Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Education or Fame?

I've been watching interviews lately with Warren Buffett and his son Peter.  Each time that the Buffetts are interviewed you become clear that Warren and his wife Susan didn't go for the child of privilege approach to parenting. So how can this be explained?

I've never met this young woman or her parents so I can't jump on the "she's an idiot" band wagon, because I don't know if she actually is smart or not.  The PR machine put out an image and that's what we have opinions about.  And admittedly calling the Hiltons "this" suggests that I buy into that popular theory.  And it makes for comical blog content to defame someone whom is considered to be an intellectual junior. However, to me, access to a fortune means: anonymity, education, occasional indulgence in fun, philanthropy and empire building quietly behind the scenes.  But that's how I think today with my past experiences in my current life.  Who's to say that if I were born into widely publicized wealth I would be the same woman, mentally, physically, socially and spiritually that I am today.  The truth is no one knows.  Discuss...

Wait, I was going to stop my post there but then I received and email with the following information that was most appropriate for the subject of my post.  This list is from a study and freely distributed PDF report 8 Reasons Rich People Hate Their Lives.  This was written by the senior editor of my Copy Blogger newsletter, Sonia Simone.

#1 Thinking "It's Just Business"- Wise, happy millionaires know that real wealth, the kind that lasts and
multiplies, comes from creating value. They cultivate empathy rather than trying to amputate it. They focus on contribution. They solve real problems and make the world better.
#2 Fixing your WeaknessesWise, happy millionaires refuse to do things they hate. When they do
something they suck at, it’s because they get off on the growth and the learning experience. They partner with others who complement their strengths, so everyone is doing work that’s meaningful, that turns them on,
that’s fun.
#3 Measuring Against the Wrong Yard SticksWise, happy millionaires know that the steps on the journey have to be fun. They know better than to short themselves on time with their families, days spent purely for pleasure, and even something as simple as a good night’s sleep.
#4 Spending Money on the Wrong Stuff - You don’t have to spend money on “luxurious” experiences. You don’t need to go deep-sea diving in Bali to be happy. A trip to the aquarium with your four-year-old might
bring as much – or more – satisfaction. But when you get to the point where a trip to Bali is in your budget, it will bring you infinitely more satisfaction (for much less money) than a $197,041 watch will.
#5 Identifying yourself as Smart and Talented -Wise, happy millionaires adopt a growth mindset. When they fall into fixed mindset thinking, they recognize it and change how they’re talking to themselves. They know that mindset can be changed at will. And they know that success comes from taking action, not from intelligence or talent.
#6 Failing to Make New Friendships Wise, happy millionaires spend time with other wise, happy millionaires. They know that attitudes – positive or negative – are contagious.
#7 Sacrificing Relationships for SuccessWise and happy millionaires make their relationships a priority. They schedule time with family and friends, and they take that time as seriously as any business activity. They know that the business will always want more hours than any of us can ever give. They know that it’s healthy to set boundaries with our businesses, even if we’re passionate about them.
#8 Trying to Run on FumesGoing without enough sleep makes you stupid. Worse, it makes you unable to feel how impaired you are. You think you’re ok. But actually, your judgment is terrible, your focus is worse, and your reaction time is a bad joke.  Oh, and by the way, your immune system sucks and you’re radically increasing the odds that you’ll gain weight.
You eat crappy food.  You don’t get any exercise. You let stress eat you alive. You don’t
make any time to do silly, frivolous things that bring you pleasure. Does that sound like someone who’s able to be on top of a challenging business?  Does it sound like someone who’s having a full and happy life?
If something (anything) must get done, then you must carve out dedicated time for it.  You, my friend, are a high-maintenance machine. You’re the complicated invention that can’t be replaced.

By now, I suspect you’ve gotten my main point. You have to schedule maintenance on
yourself. And you probably need to do that daily. (Sorry, workaholics. I don’t make the
rules, I just write them down.)
You are too busy for a psychic breakdown. And you’re not rich enough (yet) to cope
with being forced to take three months off to repair your damaged nervous system.
So start taking care of your machine every day. Starting today.
And there you have it.  Now Discuss... [images are courtesy of Google]

3 comments:

  1. Warren Buffet is not just brilliant in business, he's very grounded in his entire approach to living. He has lots of great life philosophies that I've read over the years. I admire him.

    Privileged backgrounds are only part of the problem with some of these younger folks like Miss Hilton. Another part is personal choice. Another part is media. Parents are not responsible for the way an adult child chooses to act, good or bad....in my humble opinion. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Well now wait a second. So, are you (or your newsletter) saying that Paris Hilton doesn't get enough sleep?

    I listened to an interview with the Buffet "kid" (maybe NPR? I don't remember now) where he talked about how his father is not giving his kids his money when he kicks the bucket. That that would be the worst thing he could do for his kids. Which sort of doubles my respect for the elder Buffet.

    And another thing, if you want to keep NGIP in your blog roll, could you delete it and add it back in? My RSS feed changed somehow when I switched from Blogger to WordPress.

    Also, are you planning to go to any Bloggy Boot Camps with SITS? I'm going to the one in SF.

    Hope things are going well for you!

    XOXOXO
    - Margaret

    ReplyDelete
  3. I saw Warren and son on the CBS Sunday Morning show last weekend. Very respectable. Did you see it? Apparently one of the grandkids was P.O.'d that she was no longer receiving money and his answer was that it was time for her to learn to earn her own way or something like that. I like that he still lives in the same small house. I'd be doing the same thing. You can hold me to that when I start earning 7 figures blogging. BWAAAHAAAAAAAHAAAAAAA

    ReplyDelete

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