All posts by Keith Thompson

Creedence Clearwater Revival

Life

There are three music groups that I love. In fact I would be ok listening to their music from now own. Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR) is one of them and the other two are The Doobie Brothers and Three Dog Night. CCR started in 1967 and wrote 78 songs and produced 32 alums. They were just a group of young guys who loved music and the world found out about them.

I was a high school sophomore when a friend gave me a CCR album and the lead song was Green River. I listened to that song until I wore out the needle on the stereo. Today in our ski boat there is one CD that is allowed to play in the boat. Creedence Clearwater Revival. The first song that cues up for playing is Green River followed by the second best song ever, Bad Moon Rising

Life is kind of funny in how things that make such an impression on us when we are young, stay with us when we get older. That is the reason that muscle cars are so valuable today. The older guys have made money and buy the muscle car they wished they could have bought when they were young. Of course the price today is 10-20 times as much, but it symbolizes a time when we were young.

Music is like that. It brings you back to a period of your life that you look back on. I remember I was at a Three Dog Night concert a few years back and when they started playing Shambala, I thought about the memory and the time period that song took me back to. It was high school which was the best 6 years of my life. Ha

So I guess it is ok to watch old movies or listen to old songs that remind of where you came from so long as you don’t get stuck in the past and not move forward with life. So today, go to YouTube and put in Green River or Bad Moon Rising and click on Creedence Clearwater Rival and let it wash over you. KT

Going to work

Career, Life

I got up this morning and was getting ready for work and was thinking about all the things I needed to do and the calls I needed to make and people I needed to talk with. There was a slight sense of dread because some of the calls were going to be difficult and the clients were not going to be happy. It is funny how when a broker (like us) doesn’t sell someone’s hotel for what they invested in it, it is always the broker’s fault and never the owners fault. These type deals are rarely hotels that they bought through us but instead they bought them from someone else and now we get the blame for it. Ha. It is like some people we all know that never make a mistake themselves because it is always someone else’s fault. Ever meet someone like this?

I have gotten off subject. This morning when I got up and got dressed for work and all the thoughts were going through my head, I stopped and realized that one day I won’t have the option of going to work. One day I will not be getting ready for work. One day I won’t go to the office and have things to take care of. One day the work will go on without me and one day the younger folks will be the ones leading the business.

Then I realized what a gift today was because I get to go to work. I get to be busy with life. I get to be involved. I get to work around people I like. I get to have a place to go. I get to still earn an income. I get to still play a meaningful role in our business. What a gift.

Maybe today when you got up, you wished you could sleep a little longer and wished you didn’t have to leave the house. Maybe today you didn’t realized what a joy and gift it is to still be needed at work. Many times the greatest joys in life is realizing the simple things that we already have. KT

Watching the waves come in – February 2016

Career

Have you ever been standing on the beach watching the waves get bigger and bigger and hear the wind starting to howl and feel the rain start to pour? Financially speaking, I believe that is where we are today in this economic cycle.

I remember January of 2008 like it happened yesterday. The slowing economic cycle had already started a few months before and by January, news organizations began to circulate reports that a financial storm was beginning to brew. Many people at the time thought it would blow over and be a gentle economic change and wouldn’t last long. By April of 2008, mild concern had turned into serious concern and by July 2008, serious concern had turned into anxiety..By September 2008, real economic fear was from Wall Street to Main Street. That financial cycle saw many companies close their doors, people laid off and a wave of home foreclosures not seen since the great depression.

Today, I feel like I am standing on a similar beach (metaphor) watching the waves get bigger and hoping that all I need is a light rain jacket to weather the storm. Many of the financial indicators in 2008 are present today like the stock market, interest rates, oil and a new election year. I honestly believe that this next economic cycle will not be as deep and long as the last but at the same time we should all be aware and prepared.

When I am asked, “what should we do?” I think the answer is to stay the course and be conscious of the financial aspects of your life. You can’t change the US economic but you can choose to save more and borrow less. For those of you in sales like us, I say put your selling shoes on and do your best work on every sales call. While I hope the financial ripples will subside and be gentle, we should all be alert that a financial slow down seems to be brewing. KT

Digging in and holding on

Life

When issues arise in your life, you need to find the place where you can dig in and hold on. I am speaking of the place (metaphorically) where you have a firm foundation. These life issues can be physical, relational, financial and various other areas of our lives. You want someone or something that is unmovable. A place to hold on until you get through whatever the issue is. Psalm 91:1 says; whoever dwells in the shelter of the most high will rest in the shadow of the almighty.

I remember the first time I took an overnight train trip. My old business partner talked me into taking a train trip for a business meeting instead of flying. Dumb idea. We boarded the Amtrak train at 8pm at night and truth be told, it was kind of cool. You had your own private sleeping room with a private bath and all the amenities. We got on the train and unpacked and then went to the dining car for dinner. It was an experience and it was a blast,,, until about 2 am. Unless you are used to going to sleep while constantly moving, you are in for a treat. I don’t mean a little gentle rolling from side to side like on a cruise ship. I mean flat out jerking back and forth like you were in ski boat. To go to sleep, you had to take 120 Tylenol PMs, get on the bunk face down and wedge your feet and your arms in at the four corners just so you could hold on. The sleeping part was terrible. The rest of it was kind of fun.

My point is, when faced with adversity. You need to find the place (metaphorically) where you can dig in and hold on. Many people don’t think they need God until they do. When everything is going good, some people think they are in control. It is only when something happens, do they call on God.

My suggestion is to find that place where you are secure and the foundation is firm so that in a time of need, you will know where to go. KT

Psalm 119:130

Life

Psalm 119:130 says; the entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding to the simple.

The word simple in this passage doesn’t mean a person weak of mind. It means people that simply believe the word and are strong in spirit. It speaks of the person that is steadfast in their belief that God is God and he knows best for our lives. The person is strong willed, very decisive and yet will listen to God’s leading through the Holy Spirit.

When the passage says, the entrance of thy words giveth light, it is telling us that when we read his word, he will give us light in a dark place. He will give us understanding and wisdom to know what to do. I don’t know about you, but many times in my life I have been in a place where I didn’t know what to do. Could not figure a way out. His light is the wisdom we all need in those situations.

In the world you have heard people say things like, it dawned on me or it was like a light switch that turned on. These are the world’s references to finding the answer to a problem. It is light (his understanding and wisdom) that we all need.

Many people think that to have answers from the bible you have to find a passage that deals with your situation. Not so. It is good if you are reading a passage dealing with your situation but it is not necessary. When you open the bible to read his word, it is like you are opening a door in you heart and telling him to come on in. It is your invitation for him to give you his wisdom and understanding in a time of need. KT