Lessons from "Wall Street"

Wow!

I apologize to all of my readers for not posting at all in the last month. I have no excuse for it. I failed to honor my word. In the future, starting 1 January 2008, I will have blogging formally integrated into my weekly schedule. I am planning 2, maybe 3, 90 minute sessions per week where I only work on getting caught up on my blog writing and reading.

So in the last month, I went out and picked up the twentieth anniversary edition DVD of Wall Street. The more I watch this movie (again), the more I love it. The special features really tie it all together and are great in their own right. However, at the core, the movie is still pure perfection, even 20 years later. (While I was 12 when it came out and first saw it on cable when I was 13, I was already into investing and finance as a hobby by the time I did.)

"And if you need a friend, get a dog." -- Gordon Gekko, Wall Street

I don't like dogs, but I have seriously been considering getting one. The urge gets stronger every time I hear that line. Why? Because I have a vision in my mind that grows clearer daily, a vision of where I plan to take my life. Every time I watch Wall Street, and that has been almost every day since 17 December, the vision solidifies a bit more. And it looks like it may require me to ditch some of the people in my life, which I don't really want to do, but they're no longer supportive of me or my goals. I do like friends and my inner circle will remain, I'm sure, but there will be a clearing for a pet (much like the WASPs Gekko mentions to Bud Fox in the sauna). I can feel it in my bones.

Now, I'm very clear that Gordon Gekko is "the bad guy". However, I think the movie is instructional in other ways, besides promoting unbridled greed. Commitment. Drive. Persistence. Pushing yourself beyond your perceived limits. Being prepared. Knowing exactly what your goal is. Basic ideas, but the very ideas I've been grappling with for the bulk of this calendar year. This is what I see when I watch this movie. These all transcend the notion of intent; how you direct this energy is your choice, but being successful in any arena requires directing that energy at some goal. This movie is a classic, and it gets better every time I watch it.

Anyway, its time for me to go. I'll have a new post tomorrow about a great meeting I had earlier today. This meeting re-inspired me with regard to my blogging. And like Wall Street, it has helped focus my mind on my goals. 2008 is right around the corner. Its time to get ready!

"Money never sleeps, pal." -- Gordon Gekko

Until next time...