Now don’t get me wrong. I am always appreciative whenever anyone gives me a gift; I make it a point to thank them. But let’s face it. Sometimes the gifts we receive just aren’t quite right. Do we really need that second or third Crockpot?…
Category: Saving What?
I often walk the trail that follows a river that is a few minutes from my home. I am amazed at the amount of trash that other people leave. I used to get so irritated and angry at those “trashy” people. Then I realized that…
It seems to be human nature to want those who have wronged us to be held accountable and “punished.” We only want justice, right? But often I think we want much more. We often want the offending persons to suffer as much or more than…
Happiness is very difficult to define and equally difficult to measure and quantify. Yet many people’s purpose in life is to be happy and they spend a lot of time and energy seeking it. Some have suggested that it is not happiness, but contentment and/or…
In 1990 President George H.W. Bush told the New York Times that he didn’t like broccoli and he wasn’t going to eat it anymore. That statement generated a lot of commentary from lovers and haters of broccoli. I have to admit that when I was…
Society often places a great deal of importance on those who are the first or the best (or the prettiest, or the wealthiest, etc.); many records are kept of their accomplishments. To those who make the record-books, I congratulate you and say enjoy the accolades.…
A few weeks ago my wife and I took a leisurely drive in the mountains. We had just passed through a small community, and as we approached a bend in the two-lane road my wife anxiously exclaimed “car in our lane!” Sure enough there was…
If you judge success only in terms of asset accumulation, the biggest roadblock to your success will be determining how much is enough. In other words, at what dollar value is success reached? If your answer involves a comparison to what those around you have,…
Each semester I asked my students to identify people who they considered to be successful. Most would pick a professional athlete, the head of a large corporation, or some other person in the news. When asked to explain why these individuals were successful, the most…
Many times we set “bad” financial goals like going on a vacation, buying a computer, or paying off the house. Why are these not “good” goals? It’s not because they are not worthy of pursuing, it’s because they are not specific enough. A good goal…
