From time to time, in the midst of the beatdown-that-can-be-a-startup, I like to muse on “some day” when the hustle has reached fruition and the bank account overflows and millions have been lifted up by LIGHTHOUSE to lead happier more thriving lives.
Somedays my mind goes to easy things like paying for everyone’s college, or lifetime 50-yard Superbowl tickets, or sending Cousin Steve a Lamborghini and ten years of insurance money. Other days the mind wanders to making my way between homes in New York, Paris, The Hamptons, somewhere warm and beautiful and maybe Park City.
Today I am reinvigorated by one of my favorite non-one-off aspirations for an abundant life. Many of my peers go into “angel investing”, tossing around $30K-$100K on projects they are excited about, placing a lot of bets like a micro-micro-VC. I think a good chunk of that is so that they can say “I do a little investing” as a way to signal “I’ve made some money” in a shorthand way that driving the latest Tesla used to do. That doesn’t interest me very much. I’m committed to becoming a “fixer” of everyday problems that come with unexpected outsized expenses. Last year I was picking up pizzas for the baseball team and the late-teen/early 20s dude behind the counter had such an incredibly fucked up set teeth in his head, that it HAS to be the first thing anyone notices — putting some cap on his livelihood and most likely self-esteem. Over the weekend I saw a Mom with three kids and just a big dent in the side of her minivan with at least six months of dust-soon-to-be-rust growing in the scratches. In my future life of abundance I want to walk up to them and give them a card with a phone number on it for them to call. I want to connect them with “my mechanic” who will fix their car for free. I want to set with up with my dentist/orthodontist who will help them reinvent their smile. It’s easy to want to add a layer of “pay it forward” on the recipient, but that feels like a string, and I want “no strings” giving. I think my only ask will be “don’t tell anyone anything about me that might help people figure out who I am”. I can’t keep them from telling their friends or family, but I aspire to simple anonymity. I’m still missing a name for my effort. “One Rule Giving” seems a little too ominous. I’m trying to think of a name that captures the obligation of society to give, or how shared burdens are lighter…I don’t know. Maybe some reference to St. X and their “men for others” theme and the Long Blue Line of alums. I wonder if there is a way to involve the St. X Alums to increase the reach.
With that, I am pumped up to dive into a work block that I have been dreading, but will now crush with power and focus.