Be Different, "Don’t Chase Money"

I came across a wonderful site, (Robert) Sonneman A Way Of Light. "Robert Sonneman pioneered modern lighting making it an art form. World renowned and acclaimed for clean lines and alliance to form and function, his world famous award winning designs have been at the forefront of the design world for over four decades. Robert introduced sleek, new functionalist lighting designs in the 60s and 70s that have become classics of the modern era."

He recently wrote the following message, "Don’t chase money. Create something of value and let money chase you." I liked it so much that I'm reprinting it here:

In a society that values money above ability and respects wealth above talent it is no wonder that making things well became less revered and less aspirational to succeeding generations.

Acquisition is the idol that we worship at the alter of capitalism. But often those who have attained most are left empty by the process because the value created is only the sum of their positions.

Respect and self esteem are powerful motivators which we derive from the gratification of the process and the product of our work. I believe that it is more satisfying for wealth to be attained through the effort of creating something of intrinsic value that we feel good about and take pride in, as opposed to simply manipulating a system to our numerical advantage.

Generations have worked with pride at various trades and crafts passing down acquired skills as their legacy to those who followed. It was the natural order of survival and the university for the young who followed the old. With the knowledge of a craft well learned came the pride of a job well done and the gratification that comes with creating value from ones personal effort.

What I would say to the young is: Don’t chase money. Create something of value and let money chase you.

Find something that love to do and do it well. Allow your passion to drive your ambition. It will become your life’s work and your identity. Money comes and goes. It is good to have but in the ups and downs of life, for most of us, the passion for doing what we love and believe in survives the ebb and flow of financial fortune.