One of entrepreneur Dick Gunther's first lessons in philanthropy came at an age before he was able to understand what he had witnessed."One of my only memories of the Great Depression was when I was five years old," Mr. Gunther. "I remember a nicely dressed man coming to our door and politely asking my mother if she could give him something to eat, as he was hungry and had no money. She asked him to come around to the kitchen and she fixed him some food. I remember being very upset and wondering how it could be that this nice man who looked prosperous could be hungry. I was young and lacked the form of reference to understand that the economy had tanked, and that even the rich had become the poor practically overnight."His message is simple - times are tough now, but they have been tough before, and if we can manage to keep our eyes and our hearts focused on things that truly matter, we can reduce and sometimes defeat fear and anxiety. More importantly, the key to a fulfilling life lies within our ability to think and be of service to others.In Mr. Gunther's 83 years he had made millions in real estate and other businesses, helped untold thousands through charitable organizations and programs he either founded, steered or participated in and raised family along the way.His tips for living a rich, fulfilling life apply to business as well as your personal life.
- Remember that life is an adventure. "Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming 'Wow! What a ride'" is what author Dean Karnazes says about life. Embracing that philosophy and living life with high energy embodies Mr. Gunther's path for the good life.
- Take reasonable risks in life. In living his life as an adventure, Mr. Gunther learned that if we are to get the most out of life, we have to take risks. Not crazy risks, but 'push the envelope' to understand our own capacities.
- Ignore failure and learn from mistakes. "One thing to remember is that there is no such thing as failure, unless we define the experience that way, Mr. Gunther said. "If we attempt something in life or business and it doesn't work, we don't have to consider it a failure. If we do, it is a crime of ego. We either feel diminished as a person, or assume that we failed because of some deficiency within ourselves. Better to leave out the ego from the equation and simply say 'that didn't work, so what have I learned from it?'"
- Solving problems is more important than being right. "I learned a big lesson from my children," he said. "With children, just as in business, it's not always as important to be right as it is to solve problems. You can be right, but it may not always help the situation. Today's economy is fraught with injustice, and many feel they are in the right to take punitive action against those who have caused it. But that doesn't always solve the problem. My children taught me that being right isn't always of real importance. Solving problems is."
To learn more about Mr. Gunther, visit
