So today is R-day, the day I get made redundant after 7 years of working in my company. I could go on for ages about the ridiculous mismanagement of the operations, the serious lack of real understanding and intelligence amongst management... yadda yadda... but the fact is that I have learned a number of key lessons over the past year in particular. I'm going to share them now:

1) When working for others you will always be dependent on the benevolence of those you report to. Your work ethic, intelligence, honesty and integrity mean little if your superior is morally or ethically corrupt.

2) Don't work for a company who does something you don't respect. I worked in Hedge Funds... now I will go off and try to repair my soul... I may not have been a part of their trading area, but being in the organization was enough for me to feel some guilt.

3) Build your own business. Live and/or die by your own work and not off handouts from others in the form of a paycheck. If your an entrepreneurial spirit, you will never be satisfied with working for a corporate management structure.

4) Those guys in the suits in the big glass buildings who intimidate others with their briefcases and long managerial titles are just guys and girls like us... actually thats not true, most of them are missing a few key human traits, it's a fact that many more CEO's are sociopaths than what would be expected on average. The bottom line is money- at all costs. Thats it.

5) Always forgive them for they no not what they do. It's the middle of the night here as I am sitting up thinking about what to say tomorrow when my senior manager finally sits down with me to 'talk'. Over 7 years he has never supported me, defended me or really shown any interest in me other than when his head is on the line. When anyone in the business would come to him to complain about me/my project, he's suddenly take interest and 'take action'... i.e. tell me that my project is 'failing' and ask why he shouldn't fire me. Funny thing is, usually there was nothing actually wrong, in fact everything was fine and the complainer was simply venting for a personal reason. When I needed him and took problems to him, he'd make it clear that lifting stones to see what is underneath them is a big no-no... must not be negative is the motto of the corporate world. Do not question. This explains Maddoff and Enron and all the other criminals out there.

My solution: I've taken and envelope and a piece a paper. I wrote his name on the front and wrote: "I forgive you" on the paper. He can eternally think about what I mean, for me, my conscience is clear.

6) Work and economics are not life. I have a beautiful son and another on the way in just 5 short weeks. I have a wonderful wife. Stock prices and job losses are far less important than love.

7) Friends are one of you most valued assets.

So tomorrow is the first day of the rest of my life. I'm sure the package they give me will keep me in Pampers for quite some time while I get my business off the ground. In the meantime, I'll be keeping up with you folk and continuing my patient approach to this stock. I'd have to be standing next to a burning drum in the cold street, rubbing my hands for warmth before I'd even contemplate handing these shares over :)