Wednesday, 31 August 2016
TRUE SUCCESS
THE SECRET OF LIVING
I recently came across a post on a friend's Whatsapp group-chat page, the author of which is unknown even to my friend - & a whole lot of others - (my friend saw it on the fly and also shared it) ........but the beauty of the post is beyond words. Acknowledgement therefore goes to the "Unknown Author" of that section of this post, because it was through what he wrote i was able to develop the write-up you see now.
Below is the write-up copied off the Whatsapp page of Ayomideoluwa Odunaiya .......some texts have also been personally added to the copied piece.
""In 1892 at Stanford University, an 18-year-old student was struggling to pay his fees. He was an orphan, and not knowing where to turn for money, he came up with a bright idea. He and a friend decided to host a musical concert on campus to raise money for their education.
They reached out to the great pianist, Ignacy J. Paderewski. His manager demanded a guaranteed fee of $2000 for the piano recital. A deal was steno uck and the boys began to work to make the concert a success.
The big day arrived. But unfortunately, they had not managed to sell enough tickets. The total collection was only $1600. Disappointed, they went to Paderewski and explained their plight. They gave him the entire $1600, plus a cheque for the balance $400. They promised to honour the cheque as soon as possible.
“No,” said Paderewski. “This is not acceptable.” He tore up the cheque, returned the $1600 and told the two boys: “Here’s the $1600. Please deduct whatever expenses you have incurred. Keep the money you need for your fees. And just give me whatever is left”. The boys were surprised, and thanked him profusely.
It was a small act of kindness. But it clearly marked out Paderewski as a great human being.
Why should he help two people he did not even know? We all come across situations like these in our lives. And most of us only think “If I help them, what would happen to me?” The truly great people think, “If I don’t help them, what will happen to them?” They don’t do it expecting something in return. They do it because they feel it’s the right thing to do.
Paderewski later went on to become the Prime Minister of Poland. He was a great leader, but unfortunately when the World War began, Poland was ravaged. There were more than 1.5 million people starving in his country, and no money to feed them. Paderewski did not know where to turn for help. He reached out to the US Food and Relief Administration for help.
He heard there was a man called Herbert Hoover — the same man who later went on to become the US President. Hoover agreed to help and quickly shipped tons of food grains to feed the starving Polish people.
A calamity was averted. Paderewski was relieved.
He decided to go across to meet Hoover and personally thank him. When Paderewski began to thank Hoover for his noble gesture, Hoover quickly interjected and said, “You shouldn’t be thanking me Mr. Prime Minister. You may not remember this, but several years ago, you helped two young students go through college. I was one of them.”
The world is a wonderful place. What goes around comes around. Please help others to the best of your ability. In the long run you may be helping yourself. God never forgets anyone who sows a good seed in other people, never.
Nothing in nature lives for itself. Rivers don't drink their own water. Trees don't eat their own fruit. Sun doesn't give heat for itself. Flowers don't spread fragrance for themselves. Living for others is the rule of nature. And therein lies the Secret of Living.""
Many try to define success and greatness in terms of winning and lording over others. They see the world in the form of a pyramid with the ones on the bottom having no other purpose in life but to serve those at the top; such people therefore make getting to the top of the pyramid their life pursuit ....all because of the promise of greatness and lording authority they see there. To these people, winning over others is everything.
But this thinking is wrong. Winning ain't everything. Fulfilling one's true worth through generous deeds is the key .....and by achieving this, we become bigger than ourselves, and find true happiness and greater meaning in life. This, I'm quite sure, must be why Albert Einstein said "I believe in one thing - that only a life lived for others is a life worth living".
Even to Bruce Lee, "Real living is living for others". But we definitely need to understand that living for others is not (and never will be) the same as living your life based on the opinions of others. When you live your life based on the opinions of others, what happens is that your every decision making is based on pleasing others, or seeking approval, or on how well the steps you take compare to others (friends, family, public figures etc.), or on what people will think of you, or what they consider to be good and bad for your image. But when you live for others, you use something you already possess (be it knowledge, time, money, provision, skills/ideas, insights and/or concepts, compassion, kindness, selfless service, uncommon faith, truthfulness etc.) to get involved in people's lives and impact them positively, and to meet the needs of those that are less privileged than you are.
In order to help others, one needs to be in a solid position to give a helping hand. The only way to give a lot is to have plenty as well; but please note that this does not apply only to material things, but basically every quality and virtues in existence. So if your living for others is done through acts of compassion, then it should be carried out with the upmost care and best possible way.
Your motivation to give, serve, help, and love others must flow/come from your inmost being. You must give and serve for the sake of the other person, without seeking any benefit, or praise, or approval for yourself; and so doing, you live fulfilled.
Thank you.
Below is the write-up copied off the Whatsapp page of Ayomideoluwa Odunaiya .......some texts have also been personally added to the copied piece.
""In 1892 at Stanford University, an 18-year-old student was struggling to pay his fees. He was an orphan, and not knowing where to turn for money, he came up with a bright idea. He and a friend decided to host a musical concert on campus to raise money for their education.
They reached out to the great pianist, Ignacy J. Paderewski. His manager demanded a guaranteed fee of $2000 for the piano recital. A deal was steno uck and the boys began to work to make the concert a success.
The big day arrived. But unfortunately, they had not managed to sell enough tickets. The total collection was only $1600. Disappointed, they went to Paderewski and explained their plight. They gave him the entire $1600, plus a cheque for the balance $400. They promised to honour the cheque as soon as possible.
“No,” said Paderewski. “This is not acceptable.” He tore up the cheque, returned the $1600 and told the two boys: “Here’s the $1600. Please deduct whatever expenses you have incurred. Keep the money you need for your fees. And just give me whatever is left”. The boys were surprised, and thanked him profusely.
It was a small act of kindness. But it clearly marked out Paderewski as a great human being.
Why should he help two people he did not even know? We all come across situations like these in our lives. And most of us only think “If I help them, what would happen to me?” The truly great people think, “If I don’t help them, what will happen to them?” They don’t do it expecting something in return. They do it because they feel it’s the right thing to do.
Paderewski later went on to become the Prime Minister of Poland. He was a great leader, but unfortunately when the World War began, Poland was ravaged. There were more than 1.5 million people starving in his country, and no money to feed them. Paderewski did not know where to turn for help. He reached out to the US Food and Relief Administration for help.
He heard there was a man called Herbert Hoover — the same man who later went on to become the US President. Hoover agreed to help and quickly shipped tons of food grains to feed the starving Polish people.
A calamity was averted. Paderewski was relieved.
He decided to go across to meet Hoover and personally thank him. When Paderewski began to thank Hoover for his noble gesture, Hoover quickly interjected and said, “You shouldn’t be thanking me Mr. Prime Minister. You may not remember this, but several years ago, you helped two young students go through college. I was one of them.”
The world is a wonderful place. What goes around comes around. Please help others to the best of your ability. In the long run you may be helping yourself. God never forgets anyone who sows a good seed in other people, never.
Nothing in nature lives for itself. Rivers don't drink their own water. Trees don't eat their own fruit. Sun doesn't give heat for itself. Flowers don't spread fragrance for themselves. Living for others is the rule of nature. And therein lies the Secret of Living.""
Many try to define success and greatness in terms of winning and lording over others. They see the world in the form of a pyramid with the ones on the bottom having no other purpose in life but to serve those at the top; such people therefore make getting to the top of the pyramid their life pursuit ....all because of the promise of greatness and lording authority they see there. To these people, winning over others is everything.
But this thinking is wrong. Winning ain't everything. Fulfilling one's true worth through generous deeds is the key .....and by achieving this, we become bigger than ourselves, and find true happiness and greater meaning in life. This, I'm quite sure, must be why Albert Einstein said "I believe in one thing - that only a life lived for others is a life worth living".
Even to Bruce Lee, "Real living is living for others". But we definitely need to understand that living for others is not (and never will be) the same as living your life based on the opinions of others. When you live your life based on the opinions of others, what happens is that your every decision making is based on pleasing others, or seeking approval, or on how well the steps you take compare to others (friends, family, public figures etc.), or on what people will think of you, or what they consider to be good and bad for your image. But when you live for others, you use something you already possess (be it knowledge, time, money, provision, skills/ideas, insights and/or concepts, compassion, kindness, selfless service, uncommon faith, truthfulness etc.) to get involved in people's lives and impact them positively, and to meet the needs of those that are less privileged than you are.
In order to help others, one needs to be in a solid position to give a helping hand. The only way to give a lot is to have plenty as well; but please note that this does not apply only to material things, but basically every quality and virtues in existence. So if your living for others is done through acts of compassion, then it should be carried out with the upmost care and best possible way.
Your motivation to give, serve, help, and love others must flow/come from your inmost being. You must give and serve for the sake of the other person, without seeking any benefit, or praise, or approval for yourself; and so doing, you live fulfilled.
Thank you.
GIVING WHILE LIVING
Would you give all your money away? If so, where? This is the extraordinary story of Chuck Feeney, who finally achieves his 34 year mission of going from $8 billion to broke this year.
2016 is the year his Foundation gives the last of his money away. In the process, he has become the hero of Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, who said “Chuck has set an example not only for people of my age but also younger generations. He will be an example 100 years from now or 200 years from now.”
“He is my hero. He is Bill Gates’ hero. He should be everybody’s hero.”
Here’s Chuck’s 3 steps to making, and giving away $8 billion.
START BY DECIDING TO GIVE IT AWAY BEFORE YOU MAKE IT
Chuck was born into a poor, Irish family during the Great Depression in 1931. He shovelled snow and sold Christmas cards door-to-door as a kid to make money to take home. While young and in poverty, he read Andrew Carnegie’s classic essay, “The Gospel of Wealth”.
Andrew Carnegie’s essay was a revolutionary call for those who create wealth to live modestly, and to give all their excess wealth to support others while still alive: “Giving while living.”
The words touched him so deeply, Chuck decided at that moment that he would dedicate his life to create wealth to give away, saying “I want the last cheque I write to bounce.”
THEN TRAVEL THE WORLD
As a teenager, Chuck joined the US airforce during the Korean War. He got to see first hand the difficulty servicemen had in getting the products they wanted from home. So he set up a business to import and sell them the goods they wanted. He found a way to sell them without duty, by setting up stores on the air-side of airports and his company, Duty Free Shoppers took off.
Ever bought anything from a DFS shop at an airport? That’s Chuck’s company.
But from the early days, Chuck had already set up his company so that all the proceeds went into his foundation, the Atlantic Philanthropies, so the money the company made could be given away each year. The money has gone into causes around the world in health, education and human rights.
When Chuck sold DFS in 1996, his Foundation took all the money from the sale, and committed to spend everything within 20 years - by 2016. By the time it gives the last of his money away, it will have given away $8 billion.
AND CHUCK IT ALL THE WAY
What about Chuck? Surely he has kept enough aside to live in luxury? Today, at 85 years old, Chuck does not own a home or a car. He still famously wears a watch he bought for $15, and he carries his papers in a plastic bag.
Chuck says “I always tried to live my life as though nothing changed. People would say, 'You can have a Rolls-Royce'. I'd say to that, 'What do I want with a Rolls-Royce when I can have a bike?’"
Instead of measuring his success by his level of money in the bank, he measures it by his level of happiness: “People used to ask me how I got my jollies, and I guess I'm happy when what I'm doing is helping people and unhappy when what I'm doing isn't helping people.”
2016 marks the end of Chuck’s giving, but just the beginning of his legacy. His story inspired Bill Gates to also give all his money away, and to launch the Giving Pledge, which now has 142 of the World’s Billionaires pledging to give the majority of their wealth away while alive - including Richard Branson, Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, Tim Cook, Warren Buffett and many more.
Bill Gates credits Chuck for the new age of giving, saying “Chuck Feeney is a remarkable role model, and the ultimate example of giving while living.”
As you begin another week, how would things change if you were to know everything you make will be given away to a cause far bigger than yourself?
Where would you contribute the money you are yet to make?
How would it change your sense of purpose and determination?
Make that decision now so you can focus at money flowing through you, not to you.
“There’s a limit to what you can get. There’s no limit to what you can give.”
Click here to view the Original Writeup
2016 is the year his Foundation gives the last of his money away. In the process, he has become the hero of Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, who said “Chuck has set an example not only for people of my age but also younger generations. He will be an example 100 years from now or 200 years from now.”
“He is my hero. He is Bill Gates’ hero. He should be everybody’s hero.”
Here’s Chuck’s 3 steps to making, and giving away $8 billion.
START BY DECIDING TO GIVE IT AWAY BEFORE YOU MAKE IT
Chuck was born into a poor, Irish family during the Great Depression in 1931. He shovelled snow and sold Christmas cards door-to-door as a kid to make money to take home. While young and in poverty, he read Andrew Carnegie’s classic essay, “The Gospel of Wealth”.
Andrew Carnegie’s essay was a revolutionary call for those who create wealth to live modestly, and to give all their excess wealth to support others while still alive: “Giving while living.”
The words touched him so deeply, Chuck decided at that moment that he would dedicate his life to create wealth to give away, saying “I want the last cheque I write to bounce.”
THEN TRAVEL THE WORLD
As a teenager, Chuck joined the US airforce during the Korean War. He got to see first hand the difficulty servicemen had in getting the products they wanted from home. So he set up a business to import and sell them the goods they wanted. He found a way to sell them without duty, by setting up stores on the air-side of airports and his company, Duty Free Shoppers took off.
Ever bought anything from a DFS shop at an airport? That’s Chuck’s company.
But from the early days, Chuck had already set up his company so that all the proceeds went into his foundation, the Atlantic Philanthropies, so the money the company made could be given away each year. The money has gone into causes around the world in health, education and human rights.
When Chuck sold DFS in 1996, his Foundation took all the money from the sale, and committed to spend everything within 20 years - by 2016. By the time it gives the last of his money away, it will have given away $8 billion.
AND CHUCK IT ALL THE WAY
What about Chuck? Surely he has kept enough aside to live in luxury? Today, at 85 years old, Chuck does not own a home or a car. He still famously wears a watch he bought for $15, and he carries his papers in a plastic bag.
Chuck says “I always tried to live my life as though nothing changed. People would say, 'You can have a Rolls-Royce'. I'd say to that, 'What do I want with a Rolls-Royce when I can have a bike?’"
Instead of measuring his success by his level of money in the bank, he measures it by his level of happiness: “People used to ask me how I got my jollies, and I guess I'm happy when what I'm doing is helping people and unhappy when what I'm doing isn't helping people.”
2016 marks the end of Chuck’s giving, but just the beginning of his legacy. His story inspired Bill Gates to also give all his money away, and to launch the Giving Pledge, which now has 142 of the World’s Billionaires pledging to give the majority of their wealth away while alive - including Richard Branson, Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, Tim Cook, Warren Buffett and many more.
Bill Gates credits Chuck for the new age of giving, saying “Chuck Feeney is a remarkable role model, and the ultimate example of giving while living.”
As you begin another week, how would things change if you were to know everything you make will be given away to a cause far bigger than yourself?
Where would you contribute the money you are yet to make?
How would it change your sense of purpose and determination?
Make that decision now so you can focus at money flowing through you, not to you.
“There’s a limit to what you can get. There’s no limit to what you can give.”
Click here to view the Original Writeup
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