I am grateful as I look back on this year’s Thanksgiving holiday as I have the opportunity to work with amazing people, many who lead their lives through daily examples they set. People who demonstrate that they understand the potential and value of their own life. To use a part of Mr. Oechsli’s phrase, in the article I quote below, “…People who are really serious about having an impact and their expectations are high, and accept this very demanding role.”.
They are leading as grandparents, parents, co-workers or company leaders, members of their place of worship, in other roles as family members, friends or neighbors, or members of the local or sometimes even Global community. They may not be giving away one billion dollars, but what they are giving, and the impact that they have on so many simply in how they lead their daily lives is tremendous! Simple things such as a smile for someone, volunteering or helping those in need, holding the door open for another, carrying or buying a bag of groceries for someone. All of these little things can make a big difference to so many!
I get the opportunity to be a part of helping all of these families create clarity, because I know that with clarity comes ENERGY! And when people have more energy, the greater good is served with even more impact. For all the above reasons and many more, I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you. Thank you for the opportunity for my team and I to be of service to each and every one of you. It is truly a gift!
“This whole notion of limited life does concentrate the mind. It introduces a dimension of urgency.”. When Christopher Oechsli said this in a recent interview in the New York times, he was not talking about his own life, or even another human’s life. Speaking as the CEO, he was referring to the life of Atlantic Philanthropies, the organization he leads which was founded by an entrepreneur who wanted to give back and wanted to see immediate or near term impact. Atlantic Philanthropies was featured in the 11/1/14 article “A Billion to Spend, and only Two Years to do it” . The article was about limited life charities, foundations that plan for their own demise. He goes on to say, “It seems great to give away money, but if you are really serious about having an impact, and the expectations are high, it is a very demanding role.”.
How does this concept apply to the most valuable thing we all have, the gift of our daily lives? You won’t be surprised to hear me say that as much as I feel one billion dollars is a lot of financial wealth, when I see the contributions my clients give on a daily basis, I see these as arguably even more value. The fact that one billion dollars is magnified in immensity when focused by Atlantic Philanthropies solely on contribution to the greater good does not pale the contributions of those I serve. The clients I am proud to serve are giving in all areas of their lives, financially and non-financially. They will undoubtedly continue to do so for many years to come. They give their time, love, energy as well as contribute financially to people and organizations in their lives. I see this type of giving as similar in scope to Atlantic Philanthropies. What comes to mind for me is witnessing the value provided to our community each and every day by the various clients I have the opportunity to serve.
My beliefs about the various types of true wealth are eloquently summarized by the “Brower Quadrant”. These assets can be described not only in the Financial category, but by three additional “main categories” of wealth; 1) Core Wealth, 2) Experience Wealth, and 3) Contribution Wealth. The quadrant helps clarify the idea that as valuable as any amount of financial wealth may be, there is so much more we all have access to in our lives that has more value than any amount of money or financial assets can bring.
Thanksgiving raises our consciousness on these other types of wealth right there before us! Life is precious and anything can happen at any time. Therefore, we cannot take any of the things we do have for granted. We can be grateful for all the little things in our lives, big or small. By living a balanced life each and every day, these can be easily recognized. We need to remember to not let the important things in our lives get in the way of the essential things in our lives.
With Gratitude,
Steve
PS…on a personal note, go to https://gwmteam.com/blog/ for Part 2 of this Thanksgiving message: “Changing an O to an E Can Solve So Much”
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