In Utah, fall is really the most beautiful time of year.  The days are warm, the mornings and evenings are crisp. The leaves are turning golden yellow and sunset orange.

The air is pure and clear after the regular rain showers, and the signs of Thanksgiving are starting to appear.

The football season is in full swing.  Spending Saturdays at the stadium with friends and family brings back great memories, and creates new ones.

Of course there’s the pumpkins and Halloween that every one loves, but Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday.

And even though its now too cold to waterski and hang out at the lake, I still love fall.

I guess I get nostalgic this time of year because my father always taught us to be grateful. To be humble, and realize that everything we have comes from God. He worked hard to create a wonderful life for my family, and always made sure we never took anything for granted.

I’ve been so blessed.

I have so much to be thankful for.

Starting with my wife and 3 kids who mean the world to me. My parents who taught me so much and sacrificed so much for my well being throughout my life and continue to be a great influence in my life.

I’m thankful for my brother and 3 sisters. I’m grateful we all have a great relationship together, and love each other very much.

Not a day goes by that I’m not thankful for the goodness the Lord has blessed me with, and as I look out my office window and see the beautiful mountains that surround us, I am often in awe.

Sometimes it’s fun to just take a minute and think of all things you can possibly name that you are grateful for. It’s amazing about the things we take for granted every day that we really should be VERY thankful for.

Things like running water, toilet paper, microwaves, central air, and cars with cup holders. It sounds a little silly at first, but its true!

These are great inventions and I am definitely grateful I’m not wondering out the back yard to the outhouse in the middle of the winter! (It wasn’t that many years ago that my mother in law grew up doing exactly that!)

Yesterday walking into the office I took a deep breath of the fresh crisp air and was grateful for the clean air, my health and body.

For me, the most important thing I am grateful for is Gods love and his sacrifice for us to return and live with him someday.

As I’ve grown I’ve learned that one of the surest ways to be truly happy is to through humility and gratitude.

This is my favorite time of year…because there is so much to be thankful for.

Brett

This years NBA Playoffs and Finals is one I will remember for a long time.

One of the reasons was of course, Steph Curry and his amazing clutch shots, the other reason was because my son Joshua is now old enough to appreciate the games and watch them with me.

I’ve always loved basketball, I love what it teaches a person about themselves, It can bring out your self doubt and help you recognize that and turn it into self confidence.

It teaches discipline and hard work. For most of humankind the only way to excel in the sport is by paying the price of time and effort in the gym, working out, doing drills, shooting thousands of jump shots, and running until you throw up.

That hard work teaches a valuable lesson that will serve anyone well throughout their lives.

Steph Curry is also a classy guy, he’s a God fearing faith based person who loves his family and isn’t pounding his chest telling the world he’s the greatest.

He’s a magician on the floor, and his attitude and behavior off the floor makes it easy to root for him.

Basketball has always been my first love when it comes to sports, it’s fun seeing my family embrace it, seeing Joshua practice his dribbling and shooting in the backyard takes me back to the days of practicing in the rain, cold and 100 degree temperatures…

All the hard work paid off for me when we won a state championship in high school, but even more importantly, it taught me that if I want to be successful in work and in my family, it isn’t going to come easy…not even close.

Anything worthwhile costs effort and work, no one gets rich and successful without it, despite what it may look like from the outside. In America financial success can be had by anyone, regardless of upbringing or race, and my next couple of articles about real life people I’ve met recently from a taxi driver in Seattle to a real estate investor in Florida, will prove it…

So enjoy this video of Steph Curry making jaw dropping shots…shots he should be able to make, and know he spent a lot of time in a lonely gym making those exact shots, long before he ever made it on the Big Stage.

Brett