Spiritual Genetics

I'd been working so hard yesterday, as had my husband, that we decided to hit Taco Bell last night for some quick, cheap tacos. $5 and we'd have enough for our dinner, so while Alvin finished cleaning his side of the bedroom I went and sat in the drive-through line at Taco Bell. I was listening to the Glenn Beck program. He'd just seen Pursuit of Happyness with Will Smith this last weekend and was completely blown away by the man it was about, Chris Gardner.

Pursuit of Happyness is about a man, with custody of his young son, and no home. As his struggle to succeed is played out in the film, one really can't help but be inspired and touched by the sheer determination of this man to succeed and provide for his son. And he did. Chris Gardner is a multi-millionaire today.

Glen interviewed Chris last night and some really incredible things were said. Chris grew up in the ghetto. Life was hard and it was rough, but his mother always taught him he could become whatever he wanted to become. He believed her.

He then mentioned a principle called "spiritual genetics" which is what his new book is about. He went on to explain that we inherit our eyes from our mother, our nose from our father and there's nothing we can do about that. But spiritual genetics, that's all up to us. And he's right.

I know this was a long introduction to what I'm thinking about today, but that's me. Build the foundation of the story before I launch into it.

The only thing that stand in the way of someone accomplishing his or her dreams is . . . themselves. Really. Look at me for instance. I grew up poor but rich in a mother's love and the gospel of Jesus Christ. I went to college on Pell grants, I learned and I grew. I decided I wanted to write. So I wrote screenplays and then books. Yes, I've had some books published and that is a wonderful thing. But if they hadn't been published those books would still have been written . . . by me. I created the stories, I wrote them and I completed them. The sense of accomplishment was great.

The point I'm trying to make is that circumstances in life can be very, very hard but if we are willing to begin and end every day on our knees, then our spiritual genetic makeup can become an incredible force to be reckoned with. Our Heavenly Father loves us and wishes for us to succeed. He gave us gifts, talents and the strength to accomplish what we came here to do . . . just do it. Pray, plan and listen . . . but just do it.

Chris Gardner talked about thes ghetto upbringing of another young girl who who grew up in his neighborhood and went to school with him. He explained there had been nothing in their upbringings to indicate the success both had achieved. The little girl? Oprah Winfrey.

We have to believe in who we are. We have to understand and develop the talents God gave us. We have to believe we can accomplish what we want to accomplish and we have to doggedly pursue that dream until it is reached.

Have to write a business plan? Go online, read posted business plans, download some business plan software and answer all the questions. One the skeleton is complete, take a look and what would you want to know if someone was dropping $80 million into your business and finish that business plan.

Want to write a book? Scan online for reputable writing classes. Haunt the second-hand bookstores if you can't afford Amazon.com. Talk to people you know, in Utah if you throw a rock you're going to hit a published author. It's just the way it shakes down here. Go to author websites and ask questions and for recommendations and advice.

There's so much you can do and this day and age of technology has made it possible. Believe in yourselves and allow yourselves to dream once more. One step at a time, that's how a dream comes true. One step at a time.

Yesterday at LDSBlogs.com.

And God Remembered Rachel
The Worth of Souls
Harold B. Lee: First Principles and Ordinances of the Gospel