Self-made

I dusted off this very old thing because I can't long form post from Linkedin!

I was reading an article in Forbes on the RIM Cofounders' potential bid to buy back the company.  Names are hyperlinked for profile information.  The profiles on Forbes contain net worth and source of wealth.  For Mike, it stated:  "Source of Wealth: Research in Motion, self-made."  It made me reflect on the term self-made because I've heard numerous people referred to lately as 'self-made'.  In my experience, there is no such thing.

I believe the words of one of my former employers who had read something to the effect, "success happens when preparedness meets opportunity." Becoming prepared in that sense certainly takes a lot of hard work.  I also believe that opportunities can be manufactured through smarts and learning from the best.  But more than anything, I believe the events that shape our lives and the people we meet that influence us, have a lot to do with luck, chance and good fortune.  A myriad of people have taught me, inspired me, and have afforded me opportunities that have lead me to where I am.  Today and each and every day, there are a ton of people with whom my ongoing success depends on and thus we are truly interdependent.  So I don't believe that anyone is self-made and I really think the term is almost an affront.

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