My Uncle Johnny died last month. He was a retired and decorated U.S. Army Colonel who survived after being shot down in his helicopter in Vietnam. I used to fly airplanes and Uncle Johnny went up with me once, sharing a life-changing piece of advice. He said, no matter what happens, if your engine stops, your…

You could ask that about anything. Writing, staying fit, shooting better video, learning to play the ukulele. Success in life comes down to daily practices. If I want to learn to play the ukulele, I must play every day. To remain fit, I must eat right and move every day. If I want to shoot better…

From song writers to painters and sculptors to inventors, I believe “genius” comes as a result of consistent trial and error. A lot of trials and a lot of errors. Writing, for example, is a lot like pumping water from a well by hand. You must move the pump handle up and down, over and over,…

If Thomas Edison had waited for perfection, I might be writing this in the dark. Edison’s “one percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration” method of scientific discovery made him one of the most prolific inventors in history. “Beginning is half done” made some sense in my 20s. Today, I realize it is a defining characteristic…

Last night, my son’s high school basketball team lost their game in the first round of state playoffs. He was hit pretty hard with the reality that, as a high school senior, last night was his last game. It felt more like failure than a typical loss. Life can feel like that if we don’t…

That’s a convenient excuse for always being late or an excellent reason to start something you have been putting off. As we age, our concept of time becomes more acute. Sadly, we are often more aware of times past than what lies ahead. When is the best time to get started – writing your book,…

Commitment can be difficult. When you make a commitment to your spouse at the alter, will you keep it? When you make a commitment to a friend, will you let your friend down? When you make a commitment to stay out of debt, what will you do when you “need” something and you have no…

Living in the past is such a waste. Of time. Of energy. Of your life. You have control over today – now – and of what you will do tomorrow. Regarding the past: 1. You cannot change the past. 2. You cannot live in the past. 3. You should not complain about the past, because…

The longer you think about something without making a decision, the more likely you should decide not to decide. I recently bought an XUV for my business. Think: John Deere Gator-ish. My problem? I wanted to work with our regular dealer, buying something from their line. Sadly, I had a check in my spirit about…

The best way to learn something is to teach someone else. If you never teach someone what you already know, how will they learn? Tonight I worked on our diesel tractor. It overheated two days ago. My nephew was driving and he didn’t have a clue. The radiator was two pints low on coolant, plugged…