Success Management: The Defeat of all Cancers

We all have problems, challenges, and seemingly impossible tasks to accomplish.  Yesterday, we read the story of Job: he was a righteous man, yet he lost his wealth, family, and his health; not a good day for Job... Yet he did not quit.  

 

When problems strike, only 15% of all adults will survive and benefit from these temporary obstacles.   "Why?"  Because the other 85% may view problems as a link to failure and avoid success.  This 85% will quit, and await the next problem to penetrate their life.

In his book, The Psychology of Winning, author Denis Waitley says "Failure should be our teacher, not our undertaker. Failure is delay, not defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead end. Failure is something we can avoid only by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing"  and  "Success is almost totally dependent upon drive and persistence. The extra energy required to make another effort or try another approach is the secret of winning." 

The origin of both "Failure" and "Success" come is the same source:  Our thoughts from our mind.   Proverbs 23:7 says:  For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.   This means:

• If we decide to be happy, we will most likely have a good day
  
• If we decide to avoid our problems, we are needlessly complicating our futures
  
• If we anticipate success, failure is not an option.
  

On Tuesday I met Brian (not my son, Brian), an acquaintance from church, for coffee at the Quarry.  Brian is a seasoned husband and dad, a 20 plus year military officer, and a notable physician.   Two of his siblings are missionaries and they tell great stories!   Brian is so optimistic, intelligent and wise, encouraging, and gracious, I am humbled to be with him.  Part of his story is that for the past 6 1/2 years, he is winning his battle with cancer.  It is in remission, and statistically his cancer will return within 7 years, or less.  Whether you want to discuss GOD's Word, military history & strategies, children and family, or crack a joke, Brian will captivate you or be a responsive listener.  

So why is Brian so optimistic?  I think it is because he sees a picture greater than himself.  He honors GOD, his family and friends, plus he is a vital member of our Armed Forces.  Brian looks to a successful future, rather than his own premature demise.   I have mentioned two "Brian's", and they are both "WINNER"s, because they both rebuke failure and declare success, before it occurs.

   

Loans * Retirement * Las Vegas * Relationships

What do all of these things have to do with each other?  Plenty.  Add to the mix "mortgages and credit card bills",  "health", and "job security",  you have the items that occupy over 90% of an adults conscience thoughts.  An most of these items have negative connotations.  

Anxiety comes about because of problems, worries, or seemingly injustices.  Of all the advice I have ever received on this topic, none has served me as well as these few words:   “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?  Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 

 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?   “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.  But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble".  Ahem .  This is the answer for anyone who is open to the truth. 

"Garbage in, Garbage out."  I do not like this cliche, but I keep it in mind, so I do not put needless and worthless thoughts in my mind.  And this item convinced me to do this:  Luke 6: 45 The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.  So, if my mind and heart are full of junk, how can I benefit anyone?  TV news, newspapers, talk radio, most of Hollywood, negative conversations, etc: most of these items may pollute my mind and then influence my words, and then bring what I do not want!  

Tomorrow: How to manage your day to day issues and be happy.

Baking and Back Aches

The list of things to accomplish, in the month of December, is extensive:  

• Decorate the house for Christmas,
  
• Rake the leaves (in San Antonio, trees shed leaves in (December through March)
  
• Plant the winter garden  (if you did not do that in October!)
  
• Shop.
  
• Facilitate numerous maintenance items (replace valves and flappers in toilets, lubricate squeaky doors, clean the garage - again)
  
• Prepare for guests (about 23 people from Terri's family will visit us between the 21st and the 31st)
  

And this is one I seldom do: baking, 8 dozen cookies: Oatmeal raisin and chocolate chip.  

Our Son, Brian, is currently deployed with the US Army, from the base at Fort Hood , Texas, to Baghdad, Iraq.  Initially, his MOS (the military's fancy term for "job description") was mechanical maintenance on helicopters.  The is his third trip to the Middle East, and his new job is a little more exciting: he is the door gunner on the helicopters he once repaired.  As a DAD, this new development gives me angst.  And Christ has put a band of angels around Brian to protect him and his colleagues.  Amen.

Back to the cookies.  I started the project yesterday afternoon by making the dough for 5 dozen oatmeal raisin cookies.   Aah, the flour, eggs, butter, vanilla, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, the oats, coconut, raisins, and flour.  After 90 minutes of prep, and the first 36, I quit: my mid back was in extreme pain.  Add stomach pain, the onset of fatigue, and dehydration, I was miserable.  Terri, wisely told me to take a nap and she would finish putting the dough in the oven and removing the cookies 14 minutes later.  Oh, she did a good job!

After 90 minutes of deep slumber, I arose, and checked our creation: Wonderful!  That evening, Terri and Mary took a trip to Costco, so I made 4 dozen chocolate chip cookies.  Then, I cleaned the utensils I used, cleaned the kitchen, and admired my work.  I will think twice before I ask Terri to whip up a batch of fresh cookies: This is real work!  

Now I made up three pint sized bags of nuts and dried fruit; different combinations.  I packed up the nut/fruit bags and the cookies, along with a deck of cards, a magazine, some peanut butter / chocolate candies, and a letter to Brian.  He should get it in about 10 days.   

Having my only Son in harm's way, again, is much more than an annoyance, being somewhat worried, or being angry at times.   It is about about "trust".  This Earth, is not his home, but rather it is Heaven.  We are just visitors here for 20, 40, 60, or 80 years, then eternity with our Lord and Maker: now this is comforting!  

I am reminded of that last account of Job's life.  He had a great family and was financially successful.  In fact, "that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil." Then Satan made a deal with GOD, concerning God's servant, Job.  Satan first took from Job all of his health and good fortune, then Satan afflicted Job with boils; now that makes me sorry I whined about my back aches yesterday!  The book is great, but I want to tell you how the story ends.  For 40 more chapters we read about Job, his wife, and Job's friends.  We read of the dialogue of GOD.  

This is no ordinary story: it is unique because it is the story of so many people in our world today: success, failure, family laughter, then sorrow.  Today's current events are merely reruns of history.  And now we have a chance to learn from the past to improve our lives today.

The odds were against Job, according to conventional wisdom.  The deck was stacked against him.  Imagine Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, Carl Icahn, or some wholesome entertainer or athlete suddenly loosing all of their wealth, and then their health.  What happened to Job was worse: he was very lucid and aware of what was going on, but he saw no reason all these calamities should be happening to him!  Yet he praised GOD, rather than curse HIM (as his wife suggested he do).

This is an exciting story.  If your Bible is not available, I will tell you how this story ends.  If you want to read the account in it's entirety, stop here and get your Bible.  NOTE: Look for "Grace" in the last chapter.

And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his friends. And the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. Then came to him all his brothers and sisters and all who had known him before, and ate bread with him in his house. And they showed him sympathy and comforted him for all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him. And each of them gave him a piece of money and a ring of gold.

And the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning. And he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys.  He had also seven sons and three daughters.  And he called the name of the first daughter Jemimah, and the name of the second Keziah, and the name of the third Keren-happuch.  And in all the land there were no women so beautiful as Job's daughters. And their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers.  And after this Job lived 140 years, and saw his sons, and his sons' sons, four generations.  And Job died, an old man, and full of days. (Job, chapter 41)

Merry Christmas

Two Seasons: Spending, and Success and Prosperity

The news from the The Street is that Holiday Shoppers are doing as expected: Spending Money

• Parties!  December 7 through Super Bowl Sunday: a boon Food and Beverage Businesses!
  
• And New babies!  We all want to buy them cute outfits and toys.
  
• We may lavish for our "significant other" with gifts of adornment , bows, and a gift receipt.
• Year End Clearance Time: We deserve that new car, mattress, or liposuction procedure.
  
• And come January, "Time for another Fitness club membership and books on healthy eating."

But are we spending enough?  Let's go back to "The Street" and learn what they think.  Since September:

1. Walmart, America's Most Popular Retailer (AMPR) is up 10%.
   
2. Ford is down 13%.
   
3. And for the sake of our meds .... Pfizer is down, but only 5%, but Merck is up 20%. (Whew!)
   
4. Our mortgage companies, CitiBank, CountryWide, and WaMU are off by 33%, 50%, and 57%
   
5. The Chinese utility we bought in July,  Yingli Green Energy Holding, is up 105%!
   
6. Fuelers (Chevron-Texaco, British Petro and Exxon) are still 401k favorites.
   
7. And for our National Nutrition Sources, Sara Lee and Anheuser-Busch, are up modestly, but Tyson Chicken is down: Go Figure that one out!
   

"So are we spending enough to keep our retirement accounts healthy?"  Well that depends on who you talk to.  

... According to the banking industry, business is both good, and not so good: credit card profits are way up, but we are defaulting on too many mortgages.  

... While tract home sales are off, luxury home sales in the Sun Belt are making us money.  

... But the Social Security Department (makes you feel safe and protected, doesn't it?)  says 93% of all Boomer (and Gen Xers) are broke or working toward becoming broke by the time we retire.  

So let us turn to a few recent cultural Icons for their take on the situation. 

*** Fleetwood Mac gave us these words:  "Everythings waiting for you ...   You can go your own way ....  You an call it Another lonely day.

*** And Huey Lewis tells us "this ain't no circus and I don't need a clown   Your cash ain't nothin' but trash".

*** and GOD says this in Joshua, Chapter 1  :5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. 6 Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

Beef Up your 401K or IRA Returns

2007 Facts that will Create Wealth for you!

• Proverbs 22: 7   The rich rules over the poor, And the borrower becomes the lender's slave.
  
• Foreclosure: 1. to hinder the working of; 2. to deny the right to redeem a mortgage when payments have not been made
  
• Subprime: 1. not a good choice; 2. in hindsight, a very poor choice
  
• One of the greatest times in a person's life is when preparedness and opportunity meet.
  
• Today, unfortunately, one in 16 subprime mortgage homeowners are facing foreclosure.
  

Problem: Today, there are many families who are qualified and want to buy homes, but the escalated prices keep these great Americans from buying their home.

Opportunity: Most communities have a surplus of vacant houses on the market, and many are owned by banks and other lenders.

Prepareness: Having saved money to invest in a profit and have Good Credit

Solution: Buy these houses at a discount, fix them up, and sell them below market prices.

Result: a "Win" - "Win" situation.

This morning, Terri and I viewed houses, within 8 miles of our home, with a nice realtor named Elizabeth. Elizabeth had given me a list of twenty one possibilities yesterday, and I narrowed it down to "the six". All of these are foreclosurers, owned by banks or other lenders, and have been vacant for 4 to 9 months.

• The asking prices vary from 118K to 139k
  
• I will offer 75k to 95K for each and I expect to get one or two deals.
  
• Each will require me to invest 10K to 35K for repairs to make them sparkle, like new!
  
• I will sell them for 105K to 135K, about 10K below market, to folks who want a good deal.
  
• The profit for Terri and me: estimated 15K to 20K within 4 months.

Tomorrow: How to improve your credit rating

A Housing Boom: the Opportunity to Create Fortunes

The late 1970's until 1988 was the housing boom decade.  The Vietnam war was over,  expanding families needed places to call their own, new terms like "software" & "hardware" confused almost everyone, and the economy was booming!  New housing developments popped up all over America!  

• Business people in this industry made fortunes ...
  
• Farmers (sold farm land) finally made good money ... 
• Thousands of young Americans took up the "trades" and rebuilt America ...
• Texas, Wyoming, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Colorado:  Their oil powered American cars
• Pay increases had exceeded 9% annually, for 10 years, for most workers ...
• Students, housewives, engineers, and clerks: we all made money by investing in houses and commercial buildings ...

All was rosey!  Tax revenues to almost every government entity and school district increased and no one seemed to care.  Everyone who wanted a great paying job, could get it with an education.  

And then a few factors we overlooked for 10 years, now became common sites:  Housing sales slowed dramatically, some people were still paying 16% for mortgages, pay increases want back to 5% a year, the term "layoffs" became common, and this term became understood by the nation:

Foreclosure:   n.  to deny a person the right to redeem a mortgage due to not making payments  

Foreclose:  v.  to take away a person's house due to default by the borrower

1989.  It seems that about about one out of every 20 home owners would stop making their mortgages payment for various reasons.  Family pay increases were gone and adjustable rate mortgages were going up as scheduled.  Numerous working families purchased their homes with "no down payment", some people took out a loan for their down payment,  and many  had purchased these new, shinny houses at inflated prices and some ran to a new product called "negative amortization".  

2007:  1989 is being repeated.  With one new term:

Sub Prime:  1.  adj.   to choose a poor alternative that frequently that has undesirable consequences  2. 

What does GOD say about this?  Look at  Proverbs 22:7, "The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave of the lender".

And Mr. Shakespeare said: "Neither borrower nor a lender be For loan oft loses itself and friend, And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry." - Lord Polonius, Hamlet

I'm done!

Break Down at 30, Recovery at 50

Running has been a source of enjoyment and exercise for me since 1978.  I have enjoyed most of my running in my neighborhood.  And when not at home or on Vacations, I have run on beaches in Michigan and Oahu (Hawaii), City parks in San Antonio, the Phoenix area and Colorado Springs, and one fall weekend, the suburbs of Minneapolis.  

As I am told, the human body excretes an enzyme called in endorphins.  As I understand this process, this is a part of what allows a runner to "get their second wind" or "break through the pain" as he or she runs or races for a period of time; I have enjoyed both benefits!   

At age 29, I started to get some knee pain.  A little ache and twinge of pain became more regular as I increased my running time or started going up and down hills, inclines, and even running up four flights of stairs.   

Eric, a runner friend, told me what caused the pain; in the late 70's, he had a knee surgery performed on his right knee I saw what that did to him.  I did not want to endure that radical surgery (it was quite complicated as compared to today's micro surgery techniques), so I quit running, for 20 years.  Well, the knee pain still persisted: water skiing was also painful and even carrying a 40 load up stairs proved to be unpleasant.  

As the years went by, other things developed:

• A shortness of breath when I exerted myself
  
• Pain became a regular characteristic in my lower and mid back
  
• I developed Dunlops disease (where my belly dun lopped over my belt!)
  
• It was hard for me to perform manual labor for 12 hours without getting tired
  

About 6 years, I realized I wanted my old life back and did not want to age like this!  In this period, I visited my sister, Carolyn and her family one summer's weekend in Michigan.  She very lovingly patted my expanded stomach area and said "One too many burritos, huh Big Brother?".   Oh, was I embarrassed!  "Does anyone else see this?" I asked myself..  "Of course!" 

At the same time, I was making regular visits to my local chiropractor to help manage my back pain.  I would feel OK for a few days after a treatment, then the pain would always come back!  And he had a poster in his office that scared me: it read "When you wear out your body, where are you going to live?"    As an engineer, I knew the root cause of health decline was not being addressed; other men in my age bracket still appeared to be healthy and active; "what are they doing that I am not doing?"   20 years of pain, declining health, and searching for answers.  "The Bible" showed what I was doing wrong, particularly the Book of Daniel and the Law of Moses showed me I was not putting nutrition in my body, henceforth pain, weight problems, fatigue, poor sleep patterns, dying a little more each day, etc. became my reality!   

What people think is "food" is actually not.  It may fill our stomachs, but it is not rebuilding our bodies or giving us good health.  It may taste good, but it is somewhat toxic.  The common food that was available in most markets and most restaurants was slowly killing me.

Ultimately, I stumbled across the solution: food that restores health.  I tweaked my diet and I got good results.  The solution was quite simple and easy and enjoyable to follow.  And the cost is the same as commercial food in the grocery store.  Now, my big belly is gone, my skin smooth (no longer rough, full of wrinkles, and sag free), I sleep better, no more fatigue, and I can run again!  In fact, I can out run most males 10 years my junior; that is quite cool!   

Introduction to the World

I am Harry Otto, of San Antonio, Texas.  Some of my characteristics & attributes include: 

• Cute Wife
  
• 3 kids and 2 grandkids
  
• Healthy & Wonderful parents & in-laws
  
• Christian upbringing and values, and education and training
  
• Supportive set of 4 siblings, extended family and friends
  
• Nice home, 2 cars,  declining mortgage, and plenty of "stuff"
  
• Good Health (this blessing is from GOD, and not from my doing!)
  
• And very thankful for all of these blessings!  

Like all Boomers, I have a tendency to worry at times.  I know, it is usually a waste of time and energy, so I try to concentrate on the aforementioned blessings; then my worries seem to be less significant.  Have you ever realized that most of the items you worried about never became reality?  Christ largely insisted that we not give way to disquieting, perplexing cares  (Matthew 6:25-34).  "Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?"   

The two common worries minds of most adults are health and money matters.  

On the issue of money, my Dad taught me from an early age ... "Harry, live on 90% of what you earn".... Before Dave Ramsey, renowned financial advisor, learned from his own trials and errors and became a great resource for us Boomers, my Dad taught me how to avoid the trappings of money and pride.  Dad was a union carpenter and we 5 kids never lacked any material item.  To this day, if Mom and Dad want to take a vacation (now it is "cruising") or make a major purchase, they do it with cash; "What a concept!"  Also to my Dad's credit, all of us kids have been blessed financially; and all of us have owned businesses that have supported our families at various times in our careers.  But these business - money machines are not always beneficial to us!

I was having lunch with a good friend today.  Victor, a Boomer, born in 1946, and I have been friends for 17 great years.  He has a wonderful family, loves GOD, but he struggles with money issues.  His financial situation is similar to that of 75 to 85% of all Boomers: he is broke.   His Italian heritage gave him numerous people skills, a sense of humor, handsome children, and more, but the fortunes he has amassed have all evaporated.  Vic has been a great producer at times during the last 20 years. And when he is not producing, he is  a "dreamer" of exciting business ventures that, he admits, may have had the value of toilette  paper.  These days, I have the good fortune to share with Vic the values my Dad taught me.  He is a great friend.

And as the old proverb says, "When you don't have your health, you don't have anything."  Tomorrow I will tell you how I lost my health, then got it back.