Life is full of changes, sometimes unwanted. As I look back on my career, I realize now that I was fortunate to learn critical lessons relatively early.  During the 1980’s recession I had to close my panelize-modular home building factory down and put 109 people without jobs. I felt devastated and terrified about my future. What was I going to do? Little did I know that my entire career was getting ready to change in a very positive way. Seven months later the US State Department award me a contract to export 100,000 panelize-modular-mobile homes to Israel and manage a technology exchange to build two automated home building factories.

Here are the lessons I learned.

A New Yorker strolling along on a sunny day may suddenly stopped in disbelief with a look of astonishment on his face.  A familiar building, which they had known from childhood, has vanished!  In its place was a parking lot and a gleaming tower of steel and glass.  The man casts about desperately, hoping that someone will explain the disappearance but other pedestrians hurried by, not even glancing at the new structure.