No purpose, no peace... Know purpose, know peace

I adapted this above heading from my Rabbi. Thank you Yossi - I was looking for some inspiration and there you were!

I have been so excited to start this new year. But not because of any particular project or venture, actually, the opposite!

I have always written about quality VS quantity, and this is what I am excited about - about saying NO more - about cutting down on a bunch of stuff and focusing on a few things. Last year I took on more than ever and I landed up having a very tough time because of it.

And with a re-focus comes the opportunity to make a further investment (ie, take some more risk) in a couple of things (rather than being spread thinly over too many things). As my mate Mannie said to me the other day "You never see a hearse towing a Venter trailer!" Yes, you can't take it with you.

This holiday period I was far away, in the snow, on my own, thinking about what the new year would bring. And I saw the light. Less is more! Fewer projects, better quality, and more focused risks.

I was reading in the paper now, about the perversion of capitalism. There was an article about speculators and get-rich-quick schemers who, the journalist wrote, have caused our capitalistic path to have become twisted.

I am a capitalist, and I am an entrepreneur. But I am not greedy or twisted and I have never been that money oriented. Sure, it is the end goal of any commercial venture to make money. And losing money is no fun. And what is even worse is when you invest and risk money and are drained at the same time. Not this new year though! This year we are going to have a lot more fun! And that will make all the diference!

Bring on 2009, bring on purpose, and bring on passion, and of course, people, but not as many as last year - this year we are going to focus, and it is going to be intense!

Ah, some peace - it is very welcome!

Posted by Ronnie Apteker