Brother Cox - January 31

Select at least three of Bro. Cox's 12 career "hints" and report what you are currently doing to follow his recommendations. Be specific in describing how you are living each "hint."

1) "Family First": I've realized how much I enjoy letters from missionary friends and how I write to them more than my own family. I'm working on a project where I write one letter a week to one of my siblings or to my parents. I would be nothing without them in my life! The first letter is to my sister and I'm writing it tomorrow during my lunch break. =D

2) "Don't Measure Success by Fame or Fortune": I teach sunday school every other week but for the past three weeks I've taught the lesson. It's wonderful because I really feel like I learn more about the gospel when I get the opportunity to teach. I can't measure how well I'm teaching based on fame because the other good teacher teaches the same week I do. If I measured the quality of my lessons based on attendance that would be a waste of time! I'm not teaching for popularity! I'm teaching so that those who do come to listen and participate can learn about Christ's divine mission and the New Testament. What I measure my teaching quality on is the type of comments I get afterward and those are what make me feel good. I can tell they are sincere comments and that's what I like to hear! Having a fun class is entertaining but I like to make my class think about real life application and how they can take the lessons into the real world and improve their lives.

3) "Try New Things": Every month my goal is to experiment with a new extreme activity. How will I find out what I like or don't like if I don't try it out!? If I didn't take advantage of the new opportunities that come my way while at college then I wouldn't be involved with BYUSA or even have the friends that I currently do. Trying new things and not being skeptical of what might happen is how I've learned so much about myself, what I enjoy doing, and what I'm good at.

Select one or more "hints" from Bro. Cox upon which you feel a need improve your focus. Be specific about your plans to better incorporate this "hint" into your life.

1) "Do More Than is Expected": I need to do this hint waayyyy better. I feel like I only do what is required of me when I'm working on a project or doing an event. It's not all about me. I have responsibilities to my team, roommates and friends and need to fulfill my duties to them more than meet the bare minimum. Life is hectic, yeah, but I can bite off quite a bit to chew for myself and I've never been one to start something I can't finish. I can be better about being a leader and getting stuff done BEFORE its due, not just on time. It's all about being pro-active. I get frustrated when other people just wait around for something to happen. I want to urge them to 'Make it happen! Be a leader! Do what you signed up to do!', but I need to take my own advice before I can dish it out to anyone else.

The 12 "hints" he shared with us on Monday include:
1. Family First
2. Leave it better than you found it.
3. Don't fear to contribute and invite others to do so.
4. Do more than is expected.
5. Be prepared before opportunity knocks.
6. Be willing to start from ground level.
7. Don't measure success by fame or fortune.
8. Don't value security more than opportunity to serve.
9. Deflect praise to others.
10. Sprout deep roots.
11. Try new things.
12. If you don't love it, leave it.

Judge Griffith - January 24th

Judge Griffith spoke about his career and how he had moved around to different opportunities seeking to find his passion. Please describe what you feel you are passionate about today and where you think these interests will take you as you start your career path.

I'm really passionate about making other people happy. I love when I influence someone to smile, or to think about a life changing experience, or to call their mom and tell her how much they love her. I'm not huge on having to see a numerical result [even though that is nice] but knowing that I've helped someone realize how much they are loved and then see them love others in return gets me through the day. I guess this means I'm passionate about loving others?? I know I'm not the greatest at being an event leader but I like to think that in some small way I'm helping others feel good about themselves and learn what kind of person they want to be. Is there a career for that?!?! I think there is and it's called motherhood... too bad that doesn't pay for college.

Judge Griffith quoted several versus in Jacob 2, in reference to the pursuit and use of wealth. How will you apply the concepts that Jacob shares with us as you experience success in your career.

I was thinking about something similar over Christmas break. Poor people can't help others because they don't even have the funds to take care of themselves! I need money if I want to help people! Of course there are people like Ghandi and Mother Teresa who did wonderful things without a ton of money, but what about those days when I just want to make dinner for a struggling, single mother and her 3 kids but hardly have money for my own top romin? What do I do then? Sometimes the sentimental things are best when I'm trying to show how much I care and more than usual those sentimental things cost money. Judge Griffith talked about how the LOVE of money is the root of all evil but money in general is a good thing! I want a good job that will pay well so that I can take care of myself, my future family, and others! That isn't too much to ask for, is it? When I get that fantastic job as a private school councilor and basketball coach, I'll use the money to give service and have my kids come help. It's killing two birds with one stone really.

Please share something you learned about leadership in your career from judge Griffith’s presentation.

I realized that even though I would like to be a poor hippie who spreads the good message of love and peace, I don't have the life style to keep such a low income budget haha. Soooo something's got to give! I like being middle class and I also like helping people. I feel like I'll learn more on my mission (my first interview is on Wednesday!!) and after that I'll better understand what God has in store for me. I don't need to rush through life nearly as quickly as I used to think I needed to. Life is so full of opportunities! I should take more time to stop and smell the roses because most of the time I don't even realize I've passed them until I'm stuck in a garbage dump.

As for how this has anything to do with leadership I don't know really. I feel like we are always having to look forward to the next thing and thinking of the future and how to prevent the bad stuff from happening at an event. That doesn't really leave time for smelling anything except the sweat from your forehead because you're so worried that you forgot something. If there is one thing I've learned this year it is this: it always works out; do your best and don't worry about what you can't control; love others for them to love you back and don't sit in the corner when something needs to be done; be proactive and not overbearing; make a situation better than how it was when you found it. LIFE IS GOOD!

SUPERarea meetings - SHA meeings

Melissa talked to me today about having a quick area get together where we share a spiritual thought or message so that as an area, Student Honor can be more unified. I think it's a great idea! I just don't know how we'll do it. It sounds kind of like an FHE; I love FHE. I'm going to figure out a good way to do it. This is something that will bring us together as an area and help everyone get to know each other. Great idea Melissa! Good thinking!

My Resume

KariElle Thalman

322 N 750 E Provo, UT 84606 623-229-2916 karielle.thalman@gmail.com

Objective

­­Committed to find, teach, build and inspire others to help them become leaders centered on Jesus Christ who enjoy serving those around them and contribute to the building of Zion.

Skills Summary

Service oriented – always willing to lend a helping hand

Motivates Others to High Achievement – focused on lifting others to become their best

Builds relationships – observant to other’s personalities and needs without verbal communication, encouraging superior clientele service

Goal driven – embraces challenges that enhance knowledge and experience

Experience

BYUSA Vice President of Student Honor 2010-Present

- Supervise 4 executive team members to serve 33,000 students

- Attend regular meetings with University dignitaries as a student representative to encourage honorable living standards

- Effectively delegated 13 new 5 month programs

- Organized and lead an ethics dinner discussion for 20 student leaders

- Planned and successfully provided food for a two hour outdoor venue to 7,500 students

- Researched, planned, and carried out productive team building activities

- Conducted interviews for the Student Honor Executive Team

BYUSA Executive Director in Student Honor 2009-2010

- Recruited, trained and mentored 16 co-ed ethics discussion leaders

- Planned, organized and lead ethics discussions to 20 college freshman twice a week for 7 months

- Organized 8 ethics discussions for BYU Performing Arts Majors and athletes

Teacher, Gospel Principles 2008-Present

- Prepare and present gospel principles to groups of 30-45 undergrad students for gospel discussion and enlightenment

- Prepared and delivered appropriate gospel messages to six 5 year old children at the age of 18

Education

Brigham Young University 2009-Present

English Major

Expected Graduation Date: April 2015

Willow Canyon High School 2004-2009

High School Diploma with Honors; 3.8 GPA

Graduation Date: May 2009

TThis really does look good... I'll send it to you in an email if you'd like.

Potential

A man named Goeth once said this and I wrote it down in my scriptures for 1 Nephi 16:23

If you treat an individual as he is, he will stay as he is. But if you treat him as if he were what he could be and ought to be, he will become what he ought to be.

Growing Good Corn

There was a farmer who grew award-winning corn. Each year he entered his corn in the state fair where it won a blue ribbon. One year a newspaper reporter interviewed him and learned something interesting about how he grew it.

The reporter discovered that the farmer shared his seed corn with his neighbors. "How can you afford to share your best seed corn with your neighbors when they are entering corn in the competition with yours each year?" the reporter asked.

"Why sir," said the farmer, "didn't you know? The wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field. If my neighbors grow inferior corn, cross-pollination will steadily degrade the quality of my corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbors grow good corn."

He is very much aware of the connectedness of life. His corn cannot improve unless his neighbor's corn also improves.

So it is in other dimensions. Those who choose to be at peace must help their neighbors to be at peace. Those who choose to live well must help others to live well, for the value of a life is measured by the lives it touches. And those whoe choose to be happy must help others to find happiness, for the welfare of each is bound up with the welfare of all.

The lesson for each of us is this: if we are to grow good corn, we must help our neighbors grow good corn.

Author Unknown

future

I was talking with one of our family friends and he gave some some very good advice: poor people cannot help other poor people; the worst thing about being poor is not having options; I need money to do what I want to help others. So, what am I going to do in my future so that I can help others? That's all that I really want to do. I just want to help other people feel better, act better, see others better. How do I do that?