Step Away from the Normal Routine. The Auto Industry. Veterans Day. Question of the Week. Saban.
Quote of the Week: “No big challenge has ever been solved, and no lasting improvement has ever been achieved, unless people dare to try something different.” – Tim Cook
Achievement is only one possible result of trying something new. Trying new things or focusing on something out of your normal routine can have other benefits:
- Stepping out and away from your normal routine allows you to find new people and new passions that may provide personal and/or professional growth.
- When you try something different and you achieve a level of success, you prove to yourself that you are capable of growth and change.
- The old adage comes into play when you do not challenge yourself to try new things: “Doing the same thing over and over again without a result is insanity”.
- A new challenge and new activities can jolt and stimulate you emotionally, physically, and intellectually – and may give you a new perspective.
A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions. — Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
- While the equity markets have taken a bit of a hit last week, the year-to-date performance of the Dow Jones Industrial Average remains in double digits, up 10.6%. The other barometers of the U.S. economy tell a different story. One area that sounds the alarm is consumer debt, specifically relating to the automobile industry.
The average monthly payment for a new car has risen to $748, with the average price surpassing $50,000 for the first time. People who bought cars with lower credit scores (subprime borrowers) endured predatory interest rates on their car loan, resulting in delinquencies exceeding 6% for the first time. So far, 2025 sees 2.2 million vehicles being repossessed, with many predicting that the number will reach 3 million by year-end.
The amount of loans being defaulted on could lead to the market being flooded with less expensive cars. One dealer in Virginia feels like new car pricing could drop between 25-30% in the near future. New car sales have slowed since May of this year, with the September expiration of the federal tax break on the purchase of electric vehicles fueling the slowdown. Here is one report on the dire straits facing of the auto industry:
- Veterans Day is a federal holiday in the United States observed on November 11, honoring military veterans of the United States Armed Forces. First observed on November 11, 1919, Veterans Day was first called Armistice Day in honor of the first anniversary of the end of World War I, which ended on the eleventh hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918. Please get your flag out, fly it proudly, and to all veterans: praise, honor, admiration, and thank you.
This movie trailer talks about one veteran who was called The Giant Killer. This documentary details the career of Richard Flaherty, America’s shortest war hero. I suggest you take the time to watch this documentary – Richard Flaherty, at 4’10” tall, was a real-life Jack Reacher.
Thank you for your answers to the Question of the Week. I asked “What is the most irrational or strange superstition you have? I did get interesting answers…
- Crazy, but I don’t look at treadmill odometer when any mile hits 0.66.
- On every flight, I tap the window or armrest three times as we take off. So far it has worked!
- I’m not really superstitious but…I did give away a longhorn top I wore when OU beat Texas in 2023 because I didn’t want to chance it again that it was the reason for the loss. LOL
- I don’t have any superstitions. The outcome of a game, etc. does not depend on what color my panties are 🙂
- First day of the month I say “Rabbit, Rabbit, Rabbit” the first thing in the morning. Mother in law said it’s supposed to bring good luck
- Being attacked by a shark at New Smyrna Beach.
- I have no superstitions–rather a waste of time and rational thinking.
Here is this week’s Question of the Week: Who would you want to portray your life story in a movie?
- Has anyone authored a book, manual, or directive on how to behave before and during an online video meeting? All I can say is that this dog and I have the same reaction when I join a Teams call one minute too early. 🙂
- Pure Talent. He was (at some level still is) one of the best football coaches of all time. He left the head coaching job at the University of Alabama a few years ago for a few reasons, one being the Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) money being tossed around to college athletes. I am a University of Georgia supporter but I sure miss Nick Saban being on the sideline and in his press conferences. On the field and behind the microphone, Nick Saban is Pure Talent.