pray to the Father in His name. None of us can really make it alone. We need help, the kind of help that can come in answer to prayer.

I know that you young women pray. I compliment you on this. I know that you are trying to live the gospel. I know that you are trying to live lives of honesty and virtue, of service and kindness and love toward others. I repeat: I know that you pray for us, and I assure you that we pray for you.

You are so very important. This work is so much the stronger because of you. Whenever you step over the line in an immoral act or in doing any other evil thing, the Church is that much weaker because of what you have done. When you stand true and faithful, it is that much stronger. Each one of you counts.

Now in conclusion, I want to add one other thought. If any of you has stepped over the line, please do not think all is lost. The Lord reaches out to help you, and there are many willing hands in the Church also who will help. Put evil behind you. Pray about the situation, talk with your parents if you can, and talk with your bishop. You will find that he will listen and do so with confidentiality. He will help you. We all stand ready to help you.

Repentance is one of the first principles of the gospel. Forgiveness is a mark of divinity. There is hope for you. Your lives are ahead, and they can be filled with happiness, even though the past may have been marred by sin. This is a work of saving and assisting people with their problems. This is the purpose of the gospel.

The Prophet Isaiah declared:

“Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil. …

“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (Isa. 1:16, 18).

This is the time, this is the very hour, to repent of any evil in the past, to ask for forgiveness, to stand a little taller and then to go forward with confidence and faith.

And finally, in all of living have much of fun and laughter. Life is to be enjoyed, not just endured.

I leave my blessing upon you. Please know that we do love you. Please know that we have confidence in you. Live the gospel, be true to the faith, cling to the Church, honor your parents, love the Lord, and walk as a child of God. That you may do so, and taste much of happiness, is my prayer in your behalf, with love in my heart, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

How to get your ideas to spread | Seth Godin - video notes

https://byui.brightspace.com/d2l/le/content/121042/viewContent/1901495/View

Once a year… 1000 remarkable people gather in Monterey, California to exchange something of incalculable value

Ideas

What happens there has never been shared …until now

TED ideas worth spreading

Silk	Jeff Koons
Sauce	Frank Gehry

     Seth Godin

The sad true tale of Otto Rohwedder

Otto Rohwedder invented Sliced bread

Starbucks - Ideas that spread, win. Ideas that spread, win.

The century of idea diffusion

At the heart of spreading ideas is T.V. and stuff like T.V. …Mass Media

                                                                 Buy ads

      Sell more Products                the T.V.-Industrial complex           Get more distribution

                                                               Make a profit

The thing that will get your ad to sell is: is it remarkable?

Analogy- if you are driving down the road and you see a cow you are not going to stop and look at the cow because you've seen so many that they are invisible but if the cow was purple you might stop to look unless all the cows are purple---then you'll get bored again.

Remarkable means - worth making a remark about.

The top-selling DVDs change every week - the reason is; is because that's the week it came out and people are excited about the new movie even if it's not a great movie.

Mass marketing is making average product for average people

Market to Early adopters and Innovative people because these are the people who are obsessed with something. When you talk they will listen because it's about them

You want to talk to the people you know who will want your product.

You sell to the people who are listening and they'll tell their friends

Don't be boring

All you have to do is figure out what people want and give it to them.

1. The design is free when you get to scale and the people who come up with stuff that is remarkable are more often than not figure out to put design to work for them
2. The riskiest thing you can do is be safe
3. Being very good is the worst things you can be….very good is boring very good is average

So You Want to Be an Entrepreneur?

http://www.actonguides.org/pdf/SoYouWant.pdf

...millions of people who have never seen the inside of a business school are running successful companies.

There are three areas of knowledge that are critical for starting a successful business:

1 In-depth knowledge of the competitive structure of an industry and a network of contacts within that industry;

2 The skills to run the daily operations of a small, rapidly growing company; and

3 The ability to raise money

Industry Knowledge

Understanding the industry’s competitive structure means knowing the history and current status of customers, suppliers, competitors, product substitutes and barriers to entry. You must understand why people buy your product and what alternatives they have. You should understand the production process and the cost, value and volume tradeoffs within it. You should be familiar with the history of the competitive rivalry and how competitors are likely to respond to your moves. You should understand the barriers to entry and determine if you have skills that give you an edge. You must have a keen sense of the key industry trends and how they will affect your position. Studying an industry for several months is never enough preparation. Almost without exception, you must be immersed in an industry for years to pick up the nuances.

Almost without exception, you must be immersed in an industry for years to pick up the nuances.

Day-to-Day Operations Understanding daily operations is a must for entrepreneurs. Daily operations include many issues, from accounting, production, organizational and administrative dilemmas to general business philosophy. All of these must be woven into a consistent set of principles and procedures. If the company culture is flawed, almost any strategy is in jeopardy. A disorganized accounting system or poor physical surroundings can likewise take a heavy toll on profits.

If the company culture is flawed, almost any strategy is in jeopardy.

Raising Money Raising money is the least important and most generic of the three skills. Most worthy projects eventually are funded, though “eventually” can seem like an eternity when your creditors are calling. Money is the fuel for a start-up business. Fail to raise it or run out before the venture turns cash-flow positive, and your business will die.

The Value of Each Area of Knowledge

Industry Knowledge

Industry knowledge is the most valuable of the three areas because it provides the ability to spot and seize an extraordinary opportunity. People with deep industry knowledge and sharp analytical skills ultimately will discover unique opportunities. Almost without exception, you must be immersed in an industry for years to pick up the nuances. If the company culture is flawed, almost any strategy is in jeopardy. 2 Unfortunately, extraordinary opportunities occur in an industry at best once every four or five years. This means you cannot be at the airport when your “ship comes in.” For instance, someone planning to start a family may find an opportunity surfacing at just the wrong moment.

Day-to-Day Operations

The ability to run a business is less valuable than the chance to seize an extraordinary opportunity, but successful operators are far from a commodity. If you are good at running and building a business, and willing to put in the hours and attention it takes, then you always will be able to add value while making a comfortable living.

Raising MONEY

How Do I Get the Knowledge I Need?

There are two ways to acquire the skills above: learn them yourself or find a partner who already has them. The successful entrepreneur generally does both. Accumulating each type of knowledge requires a slightly different approach.Money is a commodity. People who can raise money are often paid a commission, just like a real estate broker or used car salesperson. Being a money broker may allow (or force) you to wear fancy suits and stay in nice hotels, but money-raising knowledge is the least valuable of the three areas of knowledge.

Your Partner

Few people have all three types of knowledge, so while you are developing your skill set, catalog people whose strengths supplement yours. This will give you a source of complementary partners when you are ready to go on your own. Two partners with complementary skills, contacts and chemistry are far more powerful than the sum of their parts.

Stages and Goals

Few undergraduates or MBAs find an entrepreneurial job straight out of school. The key is not to land the perfect first job but to use each position as a steppingstone.

With enough creativity and effort, any job can help you acquire new tools or contacts for one or more of the three skill sets. Always look at the next position as a way to put more items in your “bag” and check them off your list. This does not mean neglecting your current responsibilities. Rather, it Sources of money come in all shapes, sizes and flavors. With enough creativity and effort, any job can help you acquire new tools or contacts for one or more of the three skill sets. 4 means creating opportunities to analyze a strategy or industry; meet a new friend; or learn from co-workers. Preparing for your next step will not only develop entrepreneurial skills but will also make you a more valuable asset to your current employer.

Always keep your ultimate goals in mind. They will help you make the right longterm career moves. As a future entrepreneur, your reaction to a promotion, transfer or opportunity may be far different from someone who wants to retire as a vice president.

Summary

Very few would-be entrepreneurs will get their dream job straight out of school. The secret is not to tilt at windmills, but to choose a position in which you can develop industry, operational and fundraising skills. If you keep your final goal in mind, work step by step to gain knowledge and take notice of people who might be complementary partners, eventually an irresistible opportunity will appear and you will be prepared for the challenge.

Success Is Gauged by Self-Mastery N. Eldon Tanner - notes

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1975/04/success-is-gauged-by-self-mastery?lang=eng#d

There are two important elements in self-mastery. The first is to determine your course or set the sails, so to speak, of moral standards; the other is the will power, or the wind in the sails carrying one forward.

I think it was Garrison who showed his great determination when he said: “I am in earnest—I will not equivocate—I will not excuse—I will not retreat a single inch—and I will be heard!” (William Lloyd Garrison, Salutatory Address of the Liberator, 1 Jan. 1831.)

This should apply to every one of us engaged in the cause of right and truth.

Christ probably gave us more definitely and clearly the answer as to how to succeed when he said:

“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:

“Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” (Matt. 7:13–14.)

As we think of this, it is so evident that those who keep on the straight and narrow path leading to their goal, realizing that the straight line is the shortest distance between two points and that detours are very dangerous, are those who succeed in life and enjoy self-realization and achievement. This requires self-control and self-discipline.

On the other hand, those who fail to keep their goals in mind and fail to discipline themselves find that they are following detours and paths that lead to failure and destruction.

here are those who complain that to follow the straight and narrow path requires limitations, restrictions, overcoming, and doing without things that are very tempting. We must remember, however, that it guarantees victory and achievement of our goal, which is gained by setting a goal and being able to concentrate and follow an undeviating course.

Narrow is a very meaningful word. Often people accuse us of being narrow-minded if we are following the straight and narrow path, which certainly does require self-restraint and self-denial. We must realize and be prepared to accept the fact that it confines us, restricts us, and limits us in certain areas. But let us fully realize that it does not fetter or shackle mankind. On the contrary, it is the way to emancipation, independence, and liberty.

Remember that—

The heights by great men reached and kept

Were not attained by sudden flight,

But they, while their companions slept,

Were toiling upward in the night.

Remember also that nature never pays an unearned account and she never fails to pay one that has been earned. If you wish to achieve financial success, if you wish to be happy, if you wish to be healthy, if you would be morally clean, if you wish to find religious peace of mind, there is only one sure way, and that is the straight and narrow path—the way of honor, the way of industry, of moderation, simplicity, and virtue.

If you want to be successful or outstanding in any field of endeavor, it is important that you determine while young to be a great boy, and not wait to be a man to be a great man; and then have the courage and strength and determination to discipline yourself, apply self-control and self-mastery.

It is so important that you keep yourselves clean and pure and not participate in any vulgar or unclean or unholy practices. As you go to your Sunday School and sacrament meetings and are permitted to pass the sacrament in memory of the great sacrifice that the Savior made for us, be sure that you are worthy, that your hands are clean and your hearts are pure, that you have done nothing during the week that would make you unworthy.

How important it is that every priesthood holder keep the Word of Wisdom strictly; that he never tamper with tobacco, tea, coffee, alcoholic beverages, or drugs; that he keep the Sabbath day holy; that he is honest and honorable and upright in his dealings; that he discipline himself in every way to be sure that he is worthy and acceptable to the Lord.

Satan is continually at work, and in his cunning way tempts us through our appetites and passions and friends to do those things which are not right and proper for us to do. Too often, not only our youth but some of the brethren in high places succumb to temptation. We must be on the job all the time guarding against evil. We must never relax or forget who we are and what we are trying to accomplish.

I don’t want to embarrass President Kimball, but I don’t know of a better example any place in the world where a young man through discipline and self-mastery prepared himself so well for the position which the Lord had in mind for him. Now, as the prophet of God, he has asked all of our young men to prepare themselves for missions by studying and keeping themselves clean, and pure, and worthy, and by saving money for their missions.

A Hero’s Journey - notes and link to video

A Hero’s Journey.  https://video.byui.edu/media/122201_02_Large/0_7ghlpqpk/26923962

The hero's journey is all about you, but it's not about you at all.

Hero's journey means to live every moment of your life like it matters, it means to live as if you have an important mission, it means seeing struggles as adventures, and setbacks as lessons

What matters most isn't the prize at the end but how the hero is changed in the process

At actin they make 3 promises to the students

1. Learn how to learn
2. Learn how to make money
3. Learn how to live a life of meaning

Making money is not hard but it is complicated.

Learn how to learn is the most important skill to have at graduation

Learning to:

• Listen
• Ask questions
• Make my poise
• Trying not to be the smartest person in the room

Graduate students who came back 3 years after graduation said the most valuable lesson is how to live a life with meaning, it was those lessons that changed my life.

Start this journey with some practical advice: find great role models and ask them great questions.

Each student chooses 10 role models

1. Business people
2. Religious people
3. Aunts and uncles

And ask to meet with each one for 1-3 hours to ask about triumphs and regrets, and lessons they wished they learned earlier.

3 of the interviews are to be with someone your age to age 35

3 from age 45 to 60

And at least 3 over the age of sixty

All of those people interviewed over the age 60 will say basically the same thing. At the end of life only 3 questions will matter.

1. Have I contributed something meaningful
2. Am I a good person?
3. Who did I love and who loved me?

Nothing about power, money or fame. All of that will fade in only these 3 questions.

Have I contributed something meaningful?

The secret to unlocking that question is to never give up your search for a calling. Use your special gift and use them to bring great joy, satisfying a great need in the world.

Try this experiment to find you gift:

Ask 5 people you know well, what you do better than anyone else in the world? Press for specifics and examples.  You will be surprised at what you find:

The answers will be consistent and you will discover your gift is something you assumed was easy. Using God given gifts is something that brings you great joy.

How do you find something that brings you great joy?

Think of the last time you lost track of time while doing something. Something you would practice for the sake of practicing, something that could become a lifelong discipline that you're committed to master, if you find where your God given gifts intersect with finding that joy, you will be very close to the calling.

The last part of the calling is the most important of all: Satisfying a deep burning need in the world, a calling must serve others, it must matter to you.

What need today calls out to your heart?

What is there in justice or opportunity that you just can't resist?

What problem do you feel is why you were put on this earth to solve?

There is where you will find your calling.

Am I good person?

Write down a list of all of your

•  "I will nots"
• Moral boundaries you will not cross under any circumstances

When you do cross one of those boundaries recognize it as a time to stop, to pause and reflect before you fall down a slippery slope.

Anticipate these moments of great temptation, when you might be tempted to cheat on a spouse or pursue a path of longing, power and money.

For each I will not - write yourself a message in a bottle--put it in an envelope in your top desk drawer and then at that moment of temptation you can take it out and read it

Joke: Do you know what the difference is between you and God?

God never believes he's you.

Pride can lead you to terrible consequences when you cross those "I will not" guardrails

Who did I love and who loved me?

Choose you fellow traveler's well for it’s a trip you only take once. You will underestimate the power of extraordinary people. Extraordinary people get 10 times the amount done then those that are merely good at their job. And those that are merely good at their job get 10 times more done than the average person.

It is important to be surrounded by people with character because you will become like the people of those around you.

In the real world you will have to choose much more wisely.

One final bit of caution about the most special of your fellow traveler's  -- spend a lot of time with your family you only get one chance to see your kids grow up

"It's not about you but it's not all about you"

It's not about your happiness

A hero's journey isn't as easy as a fool's errand, you will have even more setbacks and more battles because the stakes will be higher. But, you will fight those battles and be more satisfied and fulfilled because you'll make a difference.

It's all about you because using your gifts to change the world will change you in the process and realize you serve a force in the universe who's far bigger than you are.

Here's one more glimpse into your future:

Somewhere along the way if you choose the Hero's Journey you'll give up measuring yourself against others

If you are on a fool's errand : there is always someone who is smarter than you are, or richer, or better looking, and you'll always be dissatisfied and unfulfilled and looking for another rat race to run

But if you are on a hero's journey the stepping stones that you set will be yours and the will eventually lead you to the gift of gratitude.

One last bit of practical advice: think of someone in your life who you ate truly grateful for but have never thanked a parent, a favorite aunt, a coach, a teacher then write a 1 page letter expressing your gratitude and go find them and read the letter aloud. If you do this you will be happier and more satisfied for months to come. You will likely find more things in your life to be grateful for and even begin to expect good things will happen to you. People you believe they will be lucky actually turn out to be luckier.

A glimpse of your future:

 you will realize you were worried about the wrong things, it can be the most expensive mistake you will make. You will be successful, you'll make more money than you need, and you'll learn that rich means spending less than you make so your time is on you.  Failure once so feared seen in reverse will only make you stronger increasingly and especially if you resist the hero's call you will find that your greatest horror in life isn't failure but waking up at 50 or 60 years old and realizing you have wasted your life.

Lord Actin the Victorian scholar of freedom said " a wise person does it once, but a fool does it last. Both do the same thing  only at different times. The question is which are you? Do you have the courage to take that first step on a hero's journey? And, will you take it today?

If you don't choose a journey's Hero, then who will? And if you don't start now, then when?