CONDITIONAL UNCONDITIONAL SUPPORT

"If you are not too long, I will wait here for you all my life."

Oscar Wilde, 19th century Irish poet/dramatist.

There are those who will be there for you when you need them, just not all who say they will, every time.

Be certain who will before you need them to be.

TIME ENOUGH

"The future is something which everyone reaches at the rate of 60 minutes an hour, whatever he does, whoever he is."

C. L. Lewis, 20th century British novelist.

So the question you need to answer is, how will you spend each of those 60 minutes?

Time enough depending on what you do with them.

JUST IN CASE . . .

"I've got all the money I'll ever need, if I die by four o'clock."

Henny Youngman, 20th century American comedian.

I suspect Mr. Youngman passed with money enough to last well beyond the afternoon referenced in his joke.

Unfortunately that's not true for many and for them this is no joke.

No matter how well off you feel today there is good reason to plan for a day you're not.

Make all the money you can, saving more than you think you'll ever need.

A TERRIBLE WASTE

"Waste is worse than loss. The time is coming when every person who lays claim to ability, will keep the question of waste before him constantly. The scope of thrift is limitless."

Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931) American inventor.

I would hope so while not believing the "time" Mr. Edison refers to actually is coming.

Not yet anyway.

We live in a wasteful time and society, which is, itself, a terrible waste.

CAN YOU NOT REALLY LIVE WITHOUT . . .

"It happens as one sees in cages: the birds who are outside despair of ever getting in, and those within are equally desirous of getting out."

Montaigne (1533-1592) French philosopher/essayist.

So many of our "must haves" are quickly cast aside in favor of new "must haves".

Are there ever fewer?

How's your list of "things I don't need"?

MORE THAN YOU BORROW IS WHAT YOU WILL OWE

"Do not accustom yourself to consider debt only as an inconvenience. You will find it a calamity."

Samuel Johnson (1709-1784) British author.

You know the saying, "You have to spend money to make money"?

True, but make sure it's your money you're spending.

(And yes I'm talking about you too government.)

WHAT IS NOT WHAT YOU WISH WAS

"Everything you need you already have."

Wayne Dyer (1940-?) American psychotherapist/author/lecturer.

Worry about what you think you need and don't have when (if) the day comes when (if) you find you absolutely can do no more with only what you have.

And keep in mind, we're talking needs not wants.

WHOSE RESPONSIBILITY ARE YOU?

"The mould of a man's fortune is in his own hands."

Francis Bacon (1561-1626) British statesman/philosopher.

You may not have had the best opportunities in life or what you see as luck enjoyed by others.

Too bad.

You have what you have, which includes whatever is left of your life; are you really willing to cast that aside, in effect to quit, because you believe you weren't given enough?

If so, really too bad.

WASTED RESOURCES YOU DON'T HAVE TO WASTE

"In politics the middle way is none at all."

John Adams (1735-1826) Second President of the United States.

"Politics" in business is a different sort.

It is the often not so subtle maneuvering to gain advantage over those we should view as allies: our coworkers.

Note to CEO's: You can't stop it; office politics is all pervasive. However do everything in your power to stop it.

It is wasted resources that should be directed toward your customers and competition.

NOT WHAT YOU HAVE BUT WHAT YOU DO WITH IT

"Riches do not consist in the possession of treasures, but in the use made of them."

Napoleon I (1769-1821) Napoleon Bonaparte, French general

You can have intelligence, education, experience, personality, wealth, etc., but if you don't do something with it there is no value.

MAKE DO

"Arrange whatever pieces come your way."

Virginia Woolf (1882-1941) British novelist/essayist

She's talking about opportunity and the need to do the best with what you have.

REQUEST DENIED

"Although they posses enough, and more than enough, still they yearn for more."

Ovid (BC 43-AD 18) Roman poet

Sounds like Ovid might have been a CFO, reacting to his company's budget requests.

There's only so much, it's never enough; the trick is to allocate what are always limited resources.

How do you do that?

DO YOU SEE?

"A wise man sees as much as he ought, not as much as he can."

Montaigne (1533-1592) French philosopher/essayist

If this isn't entirely clear think of it this way.

A wise person will only eat what they need, not as much as they can.

Too much always is.

I MUST HAVE . . .

"Nothing has more strength than dire necessity."

Euripides (BC 480-BC 406) Greek tragic poet

Okay, but what is "necessity"?

The next time you find yourself lobbying for "necessary" resources, put yourself in the place of the person who must decide whether or not you will get them.

There's only so much to go around, which is often much less than what is requested.

Maybe you can make do with what you have.

FOCUS!

"Sir, a man may be so much of everything, that he is nothing of anything."

Samuel Johnson

18th century British author

The Army has a name for what a lot of today's companies call product development.

Recon by fire: Just keep shooting until you hit something.

Whatever else it may be it isn't efficient.

Can you afford it?

WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?

"Reading is equivalent to thinking with someone else's head instead of with one's own."

Arthur Schopenhauer 

Late 18th.early 19th century German philosopher

While specific to reading I believe the thought ("thinking with someone else's head") is valid beyond just what we read.

It is something we all should strive to do more often.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN NEED AND WANT

"He is not poor that hath not much, but he that craves much."

Thomas Fuller

17th century British clergyman/author

To a point.

I find having and attempting to achieve goals to be helpful keeping me moving forward.

But you have to find balance between what you have and what you'd like to have.

NEED WHAT YOU WANT

"Fact I know; and Law I know; but what is this Necessity, save an empty shadow of my own mind's throwing?"

Thomas H. Huxley

19th century English biologist

A fine line between need and want.

Try not to cross it unknowingly.

What I Will, What I Won't

"All philosophy lies in two words, sustain and abstain."

Epictetus

1st century Greek philosopher

The trick is to know what you will abstain from, what you will work to sustain.

The choice is not always clear but is often difficult.

It's Only (Their) Money

"When the well's dry, they know the worth of water."

Unknown

As an employee, how often (do) you think about the limitation of company resources available to support you all?

You should, every day.