ThrivingTwogether

Skipping Cynical

As children we are full of dreams and excitement. Everything is fun and positive and we quickly forgive. We play. We love. We dream. We create.

Somewhere in our lives we tend to get a little cynical and less trusting. We become intellectually haughty: superior to optimism, dreams and faith in others. We critique. We don't create. We question progress and doubt ability.

Then as we get older we seem to rediscover our childlike values again. Dreaming becomes delightful. Playing with children or grandchildren brings supernal joy. We see the good in everyone. We encourage others.

The happiest people are those who skip cynicism. They keep their childlike ability to give, love and forgive.

I wonder what would happen if we skipped the middle? What would life be like if we skipped cynicism?

Sure would be fun to try.

 

 

 

(Origianl post from 2012 archives)

(Photo credit: freedigitalphoto.net)

Hope Informs and Inspires Strategy

You've probably heard some form of "hope for the best and expect the worst." That sounds like a sure way to become schizophrenic.*

Others have taught something like,  "hope for the best and nothing bad will ever happen." This is akin to thinking a five-year old would make a good pilot.

Keeping a hopeful, faith-filled attitude doesn't eliminate the need to prepare. Rather it requires us to prepare for multiple outcomes.

Multiple outcomes?

• If your engine dies, name three ways you can you fix it for under $500?
• What if your A/C or furnace ceases to work? What could you do to fix it for free?
• Your roof is disrepair. How can you replace it for 60% the going rate?
• If you lost your main source of income today, how fast could you replace it with more income?
• Your tax refund is $5,000. What are two ways to spend invest it for your family's future?

Great lawyers, detectives, athletes, pilots, and parents know that praying and expecting the best is vital. But inherent in our hope is the imperative to plan for all outcomes, both good and bad.

(Photo courtesy freedigitalphotos.net)

*Original post from 2012 TT archives under different title)

T-Mobile Tuesdays

First find your passions. Melissa and I love food and travel. 

Second discover ways to get your passions for free or reduced prices.

Melissa and I followed that formula last Tuesday. 

We downloaded the T-Mobile Tuesday app on each of our phones.

Then we cashed in 3 free Dominoes pizza offers, 3 Vudu video offers and  got some free T-Mobile stock.

Total cost for three medium pizzas and a Zootopia video? Zero.

 The stock was free and hopefully will appreciate.

Frugality is living abundantly for little or no money.

What do you love to do/have/be? How can you get it for less?  

 

(Photo courtesy Mtaylor848)

 

My Haitian Uber driver owns a BMW

Two weeks ago I spent some time in Ft Lauderdale, Florida. On one of my Uber rides, my driver was a very nice Haitian man. After talking a while, I asked him if he would of owned a BMW in Haiti. As he drove me in his BMW 328, he laughed and said no. He told me that it would be impossible to drive such a nice car in Haiti. He was one of many people I met in Florida who had come to America to pursue a better life. If a Haitin can get a BMW and live in a dreamy place like Florida, I wonder what we can do/become/have?

The Next Eagle's Nest

I was 17 when I attended a youth conference near Ephraim, Utah.

The Dream Team was playing that Summer and for some reason I chose to be in a canyon with several other friends instead of watching hoops.

During the youth conference we each had an opportunity to conquer "the Eagle's Nest."

The Eagle's Nest was a platform perhaps 15 feet off the ground from which a person was supposed to horizontally jump off and simultaneously grab a rod....without letting go. 

Out of perhaps 120 youth, only 3-4 accomplished the feat.

I studied the successful ones. And the failed attempts. I prayed, planned and visualized succeeding.

Finally I did it. I dared. I jumped. I held-on.

 And the wind beneath my wings  carried me.

The victory wasn't mine alone. 

Later in life I would jump into an MBA, a new blog, and into learning crazy languages or trying to help people. 

Now, where's the next Eagle's Nest?

It's time to dare (and jump) again!

 

(Photo courtesy Vtornet)

 

 

 

 

Our New Baby

Well we don't really have a new baby, but our new-to-us Toyota Sequoia is here!

And Melissa loves it. And I love it too, especially because we paid 1/4 of what it would cost new.

Over seven months ago Melissa and I began to discuss replacing our vehicle as we needed to replace our Honda Odyssey (227,000 miles and a slipping transmission).

We looked at Honda Pilots, Toyota Highlanders, GMC Yukons, and a few other larger  SUVs.

We checked Edmonds, Consumer Reports and we talked with several friends and relatives to discover what would be best for our family.

We realized certain SUV's weren't very roomy or lacked a comfortable third row. And we learned what years were poor for each brand.

We discovered core values for Melissa (roominess, heated seats) and core values for Ryan (fast, 4x4, sun-roof). 

Then when we bought it, we rejoiced in having made a united, allied decision.

Key Principles:

1. Take your time even when a problem seems urgent (slipping transmission anyone?)
2. Unitedly discuss decisions
3. Explore alternatives with a reckless abandon
4. Scientifically scrutinize your preliminary findings

 

(Photo courtesy Wikipedia-our Sequoia is a little older, but similar color and design)

 

 

 

Let Them Eat Cupcakes

A Florida father recently found himself unemployed. What did he do? He fell back on his cupcake business and his jump house business. Then he started two new businesses. His family worked with him to make all four businesses successful. But what would happen had he not had two part-time businesses already running when he lost his job? Their cupcake truck even sold out last weekend. After months of unemployment and much family work on multiple businesses, this large Florida family is beginning to thrive financially Of course, they laid the foundation before a job loss. Business building and family building are excellent foundations for prosperity. And preparation is best done BEFORE it's needed. (Photo courtesy Pamela)

Like Columbus

Columbus persistently pioneered.

Do you? 

He lobbied rulers in Portugal, Italy, England and Spain for years before his offer was accepted by Spain.

Some say he was motivated by fame. Others claim he was money motivated. And others say it was God that guided him (Columbus journaled his feelings, testifying of Divine guidance).

Years ago I unkowingly emulated Columbus when I interviewed for my first post-college job. 

When one company didn't seem interested in my ability, I contacted their competition. 

The first company quickly offered me a well-paying job. 

Over the years I've found the joy of persistently pioneering: discovering new vistas by tenacity. 

And now when I want new basketball shoes, I look at Nike, U nder Armour and Adidas among others.

Or if I want a good deal on clothes, I check Amazon, eBay, a local mall and maybe even local classifieds.

If my children need/want to learn new skills?

We look at swimming, martial arts, dance, soccer, basketball, baseball, Parkour, Lego League or debate. 

Dogged. Determined. Variety-seeking. 

Like Columbus. 

 

 

Mercedes Man

My Dad exemplifies thrift. He finds ways to inexpensively attain abundance. 

He was taught by my grandparents to search for bargains (excellent products and services at rock-bottom prices).

So in the early days of his marriage he attained one of his dreams: he bought an inexpensive, used Mercedes.

Although his income was modest as a chemical mixer for Kodak, he made his dream happen.

To paraphrase George Bernard Shaw , "You see things; and you say 'Why?' But [my Dad] dream[s] things that never were; and...say[s] 'Why not?'

 

 

23 Wealthy Words & Phrases

1 Wait

 

2 Timing

 

3 Many options, better choices 

 

4 Counsel (none of us is as smart as all of us)

 

5 Discuss with a spouse 

 

6 Live within your means 

 

7 Expand your means

 

8 Thrift 

 

9 Prudent

 

10 Earn more, spend less 

 

11 We can't afford it...yet

 

12 Is that the best you can do?

 

13 How can I earn more income and work less?

 

14 Frugal not cheap

 

15 High quality, low price

 

16 The best investment is family

 

17 Dream BIG

 

18 Work smart and hard

 

19 Negotiate

 

20 YOLO (and you live forever, so act accordingly) 

 

21 Give

 

22 Grace & Gratitude (you didn't do it alone)

 

23 Teach

 

 

 

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Wait, Google it and buy at a discount

To the rack

A lady whose income, combined with her husband's, is about $160,000 chooses to shop at Eddie Bauer because she likes the clothes.

But she refuses to pay retail. so what does she do?

She only shops the clearance rack. She heads straight to the rack to find $6 shirts and $10 pants.

Where would you shop if you made $160,000?

Would you pay retail or wholesale?

How much you make is important.

And what you keep is just as important.

High quality, low price is the way to go no matter your income.

A Friday Afternoon in Vegas...driving a Ferrari

Last week I was in Las Vegas with a little bit of time to spare after eating at the Wynn buffet.

So I decided to take a look at the Ferraris at Penske Wynn Ferrari.

I happened to see a 2015 Ferrari California which brought back memories.

A few years ago I ALMOST had the opportunity to test drive a 2012 Ferrari California (worth $230,000) while visiting Orlando, Florida. But because of rain. I was not able to test drive it.

This time there was no rain. I was able to test drive a new Ferrari California 2015 worth $260,000!

I took a spin down the Strip. It was a dream-come-true.

How did I get to drive it?

I asked.

40 selected people had been invited to drive the car over the weekend. I wasn't one of them.

A security guard told me about the dealership's goal to have many people drive the car.

So I found a salesman and asked him for a test drive.

Ask. Receive. Often it's that simple.

He's famous and he won a car

Last night my wife and I met Dave. And he helped us meet two well known radio personalities in Utah, Todd and Erin.

Dave is from Salt Lake City and he decided to work at winning radio contests.

In the last twelve months he's won two iPads and a new Subaru. And concert tickets. And food.

The cost? He spends several hours each week studying contests and of course he constantly listens to the radio.

He's discovered that hard work, planning and dreaming produce abundance.

Sure luck is involved, but Dave knows that luck is tied to work, planning and dreaming big.

Spend different

I was so excited to see that Anthony Robbins published his first book since 1994. So I ordered a copy from my library. Nothing better than a book about money for free right?

I was disappointed.

Anthony Robbins taught about investing by sacrifice. No meat about searching for deals. Give up something's you want, so you can invest for the long term.

That's like saying lose weight by not eating. That works for a few masochists. The better way is to eat differently. To spend differently.

The best way to be financially independent is to buy what you want by getting deals and comparing offers. Buy used. Leverage time and options.

Don't believe those who tell you to do without so you can invest and then someday enjoy family and friends.

The Only Way? One Way?

I was talking to one of my wise brothers-in-law a few days ago.

He explained a pretty cool concept to me. We often think that there's only one way to get through life, our way. We know the perfect job, the only perfect spouse or the perfect house.

Everything is gonna work out the way that we planned.

Eventually though, if we allow it, life shows us that there's a better way. The better way is choosing wisely and then making our choice work. It's a plan that evolves as we commit to a way.

We notice many suitable jobs, houses or potential spouses but we need to pick one and make it work. Not the perfect choice but one choice that we make terrific.

Several people have asked me lately if they have found the one, right spouse.

A better question is, "how can I make this marriage thrive?"

We're not looking for a perfect situation before acting.

Rather we choose and then make our choice shine.

Playing Greg

During sixth grade I had an opportunity to play Greg Haskins to see who's the best basketball player in our entire school.

And I failed.

Greg and I had a shootout game of horse in front of every sixth grader. It came down to the final shot. All game I had been shooting difficult shots to get Greg out and to impress the crowd.

I kept trying to please the crowd, never really focusing on the present not-focusing on trying to make my next shot.

I lost a game but gained understanding. My dreams and others' opinion matters little compared to the task at hand.

Get clear on your dreams. Then work to achieve each one. And forget the praise of the world.

J.W. Marriott personified dilligence

A diligent person is consistent, steady, energetic and earnest.

Diligence requires us to take a patient long-term view while working now.

Daily diligence is the bridge between where we are and where were going to.

Diligence is a dream in action.

Diligence is an often overlooked ingredient for success, prosperity and abundance.

if you've ever stayed at a Marriott hotel you know the story of JW Marriott is one of diligence.

His hotel business was not his first business nor even his second. He struggled through multiple businesses before becoming a hotel magnet, now with thousands of hotels throughout the world.

Marriott applied much energy, steadily over decades to achieve his passion.

Earnest, energetic, steady, consistent effort yields abundant results.

Wish upon a star

Yesterday a colleague told me, "I wish I was like you."

"What do you mean?"I said.

"Well, you seem so disciplined. You always are eating just the right foods. Isn't that expensive?"

"No. My wife and I spend about $500-600 a month on groceries for a family of six."

"But doesn't all that food go to waste? How do you eat it all before it goes bad?"

I explained to him that it's not expensive to eat well; that it doesn't take more time to be disciplined.

Finally I said, "Your daily decisions determine destiny."

Choose high returns for your activities. Don't pack more doing but rather more effective activities into your day.

Disciplined people use commute time to learn not just to listen to music.

Disciplined people use their time to listen to excellent books or podcasts not romance novels.

Disciplined people make time to exercise on the lunch break or before work or after work or while they watch TV.

Karma at Gardner Village

Several years ago a great friend named Russ invested much of his time and money to help us build a business.

Last weekend Russ needed some help. Melissa and I thought it was best to do all we could to help him.

We donated about $35 bucks and a few hours of our anniversary to help him build a new building for his petting zoo at Gardner Village.

But of course divine karma gave us much more than we could possibly give him.

We received four gift baskets worth about $350. In the gift baskets there was Skullcandy headphones, a six months gym membership, gift cards to eat at Chili's and many more treats.

It feels so good to give! Especially to know that the equation for giving is always heavily skewed towards the giver.

Give and you shall receive.

To my valentine

With Valentine's Day just around the corner I couldn't help but think about my special Valentine.

Melissa and I have been married nearly 17 years and I've learned a ton from her about how to be frugal and wise with finances as well as numerous other lessons.

She's taught me how to make extra money too.

A little over four years ago she wisely suggested that we volunteer to help at a local elections. We did and earned over $500 in addition to my regular income.

We used a portion of that $500 to buy a Nintendo Wii and about eight games to go with it. Our family has been blessed for a number of years with some fun games that were paid for in cash because my wife's wise idea.

This Valentine's Day I pay tribute to my frugal, beautiful wife who helps me live a life of freedom.

The money-making Maserati

Several years ago I received an advertisement to test drive a Maserati.

They even promised free Bose headphones if I simply test drove a Maserati.

So one day I went to downtown Salt Lake City to Steve Harris imports to test drive a Maserati. I parked my old beat up Honda at a nearby Sears.

The salesman didn't have time to give me a personal tour of the new car that I was looking at so he threw the keys told me to come back when I was done test driving.

It had a hand-built Ferrari engine and sleek lines and a long beautiful, all black exterior with a beige interior.

I had a difficult time keeping the $110,000 car under 80 miles an hour on the freeway.

After enjoying the testdrive immensely I received my $150 Bose headphones.

And what did I do with my headphones I sold them and used the money to go on dates with my wife.

A $10,000 Specialized bike

A friend of mine bought a very nice street bike. It usually sells for $10,000 but my frugal friend decided that his dream bike should cost him less than $10,000.

He got an employee discount. My friend bought his dream bike for $2,500. Still quite a large amount for bike, but not nearly the $10,000 sticker price.

When my friend wants to upgrade his bike he simply sells a bike part for retail price and then buys an upgraded part at a discount.

His $10,000 bike now costs him nothing to upgrade and is one of the best bikes available. It's paid-off and he enjoys riding it.

LeRoy Road dream home

I recently visited with my two best childhood friends, Gene and Tim, on a visit to Palmyra, New York.

Tim and I reminisced about my childhood home. It was built in 1974, the final year of The Brady Bunch.

My parents had it built after buying an investment property. And they built it after planning and buying sufficient land.

They planned my childhood home, bought the land and then built a 2,000 square foot home with a 1,000 foot garage (huge for when it was built in the 1970's).

In the basement we had a used, free pool table. We had a dartboard and two bedrooms that my dad built. Also we had a large storage area for food and water.

In the family room we had built-in book shelfs lined with encyclopedias and several other books. We also had free standing bookshelves with perhaps 300 non-fiction books. That's where I fell in love with business books, religious books and self-help books.

In the third of four levels we had one of two fireplaces and a large kitchen and living room. There in the kitchen my mom was known to secretly "stretch" our milk by adding water.

And in the upstairs section we had three more bedrooms including my room.

The total cost of that house? $30,000.

Throughout the years we added a pool and a paved driveway and many trees. My parents sold it for over $80,000 about 17 years after they had it built. Now it's worth $139,000.

They thought he was weird

I met a renowned photographer today, Mike Olson. He has taken pictures of four presidents, the Dalai Lama and many governors and celebrities.

As a teenager, his friends thought he was crazy.

Why?

Because he sold his car and motorcycle to buy a camera.

The camera was an asset he used to take wedding pictures.

He sacrificed to buy an asset. And that asset fueled his legendary career.

Looky-loo

Looky-loos are people who shop with no intention of buying.

That's exactly what I did when looking for office space.

I looked at three offices to determine which one would provide the best value.

Office A had an annual lease (Servitude for a year, yuck!). It came with free utilities but was a 12 minute commute.

Office B also had an annual lease but was an 8 minute commute and a newer building. Similar pricing but it included access to an elevator and great neighbors.

Office C offered a month-to-month lease, a three minute commute, an extra 250 square feet for free, and the first month free rent.

The longer I looked (with no intention to immediately buy) the better my options became.

Freed by frugality

I'm currently enjoying a very relaxing trip in Finland. I saved and planned for nine months to visit my favorite European country.

Today's post will be brief because I want to enjoy my trip in Finland.

In order to prepare for this trip, I increased revenue streams, added a business partner, outsourced some concepts and reduced (not eliminated) three personal luxuries.

The result? I just ate smoked Salmon in a former jail. Yum! And I get to visit five castles this week.

Frugal and free.

Not frugal and enslaved by massive restrictions. Not cheap and enslaved by things or denial.

What pops up when your head is down

A few years ago I decided to get an MBA degree. For years I had felt the need to further my education in order to provide for my family and learn about money and business.

But where should I get my degree?

I knew many big names in business had attended Wharton (Jon Huntsman, Sr., Nassim Nicholas Taleb, Warren Buffet, and Donald Trump to name a few) and so that became my goal. I had a plan and wanted to stick to it: An MBA from Wharton. 

I then put my head down and plowed ahead. I studied everything I could about Wharton. But costs and time commitments seemed overwhelming. I began to search for alternatives.

Stanford, Marriott at BYU, and several others began to emerge as options.

Eventually a friend suggested WGU because he had reviewed WGU curricula. In then end I saved $165,000 and two years of time. 

A great idea emerged, while I applied my original plan. 

Clayton Christensen  beautifully explains emergent ideas in his reflective book, How Will You Measure Your Life?. We must move ahead with ideas yet remain wide open to new emerging ideas.

Most growth in marriage comes from emerging ideas. As you lovingly, kindly strategize and brainstorm with your spouse new, better ideas will always emerge.

Emergent ideas  are what pops up when your head is down plowing towards objectives. 

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How I roll

As I sat at the dentist today I thought of my daily routine. It's full of disciplined actions calculated to make me more useful to others.

An influential friend once taught me how to maximize each day. And for the last 22 years I have worked at it.

Each day I start with an hour long Spiritual devotional. Sometimes I listen and other times I read to uplifting literature.

Then on my daily commute I listen to part of a transformational book. It may be Percy Jackson, a Seth Godin book, Eat to Live, or Heir to a Dream.

During the work-day I listen to one complete book.

When I need creativity I turn to Pandora while I generate, curate and synthesize ideas. Ideas flow freely when I have inspirational music alternated with pure silence.

On my lunch break I spend 45 minutes at Golds Gym. Cardio, weights, and stretching are my three key focuses. Five or six workouts each week with a week off every few weeks.

Then in the evening I seek to unplug and relax with my family. The six of us eat together most nights. We talk, attend Scouts, visit with friends and read.

Many people wonder how I read/listen to 200 or more books a year, travel several times a year and keep fit.

The secret lies in being inspired by a higher power and then doing daily disciplines that shape my destiny.

A friend shared his formula with me. And now I share it with you: daily develop your body, mind, Spirit and relationships.

Your life will transform into greatness streaming from your small acts of greatness.

True values

There is a lot of talk about values. Little is mentioned of qualifying those values.

Values determine actions and actions determine destiny.

And yet having or even being crystal clear about your values isn't enough.

Gangs and criminals have crystal clear values.

Your values must be true, uplifting values.

Values that promote family, love, generosity and kindness shape actions into tools that build eternal relationships.

In all your getting, make sure to get true, ennobling values.

(Photo courtesy Wikipedia)

One word, drastic improvement

Hope, the belief that circumstances may be surmounted through work and planning, is CRUCIAL for bountiful relationships.

Any marital or money problem goes from
Impossible->Possible->Probable with hope.*

Katniss Everdeen feasted on hope while starving her fears.

*(HT to Bryan Moran for the concept)

(Photo courtesy Wikipedia)

Flying to Rochester

A few years ago I was stunned to hear a colleague mention he was about to fly over 2,000 miles to buy a car.

Why?

He found a deal so good that he could save money flying to Rochester, New York and then driving his new purchase to His home in Utah.

He saved thousands on his slightly used BMW by leveraging geographical arbitrage.

Buy low in one area to later sell higher in another locale.

My wife and I tried the same experiment with our mini-van. My wife flew 300 miles to drive our mini-van home.

The experiment saved us $2,000 off the sticker price.

'Trips to Rochester' abound but we must look for them.

(Photo courtesy Wikipedia)

You don't know anyone who has, do you?

Innocently my nephew asked me if I know anyone (at least one person) who bought a car in cash.

I know several people who bought vehicles with a lump sum payment and so I answered affirmatively.

I told him disciplined people save to buy affordable vehicles. I told him that both of my vehicles were bought with cash on the one payment plan.

Then I thought of many wise friends of extremely modest income who live in paid-off homes (they bought modest homes & refused to constantly extend the mortgage).

Disciplined, focused people live within their means and providently provide for posterity.

They pay off vehicles (and even homes) in a very quick manner.

How can you ensure that your next vehicle purchase will be the one payment plan?

What will it take to believe and work towards paying off your home in a rapid manner?

 

 

(Photo courtesy Wikipedia)

Pulling up daisies

Neal A. Maxwell taught the importance of letting people grow from failure.

Too often we 'pull up the daisies' to make sure they're growing.

Constant supervision, hyper-concern and inquisitions prevent significant growth.

Living things require nurturing not nagging.

Failure often leads to forward momentum.

Let the daisies grow.

(Photo from Wikipedia)

The things that matter most can't be counted

Any valuable person, thing, or experience should be known by numbering and naming.

Tracking numbers and employing monikers allows for effective management.

But management is not enough. We need to go beyond mere measurement.

Leadership is adding love to management and seeking to deepen unmeasurable gifts.

Leadership demands going beyond mere numbers and names.

Impactful individuals seek things that can't be counted: a tight family, an excellent Spiritual life, children who like each other, inner peace, abiding confidence, hope in the future and lasting happiness.

Boyd K Packer is right, the things that matter most can not be counted.

(Photo courtesy Wikipedia)

You can't see me

A constant theme of this blog is personal accountability.

Each person decides his/her happiness.

For life to get better and happier, individual attitude betterment and personal growth must be our focus.

Growth, in turn, reveals the imperative to lead. The more personal growth, the stronger the desire to lift others through effective leadership.

True leaders lead softly. They guide so lovingly and gently that their family members and other followers seem to lead themselves.

True leaders know invisibility and visibility.

Invisible to praise and yet showing a very visible example of servant hood, solitude and equanimity.

Playing through injury

A few weeks ago I took a charge during a pick-up basketball game. My wrist was injured as I tried to catch myself before slamming to the floor.

It has hurt everyday since my fall.

Consequently I decided to take a few days off of strength-training this week. I thought a few days of rest, away from weights, might allow my wrist to heal.

The rest didn't seem to help.

During my few days away from the gym I read a blurb from Michael Jordan about injuries. In effect he said he played through most injuries to set an example of leadership for his team-mates.

Playing through injury seems counter-intuitive. Isn't rest the best option?

Occasionally we need to play through our so-called injuries and let them go away as we continue to move.

• Work through a headache occasionally instead of going home early.

• Pay off a car before trading it in on a newer model.

• Get counseling for a troubled marriage instead of quitting.

• Pay off a creditor honorably and rapidly instead of defaulting.
• Slog through a new business venture for a few years.

Of course even MJ missed most of a season with an injury. There are times when we most slow down and even stop.

Most often, though, we should play through our injury (challenges) so we can obtain our goals.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Photo courtesy Wikipedia)

Flubbing your lines

The mocking media has had fun lately with people flubbing from basketball to beauty pageants.

Gregg Popovich was mocked for flubbing in the NBA finals. He pulled his best rebounder, Tim Duncan, out of the game when his team needed him most. The strategy, to allow a shorter three-point- shooters to take Duncan's place,  usually works well for him, but this time it cost Popovich an NBA Championship.

In the Miss USA Pageant Miss Utah flubbed her answer about education. Many thought it funny that she would  make such a mistake on such a big stage.

Forgotten by the media is the fact that both of these amazing people are winners.

Poppovich has won four NBA titles and is one of only four current coaches in the NBA to have one a Championship.

Miss Utah, Marissa Powell, has won other pageants in her life, but some would consider her a failure because she flubbed her response.

Real flubbing is not trying.

Not trying is really losing.

It's ok to fall/fail as long as we've tried our best.

There will always be people laughing at those who try and fail.

 Don't be one of them.

Try. Do. Fail. Succeed.Fail. Fail. Win. Win and win some more. But always try.

 

 

 

(Photo courtesy Wikipedia)

2x the heart

A football coach told me what it takes to be a champion. He teaches young football players that it's not talent nor skill.

Desire or heart is the key to winning.

Think Secretariat. The horse who dominated horse racing had a heart two times normal size.

His oversize heart allowed him to outrun opponents by several lengths after toying with them for most of the race.

Secretariat's heart matched his desire: huge.

Fortunately desire can be augmented. Study your desire. Act on your desire.

What you really desire is more important than talent or facts or circumstance or skill.

The Beard (or freedom to do, be and have what you want)

A few of my friends have decided to grow beards. Some are scraggly and some neat and tidy.

Why are they growing them?

Freedom: They are starting new life-phases.

A fabulous benefit of using money wisely is freedom.

Freedom to travel when you want and where you want.

Freedom to wear what you want when you want.

Freedom to buy or not buy whatever you want.

Freedom from appearances.

Freedom, freedom, freedom. Beards remind me of the freedom that comes from managing money well.

 

(Photo courtesy Wikipedia)

Remembering

Remember is a powerful word. Someone once said it may be the most important word in the dictionary.

We may remember our mistakes. We may remember financial teachings. We may remember good times.

Remembering words of monetary wisdom is key to optimal relationships with family and friends.

Remember:

Survey large fields, plant small sections. Dream big, but begin small.

Don't divest your values, invest in daily devotions. Investing in people and maintaining values allows money to be a tool instead of a god.

Bloom where your planted. Be content, grateful for posssesions but never complacent with your character-- always strive to be a better person.

Maintain your shock absorbers. Shocks are a part of life. Make sure you have done all to prepare.

I have kept journals for nearly 30 years to help me remember who I was and who I want to be.

Remembering to remember allows relationships to be rescued and money to multiply.

 

 

 

 

 

(Photo courtesy freedigitalphotos.net)

Starting

Often the most difficult part of progress is starting.

Two things to make progress easier.

Start where you are.

Start small, but think big (your big dreams not someone else's big dreams ).

I once tried to gain 60 pounds in order to fill out my tall and skinny frame.

I began where I was--129 lbs and 6'1".  Ididn't pretend I was a massive body builder.

At first I changed my food intake a little, adding just one extra meal a day.

Then I added push-ups.

I kept adding little changes until, after a few years, I reached my goal.

Starting where you are, with small steps is the start to any meaningful, lasting progress.

 

 

 

(Photo courtesy freedigtialphotos.net)

More than a Corvette

My friend Harold died a few months ago. He is the one I wrote about in March of 2012 who bought his dream car before it was too late.

He passed away within 18 months of his cancer diagnosis. I cried again when I thought of his happy smile and concern for other people.

He always asked me how I was doing and if there was anything he could do for me.

He worked hard and smart. 

His life looked like this:

Survival->Success->Significance->Legacy

His hard work helped him retire early. Then he began to help people to a greater extent by donating several hours of his time each week.

When he died many people wrote and spoke of his impact, his legacy.

No one mentioned his beautiful orange vintage Corvette Stingray.

Pursue your Corvette so you can rise above survival. Then pursue helping other people so you can feel significant.

And make certain you give so much that people can't help talking about your legacy! (Triple emphasis intended)

 

(Photo courtesy Wikipedia)

Related articles

Dream your dream BIG

A 5,000 mile memory

A few years ago my wife and I began taking a year of mini-vacations to visit 12 LDS Temples in Utah.We wanted to get closer to God and strengthen our marriage.

Two of our best friends went with us, which only made our memories better.

During that year I told another friend about our mini-vacations.

He and his wife subsequently visited several Temples in California and Nevada on their anniversary.

Recently they returned from another Temple trip. This time they put 5,000 miles on a rental car as they visited Temples in Oregon, Washington state, and Idaho.

This couple of modest means visited over 33 Temples in the last three years.

How did they do it?

• They planned in advance
• They valued their relationship enough to invest in it (it's cheaper than divorce)
• They were modest in their expenditures (the husband drives a beat up old Ford Fiesta)

Our Temple trips  helped lay the groundwork for furture trips. We went on to take a "5,000 mile trip" -- a Disney Cruise and a Hawaiin trip. Both required planning, investing in our family and much modesty in our other expenditures.

What is your 5,000 mile memory? Are you prepared to get modest in your expenditures and plan with intensity?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Photo courtesy Wikipedia)

Choosy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Getting anything in life involves choosing/prioritizing. We can't have all of our choices simultaneously, but we can obtain many of them in succession.

Problem is sometimes we don't choose anything--we fail to attain because we never obtained a true vision. We fail to become because we spurn a passionate obsession on becoming. 

Other times we choose too many choices.  A task list of 2o urgent, non-mission focused items fails to move us anywhere but into busyness.

Choose today to get choosy. Make choices. No, make discriminating choices. Choose (now!) only a few worthy tasks to improve yourself and the world (yes, you're that important and needed).

 

 

(Photo courtesy Stuart Miles)