Honesty is the Best Policy

This week I've taken a step back into memory lane but it wasn't fun revisiting bad memories. I'll save you the grief so I wont share the memory but it has caused me to do some serious self inventory of past business practices and ethics. We've all herd the famous saying "Honesty is the best policy." It doesn't really come to life until you have tested it which I have done many times for good and bad. Experience has taught me it is far better to be honest in my dealings personally, but especially in business. Being honest and ethical means you hold yourself and others to a higher standard of living. Frank Levinson, co founder of Finisar Corporation taught that people innately gravitate towards and ethical environment. In the world today we find those who are very talented and smart but dishonest in their dealings. Sometimes those people find success but it never lasts long. I've learned to never comprise my integrity and to always choose the higher road. A general authority for my church once told of a story of a business partner going to the news paper machine to get the daily news. As he put his quarter in the machine he opened it up to take his news paper but grabbed 2 copies for him and his associate. The associate knowing how small a price it was for the news paper said, "no thank you, but are you really going to jeopardize your integrity for a quarter?" The associate walked off and as he turned around to look back he saw he partner putting more quarters back into the machine. I am thankful for that story because it puts things back into perspective. Are we willing to jeopardize our integrity for such a small price? I'm excited to learn in the coming days from the best of the best of how we can obtain success by keeping our integrity. It really sets the foundation for all young entrepreneurs like me. So no matter what, I make a vow from now on that I will never jeopardize my integrity. Honesty is the best policy because it works. It should be rephrased to "honesty is the only policy".

Entrepreneurial Journal 2: Childhood Dream

I'd like for you guys to watch this video. CLICK HERE For those of you who dreamed big as a child, this post is for you. I was really inspired after watching this video of a man named Randy Pausch. If you watched the video, then you know what I'm talking about. In his address he made a statement that caught my attention. He speaks in reference of his football coach who rode him hard in practice one day. I quote from his talk. "When you're screwing up and nobody's saying anything to you anymore, that means they gave up." He continues in his own words. "When you see yourself doing something badly and nobody's bothering to tell you anymore, that's a very bad place to be." I learned that sometimes your critics are the ones who truly love you and care for you. They want the best for you so they encourage the best OUT of you. I loved his whole talk. He really inspired me to change my perspective on life. In his closing remarks he says, " It’s not about how to achieve your dreams. It’s about how to lead your life. If you lead your life the right way, the karma will take care of itself. The dreams will come to you." Sometimes I get caught up in trying to do everything right. In the process I forget, and it's one of my weaknesses, to recognize the small things. Life happens and no matter how hard you try to stay on the path your currently on, life finds a way of scooting you over. Sometimes your dreams might be put on hold but it doesn't stop you from enabling others to live their dreams. If you are doing the right things in life, helping others may be more fulfilling than living your own dreams. That is the lesson I have learned from Mr. Pausch. "Karma will take care of itself." One of my favorite quotes from the President of my church is, "decisions determine destiny." I interpret that as good decisions determines a good destiny. If you lead your life in the right way, good things will come your way. I believe that is the core of all childhood dreams. Good comes from God and God instills in us the privilege of making our own decisions. Our dreams are dependent on our choices. We have the choice to work hard and to strive to do our very best. We also have the choice to react to life's challenges in a good way. Our choices have serious consequences for good and bad. So the next time you feel discouraged, remember we have the choice to react in a good way. The next time you feel like someone is constantly criticizing you, remember that is a good place to be. Someone actually cares to criticize you. The next time your dreams are a big failure, remember it’s not about how to achieve your dreams, it's about how you lead your life. "Karma will take care of itself."

Entrepreneurial Journal Week 1

This meme describes exactly where I'm at in life in regards to my passion for the visual arts. It has been over a year since my last post. I don't know about you, but if you decided to go on a 1 year vacation from work, there might not be anything to come back to? Well, I promise this past year was not a vacation for me. It was not work either. It's what they call "LIFE". But "true love has a habit of coming back." Not to burst your bubble (cause I know you were waiting for a video segment of how I was gonna make a come back), I'm not planning on posting new material any time soon. Its just not in the stars at the current time. But I do not want to give up. Especially on this blog. This blog has provided me and my subscribers, ALL 20 of them, a journal of sort. Documenting my journey in the photography and videography business. Looking back at my very first post, I have progressed, very very very slowly! Not just in the quality of work, but also in the business aspect of it. Which proved I was not ready for the next level. I have learned so much from others and from my experiences, good and bad. So I've decided to write a few "lessons learned" to pacify the time until I get my act together. Hence, the reason for titling this post, journal entry 1. Lesson one: I made so many mistakes, but the most important lesson I've learned is to LOVE WHAT YOU ARE DOING. To truly love it. To truly do it for the passion and the love of the art. You know when you love something or someone? You constantly think about it and it occupies the bulk of your time. I love weddings and I love filming them. It's risky business but the rewards far out weigh the risks. I love the art of filming. I think the ability to create and to tell people's story is why I fell in love with film. I love the fact I can continue to master my craft and perfect my skills. The wedding industry provides ample opportunity to learn on the fly and I kind of enjoy that rush. The end results don't always go as plan but you cannot learn without experiencing it yourself. With all my failures in the wedding business, my love for the game is a constant. I may not be the best, but I love this stuff just as much as the pros do. If you love what you do, and still fall flat on your face, at least you can say you had a good time. Figure it out now! Ask yourself, do I love what I am doing? I have so much more to say but I'll save it for next time. I don't expect to many people to read my blog. The important thing is I have made an effort to journalize those life lessons to hopefully create better habits for myself. The goal is to be better than the person I am today. Blogging is one way I can do that. Until next time, happy blogging everyone!