Why I keep doing what I do: 

“Mark, may I get your opinion? Last night, I had a conversation with my son [who’s in an MBA program]. He’s been offered three CEO positions…. After telling me the money side, I asked him, ‘Which one inspires you? Which has a challenge that excites you? Which brings your vision to the company in a way that inspires growth down to the meanest employee? How will they be better off because you’re there? Which one leads you closer to your vision of the life you really want?’ Mark, was I leading him in the right direction?” – BM

My Response: I have two views on this.

I understand the idea of pursuing one’s passion. If one has a passion. Otherwise, I think this line of thinking is problematic. For one thing, we all have the primary responsibility of supporting ourselves and our families. So that must be a big consideration. If your son has no particular passions, or if his passion is something that is unlikely to earn him a decent living, I would recommend he put his passion where it belongs. On the side. Something he can do for pleasure while he learns how to make the money he needs to support himself and his family.

Passions change. And there is no greater source of self-satisfaction than to know that you can take care of yourself and your family. You’re his mom. So, you get a pass on this one. But make sure he reads Automatic Wealth for Grads… and Anyone Else Just Starting Out. That will give him the other view.

Re what I said about knock-offs in the June 24 issue: 

“Mark, if you haven’t already done so, I hope you write more about cigars in your forthcoming emails. It’s yet another area where you are expert and many of your readers would like to learn about cigars from you.” – BB

Re what I said about tourists in the July 1 issue: 

“I will never be dismissive about generalizations again. Great read!” – SL

Re my review of Ted Chiang’s book Exhalation: Stories: 

“Was really happy to see you’re enjoying Exhalation. Which story was your favorite?” – SC

My response: I can’t say I had a favorite. They were all great in the same way. I felt like I was reading a new kind of fiction. Not experimental, which I generally don’t like, but a style of writing stories that was fresh. That made me feel like I was looking at a familiar situation from a new perspective. It was clear that Ted Chiang is in full command of his craft.

Re my comments on gun control legislation: 

“Forget gun control. Start charging people $10 per bullet.” – AS

Why I keep doing what I do:

“I’ve come across your video about the power of one and I’m definitely going to implement it in every area of my business. Thank you for sharing.” – JO

Why I keep doing what I do: 

“Mark Morgan Ford, thank you for being such an inspiration to the world of words and to us!” – MR

“Thank you! You are my biggest inspiration when it comes to direct marketing. I study your Ready, Fire, Aim and Great Leads books. I bought AWAI’s Accelerated Program for Seven-Figure Copywriting, too. They’re brilliant.” – MO

“Hi Mark, I attended the AWAI Opal Resort Retreat. I appreciated your teachings about building financial success. I think I’ve shared your thoughts at least three times with people I know.” – BM

Re the P.S. in the June 14 issue: 

“Thank you for the video of the guitarist. He plays with his heart for sure. Listen to Omar, a young Nicaraguan now playing in London. Watch him on Instagram at Orimel17. He played in concert at Rancho Santana several years ago.” – MF

Re the P.S. in the June 1 issue about Bob Dylan: 

“After reading so many insightful comments from you about art over the years, I’m surprised that your column linked to this… column about Bob Dylan being the greatest artist of all time.

“I’m a huge fan of both Dylan’s acoustic and electric work. Even as his already thin voice has worsened over the last couple decades, he has continued to turn out top-notch compositions and recordings with a superb cast of musicians. (‘Tempest’ is particularly strong.)

“But greatest artist of all time?” – AG

My answer: 

Okay… this should be embarrassing, but I don’t embarrass much anymore. First… Dylan is not even in my top 1,000 list. But I loved the teaser for the article. It made me want to read it. And so I put in the link as a PS, with the intention of reading it later.

But then I forgot! And I still haven’t read it! But I will…

Re the June 6 issue: 

“I love your newsletter. I always read it and sometimes print it off to read again more carefully later…. This was a good one, too.” – TD

Why I do what I do:

“Just wanted to thank you for taking the time to answer some questions I had from Ready, Fire, Aim. It’s much appreciated, and I’ve been putting your advice to use.” – EG

“It’s a beautiful morning… thank you so much for all the wonderful teaching you share. Here’s a pic of my office…” – AD

Re my May 30 essay on accepting responsibility for your own life: 

“Your sentiments should be etched in stone.” – JM

“Loved the statement you wrote [about what to think when feeling victimized]. I’ve cut it out and taped it up on my son’s bathroom mirror!” – LD

Re my productivity system: 

“I love [your productivity system]. I still use it. With some modifications of my own. Would be so helpful to me and others, I think, to see how you’ve modified this to consistently get so much done.” – ND

My response: I’ve written several essays on my time management system as I’ve developed it over the years. And I intend to keep writing about it. Meanwhile, if you don’t already have them, you might want to get a copy of Wealth Planning for Freelancers and/or Making the Most of Your Time. These two books are in limited supply. For availability, contact us.

Re the availability of my books: 

“Please let me know how I can secure copies of your books.” – DWS

My response: Most of my books are available on Amazon. You can access them directly on this website by clicking “My Books” in the menu in the upper-left corner of the Home page.

Re my concerns about the US economy in the May 13 issue: 

“The economic numbers you cited are scary. Have you made any adjustments in your investments in response to them?” – PL

My response: No. I haven’t. Since I favor income over appreciation as a general investing rule, more than 80% of my investments should either keep up with or beat inflation. And half of the other 20% is in precious metals – mostly gold bullion, which will likely increase in value in the coming years.

Re what I said about conceptual art in the May 16 issue: 

“You should listen to your partners about conceptual art. Nobody in the business will take you seriously if you discount it as you do.” – BB, a gallerist from New York

“You are so right. Most conceptual art and performance are rubbish. But, that’s also true of so much of what is called abstract art. Question: What do you think of Cy Twombly?” – CCF

My response: I like a great deal of abstract art. Even COBRA art, which is basically finger-painting writ large. But I have to admit, I never got Cy Twombly or any of the artists that specialized in scribble-scrabble.