Editor’s comment: Supposedly an article about investing and the economy, this turns out to be a great commentary on sociology. I will now subscribe to Morgan Housel or Motley Fool, whatever’s necessary because this cat has a point of view on human nature. Best article I’ve read in months, I hope you enjoy it too.

Editor’s Note: Thanks to my friend, Ron DiMattia for passing this on to me. It’s a little strident for my taste but the theme is so true. If we are to continue to gain on solving the world’s problems, non-profits must continue to learn to operate more like businesses. Spare me the extremes: I favor neither the current traditional model nor Gordon Gecko model…just a healthy recognition that business disciplines can help build mission sustainability.

Editor’s note: I hope you enjoy this holiday thought provoking article from Arthur Brooks in the New York Times Sunday Review. I smile every time I read, “there is nothing wrong with money, dude. The problem in life is attachment to money.” I think I’ve got that one down but now I have to work on his second big thought: “excessive usefulness.”  

Commencement Address

Editor’s comment: It seems appropriate that since my book of the month is one that departs from traditional economic theory, this article of the month should be of similar ilk. Thanks to my good friend, Carl Falb, for passing this along to me. Warsh’s writing is a bit rangy but absolutely fascinating to me in that he incorporates social as well as economic theory into his work.  Just the challenging of our measures and the implications of same makes this excerpt a fascinating read. For the entire text of this September 14th article, and much more, go to www.EconomicPrinciples.com.  

Editor’s Note: I know little about the non-profit "Search for Common Ground" but I'm sure going to find out more soon. This article of the month is a goodbye newsletter from the group's founder, John Marks. While self-congratulatory in parts, it seems a wonderful summary of learning about international social needs and change over the last 32 years. I'm grateful for the perspective Mr. Marks brings.

At a recent seminar I did on time management, I shared the idea of creating a “not to do” list that was taught to me many years ago. Yep, it’s just how it sounds: after you’ve done your “to do” list, make a little list (I do it monthly) of things you should no longer bother doing. You’ll be surprised how free your heart and your mind become, and therefore more powerful by committing yourself to focus on doing less, better. There’s much more in this great article by Ms. Illich which covers the power of mindfulness practice, a form of which (Vispassana) I’ve been doing since the mid-1990’s.   

Editor’s note: My friend, Jerry Danalchack has been working me through an author on the spiritual uses of the Enneagram, an ancient religious practice. When I bumped into Sandra Walston’s article, shown here, I noticed her use of the practice in business matches well to this month’s article. I’ve used personality tests for over thirty years in business, this may be the next one I try.

Editor’s Note: This article served as an amazing reminder for me as I slowly become CFO of our investment company. I’ve long admired our former CFO (now Chairman of our restaurant company) Jake Crocker for being extraordinarily selective. As I absorb what we already have in our collection of investments and consider what’s “at the door”, I think I’ll refer to this article often. The personal stuff referred to in the article feels like things my partners and I are aware of but can always do better at.

Editor's Note: Bill Shore has been a hero to me for over 25 years. Since its start, Share Our Strength has invested $376 million to food banks and emergency food assistance programs around the US. KaBOOM is a bit younger (1995) and does similar transformational work promoting health and exercise for the 16 million poor children in the USA. Together in this article from SSIR they give some great tips about how to build cause. It upsets me to now realize that our 16 million children living in poverty was less than 12 million only 13 years ago and yet during the same period the number of billionaires in the US went from 500 (worth about $1.8 trillion) in 2000 to 1,400 billionaires today who hold $5.4 trillion of our nation’s wealth. No wonder the movement to address the disparity of wealth is growing. A deep bow to the writers for leading those who fight for the voiceless in what appears sometimes to be a losing battle, but because of their work and others will always remain a noble cause.