Poor Richard's wisdom

I've got to say that Benjamin Franklin is one of my favorites among the Founding Fathers of the United States. I've read his autobiography, visited his grave in Pennsylvania, and tried to emulate him in some ways.

As you probably know, Franklin made some of his money as a printer. His Poor Richard's Almanac contained such wisdom that it is still well-known today. Here are a few of my favorite quotes from Poor Richard:

"Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise."

You can't help but realize this at some level. Sure, there are some wealthy sluggards out there, but the people who make their mark and accumulate the most wealth are those who hustle all the time, getting up before their competitors. I notice my efficiency and performance dropping when I don't get enough rest.

"Diligence is the mother of good luck."

Ever been envious of somebody who seems to get all the good breaks? Well, it's not luck, and if you could look closer at their activities, they probably spend their time doing the mind-numbing legwork that leads to future deals. That real estate deal that paid for your friend's new BMW didn't fall into his lap; he had his eyes and ears open, and everything already in place so he could take advantage when opportunity came along.

"Constant dropping wears away stones."

I've heard the story of the gold miner who worked hard for years to find a rich vein of gold, finally giving up in disgust when he was just feet away from the mother lode. Consistently take care of the basics: plan your work, work your plan, and you'll surely get where you aim to be.

Anyway, this wasn't specifically "personal finance" material, but I find that improvement in one area of life has a beneficial effect on other areas.