Daily Inspiration 1-3-11

"Today people who hold cash equivalents feel comfortable.

They shouldn't. They have opted for a terrible long-term

asset, one that pays virtually nothing and is certain

to depreciate in value."

-- Warren Buffett

When I read this quote by Warren Buffett several days ago, I wrote a note next to it meaning to come back to it later. The note was this: same way I feel about a job.

I love working, doing things, thinking, solving problems, creating, interacting. It's the juice of life to me. To me, a job--or at least all the ones I've had in the past--are restricting to the point that I am bored. Even the best jobs I've ever had were boring quickly enough to me, and only because of the restrictions that inevitably enter into the equation. Call them controls, parameters, rules, whatever--they are all restrictions and some are just more so than others.

Indeed, virtually every job I've had since 1975 has been in management, and if anyone who thinks management is better in respect to controls or restrictions, they will have to think again. In fact, I might even think that some were far worse. Of course, those didn't last long with me. The ones that lasted, gave me more rope, but eventually, it all came back to restrictions that left me cold and weary.

Yet, I see others who love the parameters, or at least survive them nicely because they focus on the cash equivalent. They see $X for X hours = pay. They see extra work as needing to be adequately compensated and they are as focused on the time away as any time at work. They are employees. This is okay. We can't have everyone running around being in business without employees doing work. No sir.

I tried that employee thing for a lot of years, but mainly I was stuck in the thinking that being the manager gave me control instead of the other way around. I was a slow learner on that aspect, and so kept trying to make it work by finding a better, more apt employer. I didn't find them. A couple were exciting and seemed like it for a good while, but then something would change and . . . well, there you go.

So, now I'm in the world of investors I suppose. Risk-takers. Crazy people. This is not a short-term investment either. Now, I'll get to see how many controls I can come up with. I'm not evening the score mind you, just playing with the power. . .

There's Nothing Quite Like Taking It Out For A Spin On Your Own . . .

Spread Some Joy Today--There is nothing at all that is important enough for you or anyone else to not have an enjoyable day. Nothing.