Think Different

Young Trent was fortunate.

You see, I had the miraculous opportunity to grow up on a family farm in one of the world's wealthiest regions in a country considered to have the highest quality of life on this planet.

Life is good.

Reading was also encouraged at a young age by both my parents and grandmother. Books and magazines were abundant in our house, developing a childlike curiosity of the unknown which remains with me today.

I grew up in the ‘70s with my mother taking me to the Wheatland library in Eatonia, where one could search for books and categories on microfiche, the technological marvel of the day, providing access to what seemed to be an endless inventory of books.

My parents, recognizing the importance of knowledge, purchased the World Book encyclopedia set, introducing my sister and me to the world. This set was an expensive purchase at the time and not considered lightly.

It was 1984, and my parents purchased a used Apple IIe computer. I was fascinated with this machine. I could access games, an early Apple database, and writing software. Visicalc, the first spreadsheet computer program for personal computers, was also installed. Forty years later, I continue to use spreadsheets every day of my life.

My father had and continues with subscriptions to the Western Producer, Grainnews, Country Guide and Agriweek. I cannot stress enough how vital those publications are for active and prospective agriculture industry participants.

Knowledge is power, and I have continued my parent’s example of encouraging our kids to absorb, explore and ask questions to develop their ideas. It can be a challenging experience as our kids develop different views, values and opinions than their parents. I found it is much easier to put my ego aside and attempt to understand their perspective. I continue to be shocked at what I can learn from our kids. Plus, it improves our relationship. Trust me.

The dawn of the world wide web resulted in purchasing a Dell 486 computer for $3300 in 1996. A considerable sum at that time. It has also been my most impactful purchase so far. I remember being blown away by the amount of information accessed so quickly. The internet changed my life.

My childlike curiosity continues with email newsletters, YouTube, websites and podcasts.

I will share a few of what I am currently absorbing.

Lex Fridman Podcast - Conversations about the nature of intelligence, consciousness, love, and power.

Prof G No Mercy/ No Malice Newsletter and Podcast - Scott Galloway tears into the taxonomy of the tech business with unfiltered, data-driven insights, bold predictions, and thoughtful advice.

Rob Henderson Newsletter - Unfiltered thoughts and observations about human nature, social class, status, success, and much more.

Infinite Loops Podcast - The goal of this podcast is to learn how we can reset our thinking on issues that leaves us with a better understanding as to why we think the way we think and how we might be able to change that, to avoid going in infinite loops and thoughts.

The Compound and Friends Podcast - Downtown Josh Brown, Michael Batnick and their regularly recurring castmates talk about the biggest stories, moments and trends of the week.

Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History - This isn't academic history (and Carlin isn't a historian), but the podcast's unique blend of high drama, masterful narration and Twilight Zone-style twists has entertained millions of listeners.

Think Different.