Category Archives: reflection

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 | 302 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 | 65 Comments

Dad shows one person can make a big difference

Posted on January 2, 2013 by Tom Bengtson

2012 was a year of many blessings but I will remember is as the year my father passed away on June 7. In December, television typically offers “It’s a Wonderful Life,” a film that means a little bit more to … Continue reading →

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Posted in Inspiration, memories, reflection | 32 Comments

Take time to live in the present

Posted on November 15, 2012 by Tom Bengtson

One of the things I have always appreciated about privately-held or family-owned businesses is that their management can think long term. They don’t have quite the earnings pressure which managers at publically held firms face. When your stock is widely … Continue reading →

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Posted in business, reflection | 44 Comments

Lessons from 1776

Posted on August 16, 2011 by Tom Bengtson

One of my favorite books is “1776” by the popular historian David McCullough. While I learned a lot about the Revolutionary War by reading this book, I also picked up at least four lessons that I think any small business … Continue reading →

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Posted in business, Inspiration, reflection | 46 Comments

Allen shows there’s no time like the present

Posted on May 30, 2011 by Tom Bengtson

“Midnight in Paris” is Woody Allen’s thoroughly charming film about an American writer visiting Paris who dreams of living in the city’s golden age of the 1920s. Through the magic of film, he gets his chance, meeting Hemingway and Fitzgerald, … Continue reading →

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Posted in reflection | 38 Comments

Happiness and joy

Posted on April 9, 2011 by Tom Bengtson

The day after I attended a funeral for a dear friend, I feel compelled to write about happiness. Dick Miller, with whom I had worked for nearly five years, died suddenly at age 64. The well-attended funeral in Saint Paul … Continue reading →

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Posted in reflection | 34 Comments