There are a lot things going on in the world right now. Obama’s inauguration (a great speech), the crazy financial situation around the world and people experiencing highs and lows. I found this article from John Maxwell’s leadership newsletter particularly interesting. It puts into perspective that old adage that ‘money does not buy happiness’, something many people will need to remember over the coming period.

Distraught over massive financial losses incurred during the past year, Adolf Merckle scrawled a suicide note to his family and wandered out the door into a dark, wintry night. He made his way for the railway where he stood by the tracks and waited in the cold. Spotting the headlight of an oncoming railcar, he threw himself under the train and took leave of this world.

As tragic as the suicide was, it would not have received worldwide press apart from one shocking fact: Adolf Merckle was valued at 9.2 billion dollars, ranking 94th on Forbes 2008 list of the world’s richest persons.

It can be hard to fathom the extent of Mr. Merckle’s wealth, a billion dollars being such a staggering sum. Think of it this way, 9,000 people could each win a million dollars in the lottery, pool their money together, and still have less money than Mr. Merckle was worth. Or, the entire nation of Haiti (8.5 million people) could work for two and a half years without accumulating income equal to Mr. Merckle’s portfolio.

The author provides two pieces of advice; remember to thank people for their great work (because it can just get so busy that we forget) and avoid selective hearing – continue to appraise the situation and adjust. He closes with one last line:

Like a mountaineer, you may be enduring a rocky, uphill stretch. If so, keep fighting to gain perspective. Hard work and persistence seldom go unrewarded, and they often carry you to a glorious destination.

So true, PRESS ON.