For this week, I read and watch videos about our potential, our dreams and our capabilities. We all, have divine potential to be more than we think. We are sons and daughters of the Master Creator and we have the potential to do and create great things.

Sometimes, we belittle ourselves thinking that we can't accomplish something because we don't have the potential, but I think and I believe we can do great things.

I always told the Young Women of my ward, "You have to try everything, because you can accomplish anything and you might surprise yourselves at the things you can do and become."

Also, I watched a video by Kathy Hober (an engineer). In the video they asked her, "Has gender affected your career?" It made me think about my own experiences. I'm a young woman, Latina (with an accent), mother of 4 kids.I've been living in the USA for almost 14 years and I have seen it everywhere, where people think that "you can't do it because you are a Latina" or just because you have an accent, they think you are not capable or smart enough. Then, when I talk about the things I have done and accomplished in my life, people get "surprised."

A few months ago, I was asking my 7-year-old, "who do you think is the boss?" (I wanted to know what he would answer) so he answered, "Daddy" and I asked him, why do you think daddy is the boss?, and I thought he was going to say that daddy was the boss because he was a man, but he replied was, "because he is older." He did not see any gender, it didn't matter to him that daddy was a man or mom a woman.

The culture where we we live can really shape the way we think of others and ourselves. I do believe it is our duty as parents to teach our children than we are all capable, and that we all have what it takes to become what God wants us to become.

This week, I studied about trustworthiness, true leaders and discipleship. It made me think about my leaders I had growing up. Mostly about my Young Woman President. I had many Presidents, but this one in particular really helped me in a way I didn't see before until I grew and realized the impact she has made in my life. Her name is Marisol. I had to say that I always fought with her, most of the time she was right but above all, I loved her and she loved me.
She was a great leader and I believe she still is. Many of the things I do at church are because of her example. She is truly an inspiration and a disciple of Christ.
She was also my seminary teacher for a year, and her scriptures were so old and scratched up. I wanted my scriptures to be just like hers, and I have to say that my scriptures look like hers did.
I pretty much went to church by myself, my parents were divorced, my mother wasn't a member of the church and my father was inactive, so, I only had my leaders to guide me.
I took everything in, absolutely everything. If they would have taught me that the moon was made out of cheese I would have believed them. That's how much I trusted them. There were true disciples of Christ and I trusted them.

We all have big examples of true leaders, I hope my children see me like I saw my young woman president.

The best thing we can do to be a true leader and disciple of Christ is to show up, care and love. 

Think about the future!
There are so many examples in the scriptures about prophets and leaders thinking about not only their own future but also about their children's future.

I always think about Nephi's example. He had to kill Laban and he didn't want to do it, but after he thought about his children (he didn't have children nor a wife at that moment), he then proceeded to kill Laban.

We, sometimes forget that our decisions will have consequences not only for us but for our children too. In my own life, I have seen how the poor choices of my parents still have a consequence in my life, even now, after many years. Because of it, I think I'm more careful about what I do and say and teach my children. I want them to have not a single doubt that I love them.

I think about other people too and wonder how they got to be where they are/were.

My beautiful grandmother asking a single question to his neighbor changed my life, my husband and my children's life forever. (Her neighbor was a drunk man, but one day she saw him happy and sober. She asked why he was so changed. He talked to her about the church, and that's how everything started). She then got baptized and his children too. She got inactive after but now, I'll be the one helping her go back when I go to the temple and perform the ordinances she needs.

But, I think, why if she would not have asked that question? what if I don't take her name to the temple? what if I decide to stop doing the correct things? My decisions will affect me and the people that surround me.

I know that God, my Father, thought about His own children and He created the earth, and when created this plan. He was thinking about me and you.

Now, what decisions you are going to take to show your children that you are thinking about them?

President Hinckley was the prophet of my youth. I always remember his teachings. 
I was 9 years old when he gave his talk called "Stand True and Faithful."
He said, " We know when we have done the wrong thing and we also know when we have done the right thing." It scares me to know that we are (for many years) starting to see that the world doesn't know or may they don't care about doing the wrong thing.

People trying to take advantage of others, it's a thing we sadly see everywhere now.
President Hinckley also talks about being true, true to ourselves, to our parents, to our religion. True means being honest. He said, "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." It made me think about my dealings with others.

Every time, I have the chance to do something, I asked myself, will this help me keep my temple recommend? If not, I don't participate.

This week has been a great week to think about how can I be more trustworthy. There is always room for improvement, I know it. I also make an effort to be true and how do I do that? by just thinking often about it. 

You know, tax season is here, it would be super easy for companies to cheat the numbers and it would super easy for families to cheat numbers too. I wish we could be more like Nephi and Zoram. When they used that oath (As the Lord liveth...) they trusted each other. Their word, that is all that was needed to trust each other.

The world needs more people like Nephi and Zoram, trustworthy.

Ok, now to the homework.
The habit that was more meaningful from the lecture and video from this week was "Be proactive"
The author said, "We have to be self-started, shakers and movers and decision-makers.It's hard to lead from behind."
I think that all the habits we talked about this week will help me live a more meaningful life. Being proactive, putting first things first, thinking win/win, all those can be applied to everybody no matter their circumstances. We can all make a big and positive impact in this world.

2/7/20

This week's lesson was all about loyalty and putting our priorities in order.

I watched a video from brother Newman and I was so touched and impressed by it that I shared it on social media. (if I can figure it out, I'm gonna share the video here, too.)

It's possible to be a successful entrepreneur but you have to be careful with your priorities. We have to know who or what we are going to follow. We can't have 2 masters.

Many times in my life I have had to choose between two things but then I ask myself, is it important? will it make me closer to my family and God? if the answer is yes, then I'll do it.

I'm always thinking about how my actions will affect my children, the things I say and do will affect them for good or bad. I want them to know without a doubt about the things I know to be true.


About entrepreneurship, I have always liked the idea of being an entrepreneur but sometimes (I mean all the time) I don't know what I want. What I do know is that I would like to do something with my garden and teaching. I'm still thinking about having a YouTube channel about garden and provident living, but right now I can't do it because I'm too busy with school and kids and work.

If you get to see the video! enjoy it!


 https://vimeo.com/28075977?ref=fb-share&fbclid=IwAR2mr_25LCFlQm9GkaPNgaJi_Hxjbu9yutH9NeaJDEu8gJvt9Bgbc6_-g3w

This week, I had to come up with names of people that I would like to have as advisors and it helped me think a lot about those who have been and those who are with me.
One of those people I thought of was my grandmother. She did what she wanted and truly she was a free spirit. I love to think about her and I do every single day since she passed away last year. Last night I dreamed about her and I dreamed of the man who invited her to church 60+ years ago. He also passed away. She got baptized but she never went to the temple for her endowment. I will be doing her work in the temple this coming May. The dream I had last night reminded me that the work of God continues on the other side of the vail and dang! I'm sure this man is teaching my grandmother again.

This week I also studied what my passion is. I was doing some homework yesterday and I looked through the window to see outside and the garden and I said to myself, "that's my passion" if I could be outside in the garden all day, planting seeds and seeing them grow, that would be awesome. I would love to know more about gardening.

In the second interview I did with Joe Hendrix, he gave me really good advice on groups I could join to know more about plants and gardening. With this class and with a lot of thought I have been checking off my list things I thought I would like to do and I'm just leaving the ones I still would like to do and pursuit.

I'm thankful for this moment I have to write on this blog. About my dream that I had with my grandmother, I felt the impression to write it in my journal. So, I did.