3 Things: Hope, Perseverance & Understanding

Ideas that change how you think about the world

1. “You spend years trying to learn new stuff but then look back and realize that maybe like 10 big ideas truly changed how you think and drive most of what you believe.” Morgan Housel shares his list in “Ideas that Changed My Life”.

What defines you?

2. In “Ring Life’s Bell”, Tony Isola talks about his family’s personal experience with pediatric cancer and how it affects his work with his clients.

“We were speaking to longtime clients yesterday about their financial plan. Even though their situation keeps getting better and better, one spouse cannot stop worrying. Yesterday I told him, “My job is to make sure you enjoy the blessings you have. Go on trips, sponsor family vacations, pay your grandchildren’s tuition, and give money to charity. Enjoy what is left of your life to the fullest. I give you complete permission.”

I didn’t stop there.

“I consider myself a complete and total failure as a financial advisor if you don’t listen to me. I don’t care how many millions you have if you can’t enjoy it and spread the wealth, nothing else matters.”

I certainly got their attention. Proving again, personal finance is more personal than finance.”

A little perseverance can help young investors

3. Jonathan Clements acknowledges that your progress when you first start to invest can be discouraging – and slow. In “The Tipping Point” he explains why you should persevere.

OK, while I have you, one more chart I found interesting, and hopeful:

Trends in mortality in females since 1900

Chart Source: Trends in Mortality Among Females in the United States, 1900–2010: Progress and Challenges and Peter Attia

SAGE Serendipity: Talk about perseverance! Here is a Washington Post article on superstar Notre Dame women’s (Final Four) basketball player Arike Ogunbowale and how she won two championship games back to back in the last seconds.  Her coach says… “She doesn’t mind if she misses a few shots. She’s going to keep taking it, which is what you need. You have to have somebody that has that attitude of, ‘I know I have to score, it doesn’t matter what happened the last possession, this one’s going in.” Ogunbowale is the talk of March Madness and landed the cover of Sports Illustrated. If you haven’t seen her game winning play with 0.1 seconds to go check it out.