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Balance Sheet of Life (Thomas J. Watson)

Thomas J. Watson, founder of IBM, didn't believe the road to happiness and success was all that complicated. In fact, he often listed their components in balance sheet format.

"Liabilities:

Reactionary Ideas! Love of money! Unwholesome companions! Lax character! Lack of love for others! False Friends

Assets

Vision Unselfishness Love Good Character Good manners Friendship (Real)"(1)

To Watson Sr., life was like a balance sheet. And in life, as in business, building assets and reducing liabilities makes for good progress.

(1)Thomas J. Watson Jr. and Peter Petre, Father Son & Co., My Life at IBM and Beyond (New York: Bantam Books, 1990), p. 50-51.