Magdalena Yesil

This week of class was a real discovery of the desire behind our pursuit of success. Success does not have a true definition in my opinion. Quite the opposite in fact. Success is determined by each individual's value system. Success to me can be completely different than someone who is also taking this class. I could value success as the pursuit of financial freedom. To be truly successful, I have to do whatever it takes to make money, by any means necessary. On the contrary, another could view success as the ability to provide comfortably within their family, while keeping their value system intact. (I should have used myself as the latter person!)
As I read the different stories, looked at the case study of Magdalena Yesil, and pondered about the principles being taught, I had to look into my value system and determine what my definition of success truly was. I love the principle taught by Elder Lynn Robbins when he states, "What you do to make a living, or how many dollars you earn, aren’t nearly as important to the Lord as whether you:  
  •   Are building His kingdom including strong and valiant families.
  • Are honest in your dealings with your fellowmen and using your God-given talents in their service; 
  • and if you are filling your life with good works, that positively impact your community and world."

Recently I had a brief discussion with a local CEO of a major upcoming company. As I discussed with him what it takes to make a business successful he stated something so simple, yet profound. He said that their business was built on the idea of following best principles over best practices. I think that this statement embodies that success in our lives should be measured by the level of morals and commitment to the Gospel, rather than the dollar amount that we are able to accrue. This thought is lost in today's business world, but should not be lost on us. 

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