Living Well | The Ultimate Investment

Dinky Daily Discipline Determines Direction

I’m trying to lose a few pounds. Well, actually more than a few. Problem is, with my profession, I tend to eat out a lot. It’s hard, especially when I like such a variety of foods . . . and chocolate. It becomes a daily struggle of what, and how much to eat. If I... » » [Read the rest of the post]

Learn to Hear

There is a certain senior executive at a consulting company. He is well-regarded for his wisdom and sound counsel. Many come to him for help evaluating ideas and solving problems. In each case, if he can help, he does. If he can’t, he tells them quickly so they can seek help elsewhere. On one particular... » » [Read the rest of the post]

That Something Extra

We’re all consumers. What separates a top brand from all the others? What separates a mega-star from an ordinary actor? What separates haute cuisine from a plate of spaghetti? There’s a mysterious gap between the top tier and the next in line. You’ve seen examples of very competent and talented singer / musicians who never... » » [Read the rest of the post]

Tend Your Own Patch

A young man stepped out his door to seek his fortune and leave his mark on the world. As he was leaving the beautiful valley in which he’d been raised, he began to look more closely at the things he’d taken for granted his whole young life. There were the pine covered mountains, the old... » » [Read the rest of the post]

Everything Teaches

I’ve always heard the saying, “When a student is ready a teacher will come.” This is true. There are teachers all around us. Everything we see, everything we do contains a lesson. The next time you notice something interesting, stop and ponder. Ask yourself what you can learn from what you just noticed. Then sit... » » [Read the rest of the post]

Shifting Gears

When I was young all my friends were fascinated with dirt bikes. One of our friend’s Dad bought him one. Boy, were we envious. We would gather and watch him kick it started, peel out, and race over jumps we had constructed just to watch him fly. He got really good at it, a real... » » [Read the rest of the post]

Present Power

I recently attended the funeral of a friend who’d suffered an accidental death. Prior to the funeral there was a viewing where friends and relatives could offer condolences to the surviving family. This friend left a wife and five children. Two of the children are grown and married with children of their own. He also... » » [Read the rest of the post]

Don’t Be Afraid to Change Direction

Lisa thought she would enjoy being in business, so as she attended a university, she declared business as her major. She graduated with her bachelor’s degree and wasn’t quite settled with what she finally wanted to end up doing, so she started going for a master’s degree in business. One semester away from graduating she... » » [Read the rest of the post]

Enjoy the Trip

Sharon had saved up for a long time to go on a special vacation to Hawaii. She’d figured out her whole itinerary. Everything she wanted to see and do was planned out to the minute. When she got there, she rushed from site to site, activity to activity, trying to get everything done she’d planned. ... » » [Read the rest of the post]

Setbacks Create Opportunities

Walt Disney suffered a near nervous breakdown just as he was reaching a pivotal point in his career. At that point, on the advice of his doctors, he took time off and got completely away from his work, leaving it in other’s hands (a thing he had struggled doing before). He had to relinquish a... » » [Read the rest of the post]