A Steady Upward Course...

As I was sitting today I was thinking back to a rather famous speech that was given here at BYU-Idaho by Henry B. Eyring, former president of the school before back in the 1970's that was asked to come and speak and here. Due to the religious nature of the school he spoke very moving words, words that come from a man with a vision for this school. Because of my job I have sat in meetings with some of the "higher ups" at the school and have been able to catch a glimpse of the vision of the school and where it is, and where it will be in the future. There are grand plans for this University. This is truly a great place to attend school. As a soon to be graduate I can say that the things that Henry Eyring says is true. I have been taught to be efficient, to be industrious with very little, and to lead instead of follow. I'll tell you what (and I am getting good at this due to the fact that I am applying for jobs right now) Give me limited resources, give me a short amount of time, and give me unfavorable market conditions...and I say no problem, because for 4 years I have been trained to be efficient with little resources, to use time wisely, and to make things happen despite the conditions of whatever industry you work in. I can do these because of BYU-Idaho. Read on for a few excerpts from the speech or click here for the full manuscript:

"The people who serve here have found a way to make changes—great and rapid changes—that will enhance, not replace, the best of what the school has always been. Because of that, I can with confidence make you a promise. When you return in some distant future, you will find great innovation has become commonplace, and yet, amidst all the changes, the school will have retained and enriched the basic characteristics that blessed your life.

"There is a responsibility to be prudent in the management of the resources, and there are places where we need to improve. If there is an example of 'use it up, wear it out, make do, or do without,' we are that place. If we ever lost that, we would be in trouble. So we need to be careful what we ask for.

"From that example, I make a prophesy. Now listen carefully. From that example they—you—will become life‐long teachers in their families, in the Church, and in their work, and they will bless others wherever they go by what they have learned about innovating with scarce resources and treating all they have as if it were the Lord's.

"You can imagine the joy of an employer or a Church leader when such a graduate arrives. The graduates will be at personal peace by having kept the commandments. They will be natural leaders who know how to teach and how to learn. They will have the power to innovate and improve without requiring more of what money can buy. Those graduates of BYU‐Idaho will become—and this is a prophesy that I am prepared to make and make solemnly—those graduates of BYU‐Idaho will become legendary for their capacity to build the people around them and to add value wherever they serve.


"We will have a spiritual outpouring, because of your faith and the faith of the faculty and those who lead here, that will lead us to be legendary in terms of our capacity to teach and to learn and in our capacity to innovate without needing the resources that others have to have in order to be the remarkable contributors you're going to be. And that's going to follow you everywhere you go. I hope I live long enough to someday meet some employer who employed one of you and says, "Where did that come from? I've never had such a person. Why people just flock around that person. And they want to follow. They don't have to be led; they're seeking to go where that person wants to go. And they come up with new ideas. I don't know where that comes from. They seem to find a better way, and the budget doesn't go up. I can't understand it." And I'll smile and say, "Well, come with me to Rexburg." And I may not be able to show it to you, and I may not be able to prove it to you, but you'll feel it. There will be a spirit here, I so testify, because of the love of God for all of His faithful children. And those blessings will be poured out here in rich abundance."

Come visit Rexburg, and see how we are changing to the world of business and education through disruptive innovation. You won't regret it.

Another semester...Or last...Either way.

Well, so starts my last semester as a college student. Who would have thought that I would be graduating college. Well, let's not put the wagon before the mouse, or however the saying goes, I still have the rest of the semester ahead of me. A whole semester of homework, work, job hunting, and just about everything else!

I was always under the impression that as you got closer to graduating that your schedule would get better...HAHAHAHA, that is what I have to say about that. My schedule this semester is terrible, check this out:

• ESS 201
• B 250
• B 499A
• B 499B
• COMM 310
• COMM 316 

Not too bad you might say. But when you look at it as, the first class is Sports Officiating (Back off, I needed an easy one credit so I could get the rest of my scholarship), B 250 is Web Business (a Sophomore class I forgot to take earlier on...tough class, not because the coursework, BECAUSE IT'S A SOPHOMORE CLASS) B499A is a strategy class where we work with the local E-Center and their interns and consulting projects for regional businesses, it's great use of time, the intern has no idea what they're doing (#Sarcasm). B499B is also a real winner, it's taught by an English teacher, great guy...terrible subject. COMM 310 is strictly HTML...I volunteered for this class, that's right folks, volunteered, I wanted to take it...(hint: key word being WANTED. past tense, not present.) It's a tough class, I took it to learn SEO better...it's a work in progress. COMM 316 is great, it's photojournalism. The teacher is not a teacher, he's a photographer, which is great because with a scheduled 3 hour class once a week, by hour two he starts to get antsy and then lets us out early.

Well, here it is, I feel like I just tossed the dice at the craps table. Let's hope that after 4 years I have been able to learn enough. Thank you to everyone who has gotten me thus far. Namely my parents who have worked and sacrificed to put me through school. My wife who has seen me through the good times and the stress. The rest of my family who has provided their support. 

If anyone is interested in making the long trek to Idaho for graduation, click here for the dates.

regrets...

Regrets...There are no words to adequately describe what it feels like to regret something. When you feel it, you just know it. But there is just no way to adequately describe it. I have regrets. I think everyone has regrets. I don't know if it is just the time of life that I am in or if it is just maturing into my older years that has gotten my internal tumblers to calm down enough for me to actually reflect on what I have done...and in many cases not done in my life!
 It is a painful realization to have come to, but one that is necessary nonetheless...there is absolutely only one thing that I can do to curb not only past regrets, but future ones as well, get off my butt and do something about it! There are two types of pain when it comes to regret. There's the awful, nagging pain of opportunities lost, never to come the same way again. Then there is the equally painful, yet such different pain of regrets in the current, regrets you can do something about, but are just so terrified of fixing it! What if...what if...what if... there will always be what ifs.One must stand and do, with courage and determination or all you will do is regret your whole life.
 Sure there are things that I regret, but assuredly there are things that I don't regret. My wonderful wife Kara, My choice to attend school where I did, My mission, My membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and many more things.
 Most assuredly during this time of reflection and starting a new year we must look to our successes, or triumphs and other things, but we especially look to our regrets. After all, Albert Einstein once said that Insanity in it's purest definition is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results. As I look to my regrets I will do my best to not repeat them. This is my biggest challenge in life, but one I am up to.

 Sorry for all those who bothered to read this, this is really a hodge-podge of thoughts thrown together.