Second of two parts

LAYTON — “I still have my first wife and my first car,” joked Larry H. Miller Companies CEO Greg Miller, recently.

He was speaking to several hundred business people and community leaders gathered for the Davis Chamber of Commerce Business Expo.

“I’ve been married to Heidi for 23 years, and my first car is a 289 horsepower 1965 Ford Mustang,” he said.

The father of six related a lot about the history of the multi-faceted business empire that his late father built over nearly 30 years. That was related in last week’s Clipper.

But Larry H. Miller’s oldest son also talked about other aspects of life, including family.

“There is nothing I love more than being a dad,” Greg Miller said.

“For those of us Type A personalities, sometimes living in the moment is the hardest thing,” he said. “Some of the most magical moments are the greeting or the goodbye.”

Such moments can help create a synergy and quality experience to life, Miller explained.

“It’s critically important to spend time with what matters most,” he said. “Sometimes the most productive thing can be to throw a baseball with your son.”

As the CEO of a $2 billion a year company with operations in 11 states, Miller said “technology is often more a curse than a blessing.”

“People used to spend time building a home, raising crops, etc. Then new gadgets came along. Now you can do in 10 minutes what took 30 minutes before,” for example, he said.

“But we tend to fill that extra time with more things, not relaxing.”

Miller also shared his personal philosophies on various aspects of life.

“It’s almost always easier to get what you want if you help others get what they want. Take responsibility for your actions,” he said, emphasizing “personal accountability. Do not let the money you’ve been blessed with turn you into a demon.

“There;’s no place for arrogance. Be thankful for what we’ve got, try to share it,” he said.

Speaking of the polarization and ridicule that so many are hurling at one another nationwide, Miller said “it’s not good for the country. It’s not right to ridicule everyone but firemen. We’ve got to get back to being respectful.

“Make time and room for God in your life. And make Him welcome. Protect your health. Make good decisions. Work hard, solve problems. Learn to love to solve problems,” he said.

“Live within your means. Embrace that which wants to make you better. If you don’t like your life, change it,” the Sandy resident continued.

“Don’t let the demands of work reduce your quality of life. Let things go. You need to stay on things that are the most important. Your best definition of success is to create things of lasting value,” he said, adding, “It’s our turn to create.

“Don’t be self-absorbed. Helping someone else is soothing in a deep way.”

An example of helping others is the Larry H. Miller Charities, which has raised more than $1 million to assist many groups and causes.

“Be not easily offended. It is important to develop a thick skin. I believe in stewardship instead of ownership,” Miller said. “It’s just stuff. At some point, we’ll step off the stage.”

tbusselberg@davisclipper.com