I was on a zoom call recently with a bunch of commercial real estate salespeople around the country and about halfway through the call all I could hear was, wah wah wah wah wah. They were saying the same things I have been listening to for 30 years. At a national hotel investors conference a few months ago, about halfway through the conference I thought the same thing.

Why is that I asked myself. I answered myself – you’re just waiting to hear something fresh and new. I guess that is it. I have heard the same speeches in the same monotone dialog with the same level of ego for years. I think the older I get, the more I like simple talk. I was on a conference call last week with this investor telling us about his development deal and why it would be the best investment deal ever known to mankind. After 15 min of him jabbering, I said, “let me see if I get this straight.” I critiqued his whole pitch into 30 seconds and realized it would never be sellable. I was gracious, gentle and kind but said we were not the right people to help him. Translation – I don’t want to spend my time on it.

I like simple, straight forward deals that I know are actionable and transactional. I don’t have the patience any more for the pie-in-the-sky deal. I want real tangible deals that pencil. I don’t know if that means I am getting too old for the job or just over-protective my time and our staff’s time.

Give me real any day over the “well I think it is worth x” conversations. I have just been around the horse ring too many times to get pulled into a time waster. Any-hoo, there you have Keith Thompson’s response to the wah wah wah calls. Ha. KT

I did something today I have never done in my life. I bought the same car twice.

Before you snicker, let me tell you the story. There are times in our life when we get a real quickening in our spirit about something. I have had this happen many times in many situations. I remember one time I got lost in St Louis and my heart starting pinging that I needed to get away as fast as I could. Other times it is an impression to do something for someone, right now. Other times it was a decision I just couldn’t get peace over and had to cancel whatever it was. Regardless of popular opinion, God does talk to us through the holy spirit.

The story – after selling and or trading almost every car we own over the last two months; I bought a new mid-sized Chevy truck 11 days ago. It was exactly what I wanted. The warning pings in my spirit started the day after I bought it. I have never had this happen before about a vehicle and I cannot explain it. I could not get peace about driving it. Something was wrong and something was going to happen to me in that truck.

Long story short, I said OK God and made a few calls and the dealer I had traded our jeep to six weeks ago still had it. He gave me what I had in the truck, and I am now the owner of the same Jeep I traded six weeks ago.

Here is the point – for every believer who recognizes that upon salvation, God takes up residence inside our heart through the holy spirit understands he is not there just when we die. He is there for every move and every decision while we are living and (my opinion) we should listen when he prompts us. KT

Many times, large events in life, business and our personal lives have warning signs. If only we will heed them.

Several well known examples are the sinking of the Titanic, bombing on Pearl Harbor, WWII, dot-com bust, 911, the housing crisis of 08/09. There are many more examples, but you get the point. All the above events came with significant warning signs, but no one was willing to listen/ heed the signs. The leaders of the day all said by their actions, “that will never happen, and it will be alright.” Over the years hundreds of thousands of people have died in situations that could have been averted if only people listened to the warning signs.

In our personal life, health, relationships, financial future – there too, we get warning signs telling us to veer off our current course. Danger ahead. We can’t live our lives in a total state of fear that we may make the wrong decision, but we can ask God to help us make sure we heed the important ones.

More times than I can count, I was going about my day and had a ping in my spirit to do this or that. to turn here or there, to stay or go. One time, I was coming home from work and driving the route I always took in the fast lane I always drove in. This one time I had a ping in my spirit to stay in the slow lane, so I did and eight seconds later a full wheel and tire came off a semi-truck and landed right where I would have usually been. I used to get upset if a flight was cancelled or delayed but I learned a long time ago to look at it as God protecting me from being in a certain a place, time or event.

I think often of the Titanic and the clear warning signs, actual sightings and radio transmissions telling the captain to veer off the current course and significantly slow down. The owners and architects of the ship were on broad and wanted to make headlines by arriving early to NY harbor, so they ignored the warnings signs and 1,496 people died. At Pearl Harbor they had radio transmissions that warned of an imminent attack and even the fact that they could not locate the Japanese Pacific fleet, yet everyone in command said by their actions. “Ah, it will be alright,” and 2,403 service men and women died that day. Similar warning signs were there for all the other events listed in the first paragraph.

In closing, listen to your spirit within you when it comes to decisions, relationships, moves, course corrections etc. in our personal lives. Heeding the warning signs could just very well save your life and protect the future for those around you. KT

I am convinced I have a mental deficiency when it comes to cars and trucks. I don’t do drugs, drinking, gambling etc. but I love cars and trucks and love to trade. I had bough a new Toyota Tundra in early 2022 and the same dealer called in May of this year to tell me he had a 2023 Sequoia that I should come buy. So, what did I do,,, I traded my truck on that Sequoia.

Well, what started as a small decision in May has evolved into a whole big shift on what we drive. That same Toyota dealer calls me in early August and wanted to buy the Sequoia back and was offering a lot more money than I paid for it. So, what did I do,,, I sold it back to the dealer. That brings me to a Jeep we bought to keep at the lake house. I tell Elaine since we sold the Sequoia back, we should see if we could trade the jeep for a new Bronco. She liked the idea. So, what did I do,,, I found a Bronco and traded the jeep. Then,,,, we didn’t need Elaine’s SUV she has been driving for the last couple years and her sister wanted it.

So, what did we do,,, we sold it to her. That left me driving the 10-year-old car which is still a perfect car, but I wanted a mid-size truck. I looked and looked and settled on a Chevrolet mid-size truck and what did I do,,, I bought the Chevrolet mid-sized truck.

So needless to say, when I traded the truck for the Sequoia back in May I had no idea of the chain of trades it would trigger.

Betty Ford started a nonprofit to help people with substance dependence in 1982. It is called the Betty Ford Center. I think what I need is the Henry Ford Center that deals with wanting to buy, sell and trade cars. Ha. KT

When giving advice, keep in mind that what works or has worked for you, may not be the answer for the other person. People are all different and our past is often not the same. The reasons you did what you did when confronted with an issue, in most cases are not the same reasons for person you are sharing advice.

Every person must make their own decisions with their own reasons. All we can do is try and listen when the other person is talking. One way (maybe not your way) I have bridged conversations is to listen first to all the details of the other person’s situation. Then ask that person if (pick someone they know) comes to you with the same situation (list out the details the person just told you) what would you tell that person (name the someone?) More times than not, the clear advice they would share with someone else is exactly what their own answer is. See, the advice they would give to a friend is based on their past (unknown to you) and their reasons (unknown to you) that will far exceed any advice you can give. Its like getting them to answer their own question.

I am having coffee this afternoon with a friend that I love but has really gotten himself in a financial mess. I have known this friend for 32 years and care about him, but it will not be helpful to him to use my experiences and my past as the path he should take. It is amazing how clear we think when we are advising someone else. Many times, we just can’t see the same answer for ourselves. So, a little role play with the person often reveals how they would handle the situation and therefore shows them the path they should take. KT