I was at a meeting tonight at my church where we discussed starting a new Saturday night service. As we discussed some possibilities, one of the things that came out was designing a service around needs that weren’t be met in other more traditional churches or services. One idea explored was to survery a few people, try some different things, and invite people at some level to give input on creating an experience that would keep them coming back. In that spirit, I’d like to hear from some of you including ”lurkers” who read but NEVER comment on this blog. You know who you are and it’s time to come out of the closet! If you don’t think you are a lurker ask yourself if you have been to the site more than once but you haven’t commented. If that is you, now is your time. What would you like me write about in this blog that fits under the theme of living rich? Would you like personal stories of people living rich in the ways that matter? How about some video clips? or more pictures? A little humor thrown in for good measure? Exerts from my upcoming book? What? Tell me, tell me!

Two more comments: 

 2) I j heard about a new social networking site for charities and charitably inclined individuals. Check it out at IsThereSomethingICanDo.com. It was started by Akon and Peter Buffett, son of Richest Man in America Warren Buffett. Looks like it’s worth a look…even for a lurker!

Tim Richardson is an inspirational speaker who speaks about how giving increases employee morale, lowers employee turnover, increases customer loyalty and creates higher profits for Fortune 500 companies, associations, and national conventions. He is the founder of the The Worlds Biggest Blog Party an event which will connect bloggers from all over the world to raise money for charity. He is also founder and president of the Bill Walter Melanoma Research Fund and co-founder of the Jeffrey Roth Cycling Foundation. Click here for more information on professional speaker Tim Richardson.

At 6:00 pm on September 20th, Forbes magazine will release their annual 400 Richest People in America list. The usual names you’ve seen the past few years. One name you won’t see on Forbes list is Ed Payne who has multiple sclerosis though he has never allowed it to deter him from improving the lives of others. Payne has worked tirelessly to help others who suffer from MS for nearly 40 years. Payne helped put Fairfield County on the map for having the largest MS Walk Team in Ohio, generating more than $400,000 for the National MS Society. He and his wife Cheryl even serve as co-chairs of the Lancaster MS Walk. Payne was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1963, but he’s never let his own struggles stop him from doing things for others, according to his wife, Cheryl Payne. Ed said he missed being around people after he retired as a doctor in 1994. He decided to volunteer full-time at the Fairfield Center for Disabilities and Cerebral Palsy. Now he gets to meet people every day. That’s why he’ll never stop volunteering as long as he’s healthy enough. He has no use of his upper leg muscles,” Cheryl said. “It makes it difficult for him to even get around from the bedroom to the kitchen. But he would never tell me that. He would never tell you that. But you know that it is.” Cheryl has not heard Ed complain during the 40 years they’ve been married. It makes her feel a little guilty about complaining when she’s sick. But she’s proud of him for it. Doctors told Ed’s mother he should drop out of Ohio University in Athens when he was a student after he was diagnosed with MS. She refused to tell her son because she wanted him to achieve his goal of becoming a doctor, Ed said. Ed went on to become a radiologist and later a community activist and volunteer after graduating from OU. That’s rich!

Tim Richardson is an inspirational speaker who speaks about how giving increases employee morale, lowers employee turnover, increases customer loyalty and creates higher profits for Fortune 500 companies, associations, and national conventions. He is the founder of the The Worlds Biggest Blog Party an event which will connect bloggers from all over the world to raise money for charity. He is also founder and president of the Bill Walter Melanoma Research Fund. For more information on Tim, go to www.TimRichardson.com

Someone emailed to tell me they had read my Richest People in America list on reddit which, by the way, is a work in progress. I am using Forbes release last week as the beginning of a project to find 400 of the REAL Richest People in America by September when they will release their 400 Richest Americans list. When I first thought about doing this, I must confess I had some conflicting thoughts. Questions popped into my mind like “Would people give credence to a list created by individual?” and “How do you quantity a list in a world that likes metrics?” Rather than over analyze each of those questions and wait until I had a established a very methodical process for finding RICH people, I decided to just do it and make it a work in progress. After all, finished is better than perfect. I felt that since no one (that I can see) is offering an alternative to Forbes list, it needed to be done. Also, how can one measure the impact giving has on the world? Who’s to say that dramatically changing the economic opportunities in one small village or town isn’t as important as a philanthropist who gives away millions? I knew there would be people who would think it was great and I am thankful for that. I also knew that there would be many who would be critical. But I also know this, if you do nothing, people will be critical. It’s human nature. All I am attempting is to use my voice both as a professional speaker and writer to call attention to all kinds of people and businesses who use their passion to make a difference. If people start thinking deeper about the issues and what it means to be rich, that is a start. I welcome the responses both supportive and challenging. It makes me think deeper too.

I took a few comments I saw on Reddit and posted below.
“I get it. They are rich in heart.”

“You are as rich as you choose to be. If you are happy with what you have and don’t need to take from others to maintain that state, then you are as rich as Bill Gates.”

“In the end, if there is an item that the really rich people have, it is time, not money. I’ve often felt sorry for the people I see running around with pinched faces on Bay Street in Toronto, they didn’t have time, nor will they have it ever less they suddenly reject everything that keeps them running around like that.”

“It’s funny that pirates were always going around searching for treasure, and they never realized that the real treasure was the fond memories they were creating.”

“Before actually clicking the link, I mocked the title as something that would have some sappy dog orphanage stories on it, but then when I actually saw what it was, I was shocked to see that it was just that! I am all for volunteering (I volunteer every week at the local food not bombs), but it doesn’t make you the richest person in America.”

“It’s nice to see something inspiring and heartwarming on reddit for a change.”

“Very inspiring stories… thank you for posting the link!”

“Do-gooders.

“Berkshire has said that it lost about $3.4 billion to hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma during 2005. $3.4 billion. Of course, it didn’t really “lose” the money, but rather upheld it’s end of the deal that all insurance companies make. Adam Smith is alive and well–and I think that you’ll find many, not all, but many people with a charitable mindset are indulging in a form of self-therapy, or are enjoying cushy administrative sinecures (at large orgs, like the Red Cross), but without the pressures of the competitive world.”

Tim Richardson is an inspirational speaker who speaks about how giving increases employee morale, lowers employee turnover, increases customer loyalty and creates higher profits for Fortune 500 companies, associations, and national conventions. He is the founder of the The Worlds Biggest Blog Party an event which will connect bloggers from all over the world to raise money for charity. He is also founder and president of the Bill Walter Melanoma Research Fund. For more information on Tim, go to www.TimRichardson.com

The Secret is out and no I am not taking about the popular movie that EVERYONE is talking about (and I promised to weigh in on as well!)

The secret I am talking about is no longer a secret: The names and highly personal information of those who are on Forbes billionaires list - 946 of them! According to Forbes, two-thirds of last year’s billionaires are richer but only 17% are poorer, including 32 who fell below the billion-dollar mark (I feel their pain). It’s also no secret that you can find out about everything you could possible want about the mega-wealthy.

If one had the time, interest and inclination, a billion hours could be spent reading about:

A Bad Billionaire Boy
The Best Billionaire Cars
Billionaires Bachelors
Billionaire Babes
Billionaire Blunders
Young Billionaires
Old Billionaires
Dead Billionaires
Billionaire Bill (Gates)
Billionaire (Warren) Buffett
Billionaire Bernard (Arnault )
Billionaire (Liliane) Bettencourt
Billionaire Bunk Beds
Billionaire Beanie Babies
Billionaire Big Bacon Burgers
Billionaire Beavis and Bu…

(Okay, I may a few of those up but not many).

Welcome to another addition of America’s fascination with money (and we are doing a great job of spreading the word to the world that people with money are to be worshipped). It’s all at the finger tips of Forbes readers and internet junkies who can further invade the life style of people who already live in glass houses. In my opinion, entirely too much emphasis is placed on material wealth and not enough on the wealth and richness that matters. Let’s add into the mix recent news stories about big bickering on American Idol, betting on Anna Nicole Smith’s baby’s biological parent, big buckets in basketball (college coaches salaries in Today’s USA today and Kobe Bryant’s loss of big bucks for bopping a guy) and finally the ongoing battles of bald, big baby, BVD-less, Britney Spears.

I have had ENOUGH! I think I am going to need about a Billion Barf Bags before bed.

But I just may bang more B’s berating big billionaires besides Buffet, Bill and the e-bay boy.

Beware …

Tim Richardson is an inspirational speaker who speaks about how giving increases employee morale, lowers employee turnover, increases customer loyalty and creates higher profits for Fortune 500 companies, associations, and national conventions. He is the founder of the The Worlds Biggest Blog Party an event which will connect bloggers from all over the world to raise money for charity. He is also founder and president of the Bill Walter Melanoma Research Fund. For more information on Tim, go to www.TimRichardson.com