John Mackey's Letter

Got this from Jim Ayala. It's a letter Whole Foods founder John Mackey wrote to his team. He is a good example who valued a purpose greater than money.

John Mackey Letter to Whole Foods Team Members

November, 2006

To All Team Members,


The tremendous success of Whole foods has provided me with far more money than I ever dreamed I would have, and far more than is necessary for either my financial security or my personal happiness.  I continue to work for Whole Foods not because of the money I can make, but because of the pleasure I get from leading such a great company, and the ongoing passion I have to help make the world a better place, which Whole Foods is continuing to do.


I am now 53 years old and I have reached a place in my life where I no longer want to work for money, but simply for the joy of the work itself and to better answer the call to service that I feel so clearly in my own heart.
Beginning January 1, 2007, my salary will be reduced to $1 per year and I will no longer take any other cash compensation at all.  I will continue to receive the same benefits that all other team members receive, including the food discount card and health insurance.  The intention of the Board of Directors is for Whole Foods to donate all of the future stock options I would be eligible to receive to our two company foundations: the Whole Planet Foundation and the Animal Compassion Foundation.


One other important item to communicate to you is, in light of my decision to forego any future additional cash compensation, our Board of Directors has decided that Whole Foods Market will contribute $100,000 annually to a new Global Team Member Emergency Fund.  This money will be distributed to team members throughout the Company based on need when disasters occur (such as Hurricane Katrina last year).


With much love,


John Mackey

Habakkuk's Prayer

Though the fig tree may not blossom,
Nor fruit be on the vines;
Though the labor of the olive may fail,
And the fields yield no food;
Though the flock may be cut off from the fold,
And there be no herd in the stalls -
Yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will joy in the God of my salvation.

The Lord God is my strength;
He will make my feet like deer's feet,
And He will make me walk on my high hills.

Habakkuk 3:17-19

The Just Live by Faith

Write the vision
And make it plain on tablets,
That he may run who reads it.
For the vision is yet for an appointed time;
But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie.
Though it tarries, wait for it;
Because it will surely come,
It will not tarry.

Behold the proud,
His soul is not upright within him;
But the just shall live by his faith.

Habakkuk 2:2-4

Remember the Best Thing

When I'm envious or greedy or lustful it means I've forgotten that I already have the best thing.
When I'm arrogant it means I've forgotten that He is the best thing.
When I'm worried or anxious or insecure it means that I've forgotten that He has already given me the best thing what won't He give me? And further, what more do I need?

Before She Goes Away / Simple Rules to Live By

Before She Goes Away
Every day all of us move one step closer to our inevitable end. With each hour, minute, and second that passes, we are another hour, another minute, another second nearer to death.

Every time I think about the end, I think about the time in between birth and death because that's the portion that matters. And when you look at the facts you'll find that the current generations live longer than the people who lived in the past. The world average today is at 67.2 years which is much longer than that of the early 20th century (30-45 years), medieval times (30-35 years), or the historical Greeks and Romans (28 years). In other words, you and I have more time to enjoy life, to make a contribution, and to leave a legacy - that lasting representation we pass on to the next generation. So make the most of it. Like the girl that got away, time is impossible to replace.

Now you're wondering, "Who got away from you David?"

... If you really have to know, her name is Cording, and she was an incredible cook.


Simple Rules to Live By
Saturday morning is my time for the kids at the Real LIFE Center in Pasig. For those of you who haven't volunteered yet, visit this site: www.igivetolife.com and start converting your earthly resources into real treasures. (See my last post on How to Make Your Money Last Forever) If you can't make it donate something. (Like a nice sound system) Haha! Shameless plug - but for a good cause!

The past few months, I've been privileged to meet with some of the older kids at the corner McDonalds to talk to them about God. I've had to adjust my non-existent budget to accommodate the appetites of 10 kids but it's worth it. Besides, I'd rather treat kids than a date since they're more grateful and not so expensive.

Because they are kids, I've had to simplify the communication of the Biblical principles we talk about. Sometimes we forget that a principle is a seed, and it's only when it is planted can it one day give birth to proper action. If you're wondering why people aren't acting right check these three things: is the right seed/principle planted? Was it planted/communicated correctly? Has it been given time to grow? The goal with these kids is that someday they'll outdo, outrun, outbuild, outdream, outgrow, and outshine me, so I really work on the seeds and the planting, trusting that God will help the principles bear fruit in their lives.

So I'd like to share 3 of the simple lessons we've talked about (on the days we are actually discussing something and not playing basketball or Counterstrike). Who knows? They may turn out to be fruitful seeds.

1. Parating magpasalamt sa Diyos (Always be grateful to God) - I wanted this to be the foundation of their outlook in life, that they always recognize that God is good.

2. Ibato sa Diyos (Throw it to God) - This is an alternate title for the only thing this mistake-riddled person can preach about: Run to God. Whatever you're facing, however you're feeling, run to God.

3. Magtanim ng pagmamahal (Sow love) - Spend every chance you can to sow love into someone's life through kindness, generosity, and even discipline and perseverance. What you love you will value and protect, and when you sow love you tell others that you will value and protect them.


A Glimmer of Gold
Many times after meeting, I notice the kids still holding on to uneaten hamburgers, saving it for their siblings who don't share their fortune of eating in a fastfood. And when I see this I know, I know for sure, that the seeds planted will grow into something amazing. It's a scene that makes my morning and my day. It's a good reminder that life is full of these golden moments. Sometimes, all it costs is a box of chicken nuggets.

How to Make Your Money Last Forever

God never said we couldn't bring our wealth to Heaven. He actually told us how when He said to deposit our valuables with Him.

But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
Matthew 6:20

But what can we bring to heaven? Not our money, not our investments, not our things, not even our good intentions, righteous acts, and great accomplishments. So what is there to store? What asset type does heaven accept?

This bring us to what are called Alternative Investments.

Everyday businesses exchange some form of value (such as cash) for another type of value container (such as stocks or bonds or goods). And why do they do this? It's because they're trying to create value. Sometimes cash is best. Sometimes stocks move up faster. Other times it's art that appreciates, or a piece of property, or even Jewelry. The objective is the same, what's the best investment - meaning what will maximize my earnings given my parameters and risk tolerance. Alternative investments are "alternate" or "substitute" investments to the more traditional asset types (stocks, bonds, and cash). Examples of these are art, property, and jewelry as mentioned above.

For example: You have cash in the bank that makes 8% a year in the bank. Since you understand the art world, you know what pieces will appreciate, so you buy a painting for P100,000. If let's say someone was willing to buy that painting for P130,000, and you sold it at that price you just made P30,000. Instead of a bank holding your money for a year and making you 8% interest, the art piece became the container of that value, and because it appreciated more you ended up with more value.

Let's get back to our verse: Store up for yourselves treasures in Heaven. What type of asset class does heaven accept? What's the right alternative investment we can store?

Souls. Souls are what heaven accepts. We need to invest in People, in relationships.

Risking that I'll sound too much like my father's son - which I am in case you forget, but the Bible tells us in plain English the best way to use what we have:

I tell you, use worldy wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.
Luke 16:9

So here's how it works:

You have money, it can be a billion or it can be a peso, or it can be a free afternoon, but if you use what you have to build right and strong relationships through kindness, generosity, giving to the poor, giving to missions, feeding the hungry, sharing your time, or your home, or whatever, what your'e doing is you're converting what you have into the only asset class heaven accepts: people. When you store your treasure in heaven nothing can destroy and it no one can steal it.

And that's how you make your money last forever.

The Best Thing

As many of you know (mostly through Facebook I'm sure), today is my birthday. I heard somewhere once that if you count back the number of years, then count back 9 months, and plus or minus 15 days, you'll pretty much have the day you were conceived within that range.

I don't know why anyone would want to know that.

Celebrating my birthday isn't a big deal to me. I know it can be quite an event for most people. I usually just go through what I would normally do, which is pray, work, read, practice piano or paint, workout or run or play tennis, and sleep longer than usual, preferably in another country with no distractions. I don't expect people to alter their schedules or every day thought processes just for me. I am very grateful for those who did though, especially the ones that wrote me some really nice stuff, which I appreciate much more now that I'm a little older, an old 26 year old. Thank you for remembering and taking the time to greet me!

I don't think the earth shook when I was born, or that an eclipse blocked the sun, or that I had some lucky birthmark, or that the wisemen prophesied how I would bring balance to the Force, but there is something I do celebrate every April 11 morning:

I celebrate God's faithfulness. That in my faithlessness and unfaithfulness my Father remains faithful. I'll be the first to admit that I don't deserve any of the things I enjoy. And I'm very very grateful for forgiveness, for grace, for love.

Faithfulness is a watered-down concept today. Many of us don't really know the significance of the word anymore. I admit I have only come to understand it the past few months. When we miss the significance of something, whether it be a word, a person, an object, a position, or whatever, we will take it for granted, miss the complete benefit, and ultimately lose it.

I wrote in one of my older posts that faithfulness is not "not cheating", that we can't define something by what it is not. It's just like asking someone, "Is she hot?" only to get the answer, "She's not ugly." I don't know about you, but "not ugly" is not necessarily "HOT". It's just "not ugly". Faithfulness is more than "not cheating". Faithfulness is complete devotion.

When we talk about God's faithfulness, and this is what I celebrate, this is what it means: that God is completely devoted to us. And when He says in Timothy that though we are faithless, He remains completely devoted to us.

Some of you may probably be thinking, "Easy for you to say. You're not poor, or hungry, or dying. You're not hurt, or indebted, or deformed. You're this and that. You have this and that. Easy for you to talk about God's faithfulness."

And you're right that sometimes it is easier to talk about God's faithfulness when things are well. But you'd be wrong on two accounts: 1. things are not always well, not with me, not with you, not with anyone, and 2. having things, being full, being healthy, being comfortable, or having abundance, or no deformities is not the basis of God's faithfulness, neither is it the proof. If our basis for God's faithfulness is material, physical, emotional, political, financial, ecological, or whatever - you'll miss it.

Because God's faithfulness is spiritual, and spiritual things are witnessed by faith. If His faithfulness was about the world's standards of success then where was His faithfulness with John the Baptist who was beheaded? Where was His faithfulness with Hosea who was cheated on? Where was His faithfulness with His own son Jesus who was crucified?

But it was there with them. His faithfulness was at work. He was reconciling and redeeming in the spirit what was broken in the flesh.

Let me get very practical here. How do I apply this to my life? How do I see God's faithfulness in my life? Here's where the Best Thing comes in. Remember, believe, that you have the best thing. You have Christ in you, the hope of glory. And when you're convinced you already have the Best Thing having or not having the inferior things aren't that important.

For example, I drive a Toyota and I have a friend who drives an incredibly nice Mercedes Benz. Not once have I heard him say, "David, you're so much better off than me for having a Toyota." I seriously doubt he's envious of my car. Why? Because his car is way nicer than mine. Even if I teased him or argued with him that my car is better it wouldn't really bother him because it's not true - he already has a better thing. Imagine how ridiculous it would be, if I were to drive up to him in traffic, roll down my window, and say "Your car sucks!" But what would be even more ridiculous would be for him to be affected or be insecure or even worse, trade his car for mine. But we do this with our lives everyday, trading it in for something else, not necessarily bad things, but inferior things, because we forget that we not only have something better, we have the best in Jesus.

This is something I have to remind myself: That I have Jesus. If I have a house, great. If I don't I'll rent. Either way, I have the best thing. If my business grows, great. If it doesn't grow, that would suck, but I don't have to be insecure, I have the best thing. If my brothers become incredibly successful in the world, and I don't, great for us. We have the best thing. If my kids are prodigies, great. If they're average, fine. As long as they have Jesus they have the best thing. If I'm eating in Circles for dinner, beware, I'm going on a bombing run after. If we go hungry, that wouldn't be pleasant. But either way I have the best thing. When you have the best thing, you are not bothered when you are deprived of the inferior things.

To conclude, I've realized:
When I'm envious or greedy or lustful it means I've forgotten that I already have the best thing.
When I'm arrogant it means I've forgotten that He is the best thing.
When I'm unforgiving and proud it means I've forgotten that I received the best thing despite not deserving.
When I'm worried or anxious or insecure it means that I've forgotten that He has already given me the best thing what won't He give me? And further, what more do I need?

And when these things attack, and I am guilty of all the above, probably more than the average human being, I remind myself of something else I wrote:

Freedom that shouldn't be
Forgiven completely
Love poured out freely
In a life that cannot be
But is

I wish I could give you all goodie bags for all the greetings but that's impossible. Besides, you don't really need it. You already have the best thing.