A man I met while he was doing some work for a neighbor of mine some years ago is now a great friend of mine. When we met, I needed some similar work. I liked what I saw he was doing and told him so. I told him about the work I needed doing. He gave me a fair price and I hired him on the spot. He respected my appreciation for fine work and willingness to pay a fair price for it.

I work at home, and during the time he worked for me so did he. We had plenty of chances to get to know each other better. We discovered that even though the work we do is as different as night and day, we approach it in very much the same way. We both realize the work we do has little to do with how much time and effort we put into it.

We know that the true value of a job is in the results produced. He combines raw materials with skill and knowledge and time to produce his results. I combine information and ideas with skill and knowledge. The products we produce are far more valuable to those we produce them for than the prices we ask them to pay. That's why our services are in constant demand. It's why we both work hard at working as fast as we can, but not so fast that quality suffers.

And it's why we both have learned to say no in order to balance demand with the other important things in our lives.