Achieve or Receive?

I heard a guy on television this morning say that Americans needed to decide whether they wanted to achieve or to receive.  He was talking about politics and the upcoming election, but I think it goes for us as individuals as well. 

One of my favorite lines from the movie Citizen Kane is "It's no trick to make a lot of money if all you want to do is make a lot of money."  Nearly anyone of average intelligence who is willing to sacrifice everything else can do it.  But that doesn't usually them happy, and it sure doesn't make them successful in my book

The most successful people I know don't seem to be motivated that much by money.  They have plenty of it, but most of them acquired their money as a result of achieving some important goal.  The goal is what motivated them, not the money.  One person sets out to make a great tasting food product.  When he succeeds, lots of people buy it and he makes a lot of money.   Another wants to figure out which companies will succeed and which ones won't.  When he figures it out, lots of people want him to invest their money and he makes a ton of commissions.  A third wants to write great stories.  When he does, lots of people buy his books and he makes a fortune in royalties.

These people, and many more who didn't make nearly as much money, are successful because they set out to achieve something and did it without sacrifing their families, their fun or their integrity.