Author Archives: site author

I had the honor of speaking at my Dad’s funeral. I said having him for a Dad was like having the answers in the back of the book. He was known for his wisdom and being able to figure out just about anything. Being an orthodontist in a small town, lots of people called himContinue reading “Why Take a Chance?”

Being a cowboy when I was a kid was hard work. We were often moving heavy things. Thank goodness we always had a strong helper. My dad called him Archimedes. It was a strong iron bar we kept in the back of the pickup. Archimedes was the great Greek mathematician who said, “Give me aContinue reading “Leverage”

In 2011 my good friend Ed told me about TED talks. I soon got hooked and would watch them while eating lunch at my desk. I didn’t know a couple of them would alter the course of my life. In March of 2011 Kathryn Schulz gave a talk about being wrong. It changed the wayContinue reading “Being Wrong”

I spent most of my adult life selling insurance and coaching basketball. It was important for me to be a good communicator. I learned quickly that my choice of words mattered. One of the most effective word choices I make is replacing but with and. I do that when someone is giving me information andContinue reading “No Buts”

Many years ago I read a story about a young couple who just got married. The wife wanted to cook a nice meal for her husband. She made a delicious ham dinner. After they finished eating the husband complimented his wife on the food. Then he asked a question. “I noticed you cut the twoContinue reading “CYA”

“Throw me a pop up.” Those were my last words of my very first pee-wee league baseball practice. My friend Michael Taylor obliged, but the ball came down out of the blinding sun and hit me right in the mouth. It busted my lip and broke off one of my front teeth. I was sevenContinue reading “Investing”

My aerobic exercise of choice for over a decade has been cycling. It’s easy on my back and joints. However, because I live in Texas I often cycle on windy days. Sometimes the wind is in my face. I like it better when it’s at my back. That makes cycling much more pleasant, even ifContinue reading “Setting Sail”

We all know the golden rule, “In everything do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the law and the prophets.” Matthew 7:12.  I am responsible for my actions by treating others the way I like to be treated. Taking that one step further, I do my  bestContinue reading “The Golden Rule”

In January of 1984 I read a sentence that helped change my life. “Very important people have told me that they prefer good listeners to good talkers, but the ability to listen seems rarer than almost any other good trait.” That’s a quote from Dale Carnegie’s book, How to Win Friends and Influence People, whichContinue reading “Secret Weapon”

Several years ago I heard a story that got my attention. It was about predicting the winner of a piano competition. The predictors were in three different groups. One group only heard the piano players. One only saw the piano players and the third both saw and heard the piano players. Since the purpose ofContinue reading “I’ll Show Them”