This month's philosopher: Mark Whitcher, CEBS, WG’93
To learn more about Mark, click here.
LIFE LESSONS
When you are lying on your death bed, will you regret the things you actually did or the things you wanted to do and never did? I will not regret my failures, but I might regret the ambitions I never pursue.
If I knew then what I know now, I would have...
spent less money on things that depreciate and more money on experiences that last a lifetime. The key to life is happiness, but the key to happiness is defining what that is for yourself. If you don’t know what you’re looking for, you can’t find it. For me, happiness is waiting for me every time I get home.
If I knew then what I know now, I would NOT have...
left investment banking sooner to start my own firm.
FAVORITE QUOTES
- “There are three steps to succeeding:
1) decide what you want to accomplish, 2) determine the steps necessary to reach your goal, and 3) execute those steps. Most people can’t get past step one, but if you do all three, it is impossible to fail.” ~ My Dad - “There is pleasure in the pathless woods; there is rapture in the lonely shore; there is society where none intrudes; by the deep sea, and music in its roar; I love not Man the less, but Nature more.” ~ Lord Byron
- “There are four ways in which you can spend money. You can spend your own money on yourself. When you do that, why then you really watch out what you’re doing, and you try to get the most for your money. Then you can spend your own money on somebody else. For example, I buy a birthday present for someone. Well, then I’m not so careful about the content of the present, but I’m very careful about the cost. Then, I can spend somebody else’s money on myself. And if I spend somebody else’s money on myself, then I’m sure going to have a good lunch! Finally, I can spend somebody else’s money on somebody else. And if I spend somebody else’s money on somebody else, I’m not concerned about how much it is, and I’m not concerned about what I get. And that’s government. And that’s close to 40% of our national income.” ~ Milton Friedman
- “When you open yourself to the continually changing, impermanent, dynamic nature of your own being and of reality, you increase your capacity to love and care about other people and your capacity to not be afraid. You’re able to keep your eyes open, your heart open, and your mind open. And you notice when you get caught up in prejudice, bias, and aggression. You develop an enthusiasm for no longer watering those negative seeds, from now until the day you die. And, you begin to think of your life as offering endless opportunities to start to do things differently.”
~ Pema Chödrön - “My life has been full of terrible misfortunes, most of which never happened.” ~ Michel de Montaigne
RECOMMENDED READING
- Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson
- Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin 22 book series about the British Royal Navy by Patrick O’Brian
- The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith
Contact Mark at:
Chairman & CEO
KTP Advisors, Inc.
130 Bellevue Avenue
Newport, RI 02840
[email protected]
917.743.3800