Fifty years ago at Queen of Peace Hospital in Mitchell, SD, I was born to Russ and Dianne . Looking back on being fifty years old, there is much I have learned and much I have yet to understand.

I believe life is a series of trade-offs, the truth always lies somewhere in the middle and for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Duh, physics….

This story is a series of musings written in Yin and Yang style (If that’s really a style, I have no idea.). My intent is not to preach, brag, gripe or persuade. I write because it is cathartic for me and this fifty deal has me in a bit of a strange place.

I have no idea why, it’s just a number. And still, I’m there. In a weird place.

I’ll list the Yin and then the Yang. Or is it the Yang and then the Yin? Either way, here goes.

And if you feel like writing your own Yin’s and Yang’s in the comments, it may be fun if this becomes a crowd-sourced document. Hence, the title.

With humility is how I want to live my life. When I think I’ve found it, I am the furthest from it.

The constant pursuit of “more” has caused much angst for me. Setting and achieving goals is foundational to my formula for success.

I don’t care what people think of me. I want people to like me.

It’s good to ask questions. Sometimes the question I am afraid to ask is the most important one.

By-and-large, people are good and honest. Individuals will always serve their own needs first – this is a survival instinct and is a result of Darwinism.

What doesn’t beat me makes me strong. In moments of weakness, I rely on a power greater than myself.

Projects cost twice as much and take twice as long as planned. The only thing true about a forecast is it will be wrong.

Spreadsheets are a wonderful planning and modeling tool for business. A spreadsheet never says, “no,” has a bad day or makes unpredictable decisions based on competition.

Big clients do such great volume they justify a low price. A negative multiplied by a positive will always, no matter how big the positive and small the negative, produce a negative result.

My family will always be there for me. From dust I came and to dust I shall return.

There are a lot more of these to write and I may continue to add to this story. I’ve been thinking about writing this for a few weeks, procrastinated and ultimately decided it is best to post something…..please add your own Yin’s and Yang’s in the comments.

Thanks for reading my work!