Sunday, August 09, 2009

Profound short paragraph

Sent to me in an e-mail:

You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity by legislating the wealthy out of prosperity. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is the beginning of the end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it."

--Adrian Rogers, 1931

Friday, August 07, 2009

Why Ted Jones Didn’t Take Edward Jones Public

Ted Jones--the son of Edward D. Jones Sr., founder of the financial-services firm that bears his name--wrote the following response when questioned why he was not interested in taking Edward Jones public and becoming a multi-millionaire.

His rationale is a symbol of the company’s culture that still exists today.

- I am the richest man in America.

- I have a wife who loves me in spite of my faults.

- I have four dogs. Two love only me. One loves everybody. One loves no one, but still is very loyal and follows me everywhere I go on the farm.

- I have a horse I love to ride around the farm, and best of all she comes to me when I call her.

- I have too much to eat and a dry place to sleep.

- I enjoy my business.

- I love my farm and my home.

- I have a few close friends, and money has never been my God.

-- Edward "Ted" Jones 1925-1990