My hero, Warren Buffett, officially “went quiet” this week.
After 60 years of writing to shareholders, and having the world hang on his every word, he delivered his final piece of advice. And what he chose to say will surprise you … especially if you feel like life is passing you by.
Yet I’m getting ahead of myself.
In a world drowning in financial influencers, best selling authors (gulp), and alpha-male gurus telling you how to get rich, Buffett has always been the one voice worth listening to.
Not just because of his billions, but because of how he earned them: living in small-town Nebraska, in the same house for decades, driving an average car, tap dancing to work each morning.
So what did he choose to say in his swan song?
Not a word about stock picks. Not one insight about beating the market.
Here’s what one of the most successful people in history has worked out over his 95 years:
“Greatness does not come about through accumulating great amounts of money, great amounts of publicity or great power in government. When you help someone in any of thousands of ways, you help the world. Kindness is costless but also priceless.”
Look, I’m well aware that billionaires can sell a perfect image of themselves to the world … yet you can’t fake what your kids think of you. And I’ve spent time with Buffett’s children. He sent them to public schools, encouraged them to follow their passions, and raised good humans instead of trust-fund brats. As a result they’re humble, kind people who help others. Just like their dad.
And his final lesson?
It’s not too late for you.
He told the story of Alfred Nobel. When Nobel’s brother died, a newspaper accidentally published Alfred’s obituary instead. Nobel read his own death notice and was horrified: the world saw him as a merchant of death who’d made millions from explosives.
He changed his life completely that day, and today we remember him for the Nobel Prize, not dynamite.
Here’s what Buffett wrote:
“I’m happy to say I feel better about the second half of my life than the first. Don’t beat yourself up over past mistakes – learn from them and move on. It is never too late to improve.”
It’s never too late.
So tonight, instead of scrolling past another content creator farming your attention for ad revenue, close your eyes and think about your funeral.
What do you want people to say about you?
No one will bother talking about your car. Your house. Your title at work.
They’ll tell stories of you being humble and kind.
Here’s Buffett’s advice:
“Decide what you would like your obituary to say and live the life to deserve it.”
So, open your notes app on your phone, and write your own obituary.
Then go give them some stories to tell.
Tread Your Own Path!