Shultz Photography Blog

Why Do You Work?

The following is taken from Dan Miller. I really eat up anything that deals with the right perspective on money and work. These two are literally the two richest men in America (the richest country), yet they don't run their lives like the vast majority of our nation's celebrities who waste valuable time and money. Warren Buffet's biography is simply amazing...check out the quick version by clicking here.

Okay, here's the article:

In September of 2005, Bill Gates and Warren Buffet, the two richest men in America, sat down with students and faculty at the University of Nebraska. There they fielded questions from the students, showing their shared sense of responsibility to aggressively use their wealth to improve the world.

Joanne was gone this weekend and I used it as a rare occasion to watch TV while I ate dinner one night. I caught a replay of this program and was struck by their energy, intelligence, openness and grounding in character and integrity. While they could easily use their immense wealth to embrace extravagant, consumptive lifestyles, they seem to be examples of what should happen when money is no longer the primary motivator.

Rather than “retiring” and doing nothing, these two extraordinary guys are actively pursuing work that they feel is important. When 77-yr-old Warren Buffet was asked what he would be doing 10 years from now, he replied, “I’ll be doing exactly the same thing I’m doing today because I’m doing exactly what I love doing now.” Bill Gates spends 2 weeks a year off by himself just thinking and reading “idea papers” that people send him. He’s concerned about getting rusty and missing seeing new opportunities. One young coed asked Mr. Buffet what he considered success. He replied that he thought success was having lots of people love you as you grow older. He went on to say that he has seen people make lots of money and end up with no one loving them.

These guys seem to think differently than most Americans. If you really find the work you love, retirement loses it appeal. If you find purpose in your work, money is a byproduct.

Thrist Relief International

Some of the photographic industry's finest wedding and portrait photographers collaborated over the weekend to raise nearly $25,000 for Thirst Relief International. That translates to about 6,000 lives saved. 1.1 billion people lack access to clean drinking water. Children under 5 acount for almost 90% of deaths caused by waterborne disease. To learn more about how you can help, visit www.thirstrelief.org

Far Enough Ahead

Chuck promised his 7-yr-old son Johnny that he would take him fishing on Saturday. The little boy waited eagerly for the day to arrive, but he awoke Saturday morning to the sound of rain. Johnny grumbled all morning, complaining and sharing his disappointment with everyone. But by 2:00 the rain ended, the sun came out and Johnny and his dad headed off for the fishing hole. The conditions seemed to be just right, and they came home with more fish than they had ever caught in an entire day.

At supper that evening, Johnny’s mother asked him to say grace. Johnny did – and concluded his prayer by saying – “and Lord, if I sounded grumpy earlier today, it was because I wasn’t able to see far enough ahead.”

So how far ahead are you seeing? Are you just looking at the rain in your life today? Or can you see past that to the sun that will likely be there tomorrow?

(Taken from Dan Miller)

Gaurding Old Paint

Tonight, I'm posting a short story I came across recently to serve as some inspiration for 2007. Don't be insane!

There is a story about Russia in the days of the Czars. In the park of St. Petersburg Winter Palace there was a beautiful lawn, on that lawn a bench, and next to that bench, two guards. Every three hours the guards were changed. Yet no one could explain why these guards were guarding the bench. One day an ambitious young lieutenant was put in charge of the Palace Guard. He started wondering and asking questions. Finally, he found a little old man, the Palace historian.

“Yes,” the old man said, “I remember.” During the reign of Peter the Great, 200 years ago, the bench got a fresh coat of paint. The Czar was afraid that the ladies in waiting might get paint on their dresses. So he ordered one guard to watch the bench while the paint dried. The order was never rescinded. Then in 1908, all the guards of the Palace were doubled for fear of a revolution. So the bench has had two guards ever since.*

Every once in a while it’s wise to ask, “Why am I doing this?” The modern definition of “insanity” is to continue doing what you have been doing and yet expecting different results. Are you ignoring years of experience and knowledge only to continue doing what you have always done? If you want different results, you will have to do something different. If the paint dried years ago, move on! Plan now to stop guarding old paint in 2007.

* Paul Lee Tan, Th.D., Encyclopedia of 7,700 Illustrations