Communication Day - Jeff Benedict

I was able to go listen to Jeff Benedict in one of the breakout sessions today. He has done some amazing things and I was really impressed with the magnitude of his success. He brought up some really good points that I’d like to touch on and add my own thoughts.

The first thing he said that really hit me was, “you never know when you’re going to get an opportunity to do something you’ve always wanted…” I think a lot of the success and opportunities in the world are lucky chances, but those lucky chances come about with hard work, effort, and awareness of those lucky chances. If we aren’t looking for the opportunities and taking chances, most likely we will miss them. Brother Benedict really impressed me in when he said that he had no shame in what work he did when he was younger. Don’t be proud, he said. Staple papers, run copies, clean toilets – do whatever you have to do to get where you want to be.

The next point that he brought up was to be grateful that you didn’t get what you so badly wanted then. I know I need to be more grateful for the learning curves life has thrown at me. And I am – I’ve learned a lot and have come a long ways in my short life. But I tend to think on the past and wonder about the things I have missed out on. But I don’t need to – I am an A student at a wonderful university, I have loving and supportive parents, I am working two jobs while here at school, I work contract for the company I interned for this summer, I work on campus in close association to some of the most brilliant minds on campus, I am on a fast track to a great career, I have so many great things to be grateful for – and most are as a result of learning curves in my life.

Brother Benedict also mentioned in his presentation that what we think about and do in our idle time is a predictor of where we will end up in the future. I really need to be more productive with my idle time. I’ve had a lot this week because the workload has been light, but I could be doing other things with my time rather than watching movies… I could be developing my talents in writing, music, art, or even just reading up on the world and becoming more aware of what is going on around me. I could be using my time to develop myself more spiritually by reading the scriptures, or serving others. There is so much more that I could be doing with my idle time.

Jeff Benedict was well worth my time to go listen to his presentation. What he had to say was so inspiring and really made me want to become a more focused, goal oriented individual (I know… more than I already am…) There is so much more I could be doing to make the world a better place and to better myself. There are endless opportunities out there for me, it’s just a matter of being aware.