Joel’s Journal
February 2018
I hope this finds you well and settling into the New Year.
2018 is off to a start that, as of the drafting of this post, can be categorized, in our financial services industry as, volatile! Major swings up and down within our stock markets along with daily dramatic media explanations.
I tend to be attracted to the historical perspective that famous quotes provide their readers. At the same time I believe an individual’s choice of which quotes means the most to them, can tell you a lot about the person’s DNA. One of the fun things I like about our kitchen at home is the chalkboard my wife hung in a prominent spot where all of us can see To Do’s, a random grocery item or in my case “Dad’s Famous Quotes.” I often times read one that I feel would inspire all of us to, at minimum make us think or at maximum share a dinner conversation on what Dad’s Famous Quote means to them. I feel as though it may be a drag to a teenager entering high school and a soon to be 10 year old, but too bad. One day, I’m sure in the rapidly approaching future they will miss seeing those crazy quotes but remember some of them as life throws them their various experiences.
The lengthy preamble above if you hadn’t already guessed is leading you, my patient reader, to a famous quote I recently read that has guided me through the last few days of these volatile swings in the stock market. But, alas, it is also a life lesson. The quote is from Leo Tolstoy, a Russian writer born back in 1828 who has been regarded as one of the greatest authors of all time.
Leo’s quote reads, ”The two most powerful warriors are patience and time.”
In our fast paced, immediate gratification society, I believe this one quote could slow us down if at least for a few minutes to contemplate his words. To me, they reaffirm what I always try to tell myself about my own progress. Trust me when I say to you that I have been labeled inpatient. I know some of it runs in my family.
The message I have for you, as it relates to our relationship, is to let this quote reaffirm for you that your financial planning incorporates these two ingredients and given the length of your relationship with us, you might have come to learn that those two warriors are mighty. They have also proven themselves in all types of circumstances. We keep on taking the correct, focused steps, one after the other, day by day, week by week and you will see the results most decent people seek. I contend that these results will place you near the top of the list of realized results that many people who fail to plan will never achieve.
The average healthy human is living well into their 80’s. Medicine and societal passion around healthy lifestyles will improve those numbers. The majority of you reading this post are well under those ages with plenty of puissance from our warriors left. If you need to remind yourself of our warriors’ power, re-read Tolstoy’s quote above. At the same time, smile knowing, as a client of mine, you have a plan that leverages patience and time. You also have an Advisor who attempts to embrace all the correct opportunities for your benefit that our warrior’s time and patience provide you.