What Really Counts

I got this interesting bit of e-mail from a cyber friend, who sends me wonderful and thought-provoking forwarded Internet materials:

Do you know who in 1923 was the:

1) President of the largest steel company?
2) President of the largest gas company?
3) President of the New York stock exchange?
4) Greatest wheat speculator?
5) President of the Bank of International Settlement?
6) Great Bear of Wall Street?

According to the email, these men should be considered some of the world’s most successful men because at least, they found the secret to making money.

But today, more than 56 years later, they are virtually unknown. Do you know what has become of these men?

The e-mail reveals:

The President of the largest steel company, Charles Schwab, died a pauper
The President of the largest gas company, Richard Hopson, is insane
The President of NYSE, Richard Whitney, was released from prison to die at home
The greatest wheat speculator, Arthur Cooger, died abroad, penniless
The President of the Bank of International Settlement shot himself
The Great Bear of Wall Street, Cosabee Rivermore, committed suicide.

I cannot vouch for the accuracy of this information but one thing can be culled from it and related to our lives—you may be the hottest name in 2007 but will you still be remembered by people 56 years from today?

Will the priorities you concern yourself with still be significant?

Will your millions of money amount to anything if you were mean to your relatives and didn’t help others?

Whatever grand achievements you have made for yourself will one day be forgotten. What will be remembered are the good things you have done for others.

Great men are immortalized by their great deeds.