Author Archives: Tom Bengtson

Catechetical studies clarify roadmap for life

Posted on August 8, 2016 by Tom Bengtson

I always like graduation season and this year, my wife Susan and I got to participate in one. Along with about 200 other people who made up the Class of St. Gianna Molla, we graduated from the Harry J. Flynn … Continue reading →

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Posted in education | 15,860 Comments

The letter I wish someone would have written to me when I was a teen

Posted on June 17, 2016 by Tom Bengtson

One of the most important qualities a person can have is integrity. This is the quality of being consistent throughout. For example, if a block of cement used to build a bridge is solid all the way through (there are … Continue reading →

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Posted in reflection | 319 Comments

A simple approach to any endeavor

Posted on June 3, 2016 by Tom Bengtson

I want to share something I learned recently in a class I took at a local university. It is the four “R”s for approaching a project. They are: Read, reflect, respond and relax. Let me explain. Read – When you … Continue reading →

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Posted in business, education, reflection | 71 Comments

‘Road to Character’ is thought provoking book

Posted on November 23, 2015 by Tom Bengtson

Gratitude is rightly the virtue we think of during Thanksgiving week, and of course there is much for which to be grateful. I want to write about two people for whom I am grateful: Augustine, the fourth century Bishop, and … Continue reading →

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Posted in Inspiration | 7,076 Comments

Encyclical is a call to unity more than critique on energy use

Posted on September 11, 2015 by Tom Bengtson

I first heard the term “butterfly effect” some years ago when an economist was explaining how the price of bread in Fargo could be affected by the weather in China. Just as some scientists have speculated that weather patterns in … Continue reading →

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Posted in review | 197 Comments

Open Window Theatre’s Lilies of the Field is an Inspiration

Posted on May 10, 2014 by Tom Bengtson

If you’ve ever wondered what a miracle looks like, go see The Lilies of the Field playing at the Open Window Theatre and you’ll see the answer: it looks like Homer Smith. The downtown Minneapolis theater is presenting a stage … Continue reading →

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Posted in Inspiration, review | 60 Comments

Know your strengths

Posted on March 24, 2014 by Tom Bengtson

If you work in a small shop like I do, you know you spend most of your time putting out fires – that is, handling day-to-day obligations. It is very difficult for leaders in smaller enterprises to make time for … Continue reading →

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Posted in business, education | 44 Comments

Reflections six years after the financial crisis

Posted on March 17, 2014 by Tom Bengtson

It was six years ago that the Federal Reserve and the U.S. Department of the Treasury helped to facilitate the acquisition of Bear Stearns by JP Morgan Chase. The deal was sealed on a Sunday, March 16. JP Morgan Chase … Continue reading →

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Posted in business, government | 40 Comments

What’s your ‘Why’?

Posted on November 2, 2013 by Tom Bengtson

I invite you to think about the why behind your business. Running a business, especially these days, is not for the faint of heart. In order to succeed you need to know why you are in it. Simon Sinek has … Continue reading →

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Posted in Uncategorized | 977 Comments

A look at the qualities of success

Posted on September 15, 2013 by Tom Bengtson

While economic growth in the United States has been slow since 2008, some businesses have done very well in the last few years. Consider the 250 businesses that are finalists in Ernst & Young’s 2013 Entrepreneur of the Year program. … Continue reading →

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Posted in business | 85 Comments