Much has been written about Warren Buffet's uncanny financial prowess  and legendary wealth, but there is another side about him that doesn't usually attract as much attention. 52 year old Peter Buffet, youngest child of Warren, was recently featured in an article in Bloomberg, following the publication of Peter's new book:

"Most of that wealth, valued by Forbes at US$47 billion, will go to charity after he (Warren Buffet) dies. His children will be left with a legacy of ethics and independence that Peter, 51 says in a new book, is worth more than the cash."

"It is not about stuff, it's not about accumulation or the bling, it's about loving your life and doing something for the world around you and not just for personal gain. Those are the values my parents had."

"(Warren) Buffet owns a quarter of Berkshire and is its chairman & chief executive officer, making US$100,000 salary. He has not had a raise in more than a quarter-century"

"Peter decries the corruption, emptiness and bad parenting that often accompany great wealth. In contrast, he says that from his early 20's, he was forced by his father's design to live on a budget and find a career."

"His 'family inheritance' of about US$90,000 in Berkshire shares which he got at age 19, was no more than enough to quit Stanford University and get a start in music. 'It was understood that I should expect nothing more,' he said in the book. 'I used my nest egg to buy something infinitely more valuable than money: I used it to buy time."

You may think that with a last name like his, Buffett has enjoyed a life of endless privilege. But the son of billionaire investor Warren Buffett says that the only real inheritance handed down from his parents was a philosophy: Forge your own path in life. It is a creed that has allowed him to follow his own passions, establish his own identity, and reap his own successes.

In his book, Buffett observes, how today’s society has begun to replace a work ethic, relishing what you do, with a wealth ethic, honoring the payoff instead of the process. We confuse privilege with material accumulation, character with external validation. Yet, by focusing more on substance and less on reward, we can open doors of opportunity and strive toward a greater sense of fulfillment. In clear and concise terms, Buffett reveals a great truth: Life is random, neither fair nor unfair.

From there it becomes easy to recognize the equal dignity and value of every human life—our circumstances may vary but our essences do not. We see that our journey in life rarely follows a straight line but is often met with false starts, crises, and blunders. How we push through and persevere in these challenging moments is where we begin to create the life of our dreams—from discovering our vocations to living out our bliss to giving back to others.

Warren Buffet's financial successes will never outweigh or outlive the human legacy he has imparted so astutely to his children, and underscores the value of meaningful parenting we should all aspire towards.

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

Invictus, William Ernest Henley 

Reflections.......

"It is not so difficult to see that, in our particular world, we all have a strong desire to accomplish something. Some of us think in terms of great dramatic changes in the structure of our society. Others want at least to build a house, write a book, invent a machine, or win a trophy. And some of us seem to be content when we just do something worthwhile for someone. But practically all of us think about ourselves in terms of our contribution to life. And when we have become old, much of our feelings of happiness or sadness depend on our evaluation of the part we played in giving shape to our world and its history....... But although the desire to be useful can be a sign of mental and spiritual health in our goal-orientated society, it can also become the source of a paralyzing lack of self-esteem. More often than not, we not only desire to do meaningful things, but we often make the results of our work the criteria of our self-esteem. And then we not only have successes, we become our successes....... When we start being too impressed by the results of our work, we slowly come to the erroneous conviction that life is one large scoreboard where someone is listing the points to measure our worth. And before we are fully aware of it, we have sold our soul to the many grade-givers. That means we are not only in the world, but of the world. Then we become what the world makes us. We are intelligent because someone gives us a high grade. We are helpful because someone says thanks. We are likable because someone likes us. And we are important because someone considers us indispensable. In short, we are worthwhile because we have successes. And the more we allow our accomplishments- the results of our actions- to become the criteria of our self-esteem, the more we are going to walk on our mental and spiritual toes, never sure if we will be able to live up to the expectations which we created by our last successes. In many people's lives, there is a nearly diabolical chain in which their anxieties grow according to their successes....... In this success- orientated world, our lives become more and more dominated by superlatives. We brag about the highest tower, the fastest runner, the tallest man, the longest bridge, and the best student....... But underneath all our emphasis on successful action, many of us suffer from a deep-seated, low self-esteem and are walking around with the constant fear that someday someone will unmask the illusion and show that we are not as smart, as good, or as lovable as the world was made to believe.......This nagging self-doubt is the basis of so much depression in the lives of many people who are struggling in our competitive society. Moreover, this corroding fear for the discovery of our weaknesses prevents community and creative sharing. When we have sold our identity to the judges of the world, we are bound to become restless because of a growing need for affirmation and praise. Indeed, we are tempted to become low-hearted because of a constant self-rejection. And we are in serious danger of becoming isolated, since friendship and love are impossible without a mutual vulnerability....... And so, when our actions have become more an expression of fear than of inner freedom, we easily become the prisoners of our self-created illusions."
-Out of Solitude, Henri J M Nouwen