My Good Intentions — Walter Rice

Forging a meaningful life with good intentions doesn’t mean you’ll be liked or understood. Influential billionaire Wendell Beks knows that now, and so on his eightieth birthday decides to set the record straight by telling his own story.To that end, Wendell harks back thirty-two years to a pivotal lunch with his financial adviser. Their regular meetings in posh Manhattan restaurants are usually quiet affairs, but this meeting steers Beks onto a new and unexpected path.The adviser encourages Wendell to spend more time outside New York City and even invest in rural property. The idea resonates with Wendell and before long he’s looking at ranch property in Wyoming. With an unspoken vision driving him, he sees plenty of ranches he doesn’t want, but finally the agent takes him to the perfect property that’s not even on the market. Until now.Wendell and his wife are in the odd position of having no interest in raising cattle on their huge ranch, but he pushes on. His adviser once suggested he could dig up rocks, and so that’s what Wendell does.With expert help, he learns of a special mineral deposit on his land and opens a mining operation. Pushed on by his vision, he grows wealthier, but that’s only a byproduct of getting this mineral out into the world. The important things is how this miracle product helps everyone else.But not everyone is happy about that. Some people liked their situation better before this simple but profound mineral brightened so many lives. This is what makes Wendell Beks speak out. Trying to hold the line against these dark forces is a battle for all humanity. The outcome hangs in the balance.Words: 9,860