Dear Friends,
Chuck Feeney was the founder of the Duty Free Shoppers company in the United States.
During his lifetime he gave away all the excess money he made – over US$8 billion.
That’s around $12.5billion in Australian dollars.
(He gave over half a billion dollars to Australian medical researchers).
His last years were spent in a rented two bedroom unit in San Francisco.
At the time of his death over 340,000 Aussies had more money than Chuck (almost 2 million Aussies have net assets in excess of $1 million).
Hetty Green was no slouch when it came to business.
Over her lifetime she amassed over US$2.3 billion as one of Wall Street’s most astute sharebrokers.
That was 100 years before Chuck so in those days it was far more money!!
(I actually taught her investing philosophy at the Uni of New England).
But Hetty was different to Chuck….according to reports “….she sewed her own underwear, ate cheap and leftover food, and even delayed medical treatment for her own son’s broken leg, which resulted in an amputation.”.
When the city of New York was going bankrupt she ‘generously’ lent it $5.6 million – but at 6% interest.
The NAB Bank would have been proud of her.
She was famous for wearing the same black dress until it was worn out; and at one point she refused to have hot water installed “due to its cost”.
A poor woman sat by the side of the road selling oranges from her trees.
Five fresh oranges for a dollar.
A wealthy man came along and haggled to buy a bag of six for a dollar.
The poor woman shrugged and agreed for she needed to feed her family.
He then continued on his way to a splendid lunch where, with a flourish, he awarded the waiter a ten dollar tip…….
Chuck or Hetty – who would you prefer as a role model for living well?
Both were self-made. Both were extremely successful. Or maybe you prefer the wealthy man who bargained successfully for an extra orange?
Or maybe the poor lady, simply supporting her family as best she could? There is no ‘right’ answer.
There is only a yearning, deep within you this very moment, to be more real, more loving, more caring, more giving, more authentic…..
A yearning to be more of the GodLight you know you are within!
Go Be it!
Chuck did. So did Hetty. So do thousands of roadside fruit vendors…..
The world will be brighter, lighter, more loving, more caring because of you!
And you will be more fulfilled, more happy, more complete, too!
Blessings,
Peace Be Within You!
Les