Because of death we appreciate life #19

When you look at the above picture, what is the first thought that comes to mind?

The blog today has been inspired by the following quote by Sir Angus Mcleod Grossart CBE, prominent Scottish businessman:

“I’ve got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom.”

Before I continue, here is a little more about him, according to Wikipedia:

• Born in Lanarkshire, he was schooled at The Glasgow Academy and studied law at Glasgow University.
• He cut his business acumen selling reject toffee at a Barrowlands stall.
• He is Chair and Executive Director of Edinburgh-based merchant bank Noble Grossart.
• He has been Vice Chair of the Royal Bank of Scotland
• He has been Chair of the Board of Trustees, National Galleries of Scotland, 1988–97
• Has been Chair of the Fine Art Society;
• Has been Chair of Lyon & Turnbull, auctioneers.
• Still serves as a Non-Executive Chair of Sunday Mail Ltd and Scottish Daily Record
• Has also served as a Non-Executive Chair of Edinburgh Partners Limited.
• Serves as Chair for Edinburgh US Tracker Trust PLC.
• Serves as Deputy Chair of the National Heritage Memorial Fund.
• Has served as as Vice-Chair of National Westminster Bank PLC.
• Has served as a member of the advisory board for Salmon River Capital LLC.
• Serves as a Director on the The National Westminster Bank PLC has Grossart serve as a Director.

In all of these high stake positions, I am sure there have been no shortage of business deals and arrangements, most of us could only dream about. In fact in recent times, June 2019, he received the majority of a £5.3 million dividend paid out by Noble Grossart, and then in June 2020 he doubled his stake in Scotland’s only listed house builder, Springfield Properties when he bought £1 million worth of shares off its Chairman.

He strikes me as a man who wants to make the most out of his life as possible, and is probably the epitome of this blog series, ‘Because of death we appreciate life.’

We all want to look back on our lives, knowing we have lived the best life possible, and taking risks when we have needed to, for it is through these risks, as Angus Grossart has found, where we find out what we are really made of.

Not through the mundane and playing it safe.

I wonder what he would think looking at the picture above?

Maybe as a kid, he would have seen it a place of wonder, a place to build a fort, to play hide and seek, to jump in the puddles and build mud pies; make a boat and have races.

Maybe the wonder would stay, as a property development opportunity, seeing what may be, as opposed to a mundane and useless piece of land.

Who would actually know, except the man himself? But is is good to wonder.

This is all rather subjective and ‘pie in the sky’ stuff, but mandane pictures likes this one, can provide us all with an opportunity to look past the obvious, to what can be.

In fact in these growing days of automation, the very human qualities of innovation, and ‘what can be’ will become even more important. This is what separates us from the machines, who are now doing the mundane for us.

Stuff to think about, and get inspired by.

The commentary in this blog is intended to be general in nature. It is just some observations from one fellow traveller in life to another. If anything in this blog raises issues for you, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or consult with a trusted medical professional.  

Photo by Pavel Untilov on Unsplash