Omar Baig offers some Sunday wisdom:
“”Hey Frank,
I’ve been noticing a common theme among some domainers lately. After spending years struggling to build their businesses, they are now having some financial success. However, this success is making it difficult to focus.
I think these articles from the NY Times are very reflective of this challenge:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/28/business/28invent-side.html?ref=business
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/28/business/28invent.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all&oref=slogin
Best,
Omar”"
***FS*** Thanks sincerely Omar.. I’m sure this will hit home for lots of colleages in the domain business. Great video segment in the second piece.
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Interesting post.
It reminds me that i like to, once in a while, remind myself that we never for sure know when we are going to die/ move on to the next realm.
Am i living my life, moment by moment, the way that i want to?
If you only had a week to live, what would you do for the next 7 days?
If you only had 24 hours to live, what you do for the next 24 hours?
The present moment is where it’s at.
josh/
Swerve
Good points Josh.
Personally, I believe we all need a vision for our lives. This includes knowing your values, purpose and developing self-awareness.
I just registered PrematurelyRich.com from this post. Lots of decent names still available…
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. One of the most refreshing things in this blog is to sense that Frank is able to use his money to live a high quality life, unlike the person of the video in this post’s links.
The ex-owner of Paypal presents clear signs of serious psychological imbalance. I am sorry for him. His excessive competitiveness doesn’t allow him to enjoy the present moment, thus he cannot enjoy life. That’s why he feels sad when he is not busy.
I know what’s to feel that push forward that he feels, because I am (was?) similar. I spent 10 years of my life being dominated by it. Now I fight against it, trying to live a healthier and more balanced life. And I feel better than ever.
What’s all the money doing for that person? Nothing. He is not even spending it in a good chair and a good desk, for what we can see in that video. He is not unpacking his things. And he presents in his body language many clear signs of stress, although he appears calm. Isn’t it odd? He seems to be very stressed out and letting his life -and possibly partner- slip away. He is not able to disconnect from his urge to win. It is just that this is not an urge to win, but just to compete. And the competition is against himself, so he can never win.
He feels he has to prove something. His life is dominated by others, and by what others think of him. His self esteem depends on the outside world.
If he is not “producing” he feels he is not doing anything useful. He works 15 hours a day or more. Once he sold his company, he felt worthless.
I am sorry for him. He should look for help as soon as possible.
Of course many of us will say -particularly thos of us that are like him and me- “what the hell do you know Javier, he is free to live his life in any way he wants!” and it is true…as long as he is happy. But he doesn’t seem happy at all. Id’ bet he is not. Frank seems much happier and more balanced than him. I strive to be a more balanced person myself.
There is a time when you lose contact with reality. When you cannot enjoy the smell of a flower anymore, or the beauty of a sunset…you just are here physically but you are already somewhere else mentally. Always somewhere else. Never in the present. Never really being where you are. Never enjoying quality time. You have lost perspective. It is hard for you to laugh at yourself, and at how ridiculous things can be sometimes. You are too busy for that.
He feels he hasn’t learnt anything if he doesn’t sell his next company for more money than the last one. But with the next company he won’t be happy either, we all know that.
He only feels alive when he is working, because that disctracts him from the things he feels are wrong…it distracts him from the voice of the father critic inside him that whispers all the time behind his ear “you are not good enough”.
He is looking for fulfillment in the wrong places. The best thing that can happen to him is something that brings him back to reality fast. At the moment, the only thing that differentiates him from a robot are his biological functions.
There is a time to compete. There is a time to stop. There is a time just be, and love yourself and the people that loves you because you are you, not because you sold paypal for 1.X billion. And there is a time to appreciate your life, your health, the air you breath, the food you eat and the fact that the sun came up the horizon one more day.
In one hand I admire such a strong drive in a person, and this guy’s technical knowledge is clearly outstanding. But has he learn anything about life itself during his 33(?) years? I hope he does soon, otherwise he’ll end up like the many of our generation (I am 32)…extremely rich…extremely lonely…extremely empty.
I hope he changes before that happens and stop making wealthy and happy everyone around him…except himself.
Regards,
Javier Marti
Trendirama.com
***FS*** Excellent comment Javier.. thanks! Work to no-end is a disease.. an addiction.. It’s socially accepted because this particular disease allows others who have figured out life’s rubix-cube to get rich at the expense of the individual with the disease. The brokers, bankers, investors are the ones living life to the fullest while the disease sufferer toils for them.. There’s nothing cool or enviable about money you can’t spend. http://frankschilling.typepad.com/my_weblog/2007/03/why_theres.html
Great post, Javier.
Great post Javier.
I think one question to ask is “To what end?”. Sure it’s great to be an entrepreneur but to what end. Is it to create jobs, leave a legacy, serve customers in a new way? etc.
There is no one answer.
As Shakespeare says, “Above all else, to thine own self be true.”
Another question to ask is: “Does the end justify the means.” Take Bill Gates for example. Was it ok for him to destroy the competition to ultimately give back to society via his foundation?
Personally, I believe in utilitarian ethics, in which something is ethical if it is for the greater good.
Exactly… great post(s) by everyone…
But,
I still need to get in a position where I have these problem(s)…LOL
I get…(‘the struggling years’)
But…for some strange reason all your reply’s…come almost ‘naturally to me’.
Heres to…after…’the struggling years’
____
I am thinking…’Warren Buffet’…
I have no desire to live in Nebraska…but, if you ever watch the feature program thing on CNNBC about ‘Warren’…that’s a man… that always has two oars in the water. (talking ‘old school’)
Had one ‘re-model’ of his house…but has lived in the same house for 48+ years.
One share of his stock… is about 140k right now…but with all the ups and downs of the market this year…I think BH is up about 19% this year.
All said and done…he might not be considered an ‘new money entrepreneur’…
But if you are one…losing your compass…
His work ethic and his values…are not ‘old’.
Peace!
Dan