On September 11th, 2012 an automated text message from the mayor of Santa Clara, Utah warned that the dam above my house was about to break. I raced home but before arriving received a call from my neighbor. He was normally quite a jokester but there was no joking in his voice when he said…
DetailsI recently attended an investing conference where an economist gave a speech entitled, “It doesn’t get any better than this.” He pointed out all the great economic news that seems to be the standard for the past couple of years. One of the items was the very low unemployment rate. According to economists, our country is…
DetailsYears ago I decided to participate in an investing competition sponsored by one of the leading financial firms. The rules were pretty simple. You were given $250,000 in pretend money that you could invest and at the end of 90 days whoever had the most money won. It sounded like a fun idea so I…
DetailsAugust has been a month of thunderstorms and on a recent afternoon flight home from Salt Lake City I knew there was a high likelihood I would be deviating around them once again. On this one-hour flight I left early in hopes of avoiding the weather, but storms can build very quickly and by the…
DetailsI love a good thunderstorm. The power of nature is beautifully inspiring and extremely humbling. Humans can feel a bit arrogant until nature reminds us that we puny little creatures are completely dependent on greater things for our survival. A little humility goes a long way toward achieving a successful outcome here. There are few times…
DetailsWhen I was newly married I immediately bought some life insurance. The monthly premium was small, and the death benefit seemed like a fortune. As I worked to build my business I often joked that I was worth more dead than alive. But it gave me great comfort knowing that for a very small monthly…
DetailsLast week Launa and I stayed at a hotel where the experience fell short of expectations. When we brought it to the attention of the manager the response was a weak apology but no offer to make matters right. I then wrote a letter to corporate headquarters who responded with excuses, but no solution or…
DetailsHave you ever been on a commercial flight waiting for it to push back and have the steward go around asking for a couple of volunteers to move to a different seat? Unlike any other transportation device, airplanes are very sensitive not only to weight, but to how that weight is distributed. A small regional…
DetailsLast week I went with two of my brothers to Jackson Hole to do some whitewater rafting. The stretch of river we rode has several miles of class 2 and 3 rapids, which means it is enough to be exciting but not really dangerous if you follow the rules. As we approached each rapid, the guide…
DetailsAt five years old I gave my first public speech. It was in a church meeting for primary children and I still remember it. It began like this, “Everything in the world works by a law; Birds fly by a law; flowers grow by a law and bees make honey by a law…” I went…
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