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

Recently I had to cancel an unused cell line from AT&T. The person (nice guy) proceeds to tell me the benefits of keeping the line and buying an Apple watch with all the notifications and features an Apple watch offers owners. I told the fine young man that my current watch was given to me for my 25^th wedding anniversary and handles every function I need from watch. It tells time.

Yes, I am getting older, and the simplicity factor of life is beginning to really interest me. I am not ready to throw away all technology, but I do think a line has been crossed when you are so connected you can’t sit and watch an Andy Griffith episode without someone emailing, texting, tweeting, liking or sharing what they ate for dinner.

Another amazing technology invention that has been around for 100+ years is called a telephone. I know the young bucks like to hit you up on social media, text you, email you and all other manor of connecting but the phone is really an amazing piece of technology. Contrary to popular opinion, people still like to talk and be called personally. It makes them feel important enough for you to take the time for a personal reach out.

In our business, no technology will ever replace the human touch. 100 years from now there may be hotel brokers being beamed up (“beam me up Scotty”) but they will still be talking to people and the one-on-one connection will still be the most preferred way of communicating.

So, for now, I will still put my cell phone on the charger when I get home and look at my old watch to see when the next Andy Griffith or NCIS is coming on. KT

Elaine’s mom and my mom have both passed away within the last 120 days. They were the last of the generation before us and it is incredibly humbling to realize that all the generations before you are gone.

My mother (Barbara Dickinson 87) fell two Sunday’s ago and seeming didn’t break anything (or so we thought) but was transported anyway to the hospital to get checked out. Me and my brother were there and believed she would probably be discharged the next day or so and life would go on. She developed many complications over the next couple of days and went to her heavenly homecoming eight days later.

I ask how that can be.  I remembered before she fell, we were all at her house that afternoon talking and visiting and eating dinner together and all seems normal. Later that evening my mom tells me someone has hacked into her TV sound. I asked her to tell me about it. She says, “well, lately I get up in the morning and hear children talking and choir music playing.” I realized she was imaging these things and after what happened over the next eight days, I believe it was God comforting her before she passed away. It was his way of bringing her peace.

I can’t see angels in the here and now, but I do believe with all my heart that they exist. I believe they are sent by God to protect, watch over and comfort us and I believe that is what they were doing for my mom before she went into the hospital. I don’t believe I have ever seen a person so ready to pass from this world into heaven, but mom was. A few hours before she passed, we ask her if she wanted to go home and she shook her head, no. We asked if she wanted to go see Jesus and it was an emphatic head shake, yes. I ask her (I lost it then) if she wanted to go see Gene (my dad who passed away in 2021) and again the head shake was an emphatic, yes.

She was so small and little in that bed, but right after she took her last breath, it was like a peace came over her and her skin was like that of a 25-year-old. Not a wrinkle on her face. It was like God reached down from heaven and said, “you are home now Barbara.” KT