Well, that title is going to irk some people. Actually, I can’t claim to have thought it up. No, a friend in Madrid sent a link to this post on a Chilean site called PilarSordo, written by Armando Fuentes Aguirre. The title
is“Hay Gente Pobre, Pero Tan Pobre, que lo Único Que Tiene es…Dinero,” which translates to there are poor people, but so poor, that the only thing they have is money. Given that in 2006 Chile had the highest GDP per capital in Latin America and the Global Competitiveness Report for 2009-2010 ranked the country at 30th most competitive in the world, I thought Aguirre might have something interesting to say.
He began by complaining (in jest) that Fortune Magazine hadn’t included him in its list of the wealthiest people on the planet along with Queen Elizabeth and Mexican entrepreneur Carlos Slim. He began listing all the things he did have including family, editors who correct all his errors, a home, tons of books, an apple orchard, a dog, good eyes and ears…and the list goes on. He ends by wondering why money is the only criterion for selection to Fortune’s list. “Could I have more riches than I already have?” he conjectures.
I loved the article (if you don’t speak Spanish, Google will translate for you ;) We often celebrate the successes of entrepreneurs in terms of the amount of money they made when they went public or sold their companies. But, I bet if you asked any one of them how important that money was to their happiness or whether money was even the reason they started the business in the first place, you’d be in for a surprise. It has been my experience as an entrepreneur and with the entrepreneurs I’ve worked with that money is far down the food chain as a reason for starting a business. Research supports the notion that entrepreneurs start businesses for other reasons like independence, passion for an idea, and the need to control their life.
If you’re in the process of starting a business, ask yourself why you’re doing this. If it’s simply for the dream that you’ll make a lot of money, think again. Happiness and satisfaction are about much more than money. But, guess what? If you’re passionate about what you’re doing and you put your whole heart into, chances are you’ll also make a lot of money, even if it isn’t—and shouldn’t be—the most important part of your wealth.
