Warren Buffett’s top advice for a successful life
Warren Buffett has written that he will no longer write the letters accompanying his firm Berkshire Hathaway’s annual reports and will no longer ask questions at the company’s annual shareholders meeting. Letter published on Monday.
“As the British say, ‘I am thirsty’,” he wrote. “Sort of.”
Even after Greg Abel takes over as Berkshire CEO at the end of the year, Buffett will continue to share his Thanksgiving message with shareholders and anyone interested in reading.
Interest will undoubtedly be abundant. Over 95 years, Buffett has built a reputation not only as a legendary investor, but also as someone who knows the secrets to living a better life.
In his latest letter, Buffett assured fans that, looking back, they still have time to do and get what they want.
“I am happy to say that I feel better in the second half of my life than in the first,” he wrote. “My advice: Don’t beat yourself up over your past mistakes; learn at least a little from them and move on. It’s never too late to improve.”
Buffett’s tips for living well
Buffett mentioned one of his own in his letter: Long-standing life advice: Consider your legacy and work backwards.
Buffett recalled the story of Alfred Nobel, who reportedly read a mistakenly printed obituary and was horrified by what he saw. This move, Buffett wrote, prompted him to “change his behavior” – Nobel, previously famous for inventing dynamite, among other things, now became associated with the prize that bears his name.
“Don’t rely on newsroom confusion: Decide what you want your obituary to say and live life to deserve it,” Buffett wrote.
One way, Buffett said, is to imitate the people you admire most: “Choose your heroes very carefully and then imitate them. You’ll never be perfect, but you can always get better,” he wrote.
Another way is to refocus on your ambitions.
“Greatness does not come from amassing large amounts of money, large amounts of publicity, or great power in government,” Buffett wrote. “When you help someone in a thousand ways, you help the world. Kindness has no cost, but it is also priceless.”
Whatever your motives, Buffett wrote, you’re unlikely to go wrong by following the “golden rule” of treating other people, regardless of their position, the way you want to be treated.
“Remember that the cleaning lady is as human as the President,” he wrote.
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