Wonderful post, Charles..please bear with me.

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A traveller is walking along a road in the hot noon-day sun.  He passes three laborers on the side of the road who are chopping up stones. The first worker looks frustrated, unhappy and distracted. The traveller asks him, “What are you doing?” The worker responds, “Cutting stones.”

The second worker seems content, despite the oppressive heat and demanding work. “What are you doing?” the traveller asks him. “I’m cutting stones to make money to support my family,” he says.

The third stonecutter appears truly engaged, connected to his work, happy. He appears intentional and purposeful, focused. His work seems meaningful. The traveller asks him, “What are you doing?” In a strong,  proud voice he replies, “I’m building a cathedral.”

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Alex seems to me, the third laborer. His colleagues fall into the 1st or 2nd category.

Happiness, even happiness at work, for me, is  all about purpose and meaning. It's about seeing relationships as a part of the equation.

I would assume that perhaps Alex's colleages come from a perspective of "Hey, this is a business...there's no time for the 'personal'."

For me, true engagement, happiness and satisfaction with life at work is a function of the level of consciousness with which one approaches work. I see Alex as coming from a heart-felt place as much as a head place. Thus, his "take" on approaching work from this more wholistic place. Chopping stones or building Cathedrals--life, even life at work, is choices. Much of our happiness and satisfaction is a function of our choices.

Thanks for the stories Charles and Peter. Yours might be dismissed as Pollyanish, home-spun wisdom, popular at holiday time. But I think that, particularly in this ever more cut-throat competitive world, they actually reflect a key to success. I'm reminded, too, of the story Stone Soup, in one of my elder daughter's books, (http://www.storybin.com/
sponsor/sponsor116.shtml)

Steve LeVine, author
The Oil and the Glory (Random House)
http://www.oilandglory.com

11-23-2007

Dear Charlie,

Alex reminds me both of Pascal’s point that, "The heart has its reasons of which reason knows nothing" and Einstein’s that "Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." Ale&xrsquo;s colleagues should ponder both.

Thank you, Charlie!

His colleagues simply can’t see the power of the value he gives his clients through his selflessness and his genuine passion for his work. His eagerness to educate a 19 year old about investing, to make a meaningful referral to another trusted professional for a client in pain, and to focus on his clients’ overall happiness will always set him apart from his colleagues who measure their success only by this month’s paycheck. Wouldn’t we all dream of having a mechanic, physician, accountant, insurance agent, and business consultant like Alex?

A really good post, Charles.  I have found the same thing to be true in my consulting practice...

When you focus on relationships, people notice and you can make more money doing it.

I have found some of the greatest referrals from some of the most unlikely people in the world (people I should not have given my time to, financially speaking).

Thanks, Jason M. Blumer

Great stories - Alex is certrainly a good peson and a good example for all in busienss; teh cathedral creator is a great yardstick - if you are just cutting stones, maybe it's time to find a new business/job/whatever.

I also use Alex's approach in terms of networking. I collect as many business cards as is feasible and listen to people's stories. When I find something that may be of use/value to that person, I send it to them. Many have never been clients, but they may end up as clients or refer me clients - and either way, I feel good for helping them.