“A funny thing about life: if you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it.”
Don’t worry, I’m not going to give you any guidance on losing weight and dieting, although I have to say, I hope I weigh less at the end of January than I do now!
I read this quote from Warren Buffett over the holidays, and it resonated with me, both personally and professionally. None of us are average, are we? In my opinion, we should never settle for what everyone else is doing. Life is for living in harmony with our own interests, values and aspirations. We shouldn’t let inertia rule and just settle for what we have. It’s important to be excited and stimulated about the future.
On reaching our first Employee Ownership anniversary in December, I was asked “how come you still have a passion for the business and are not putting your feet up and enjoying what you have created”.
My retort was “I love what I’m doing, but what drives me the most is that we can always be better”.
When it comes to advising and mentoring clients, we always encourage them to “enjoy their money whilst they have good health”, but more than that we want our clients to dream about what is possible. To think big and not be limited by one’s negative experiences or indeed negative relationships with money. The key, as we all know, is confidence.
Confidence is easily eroded in this world of 24-hour news flow but frankly, a lot of it is noise. We can easily become conditioned. In the Western World we have a lot to be grateful for. Most of us have choices and are in control of our own destinies, yet the vast majority, in my experience, don’t explore what’s possible.
They don’t dream enough!
Dreaming can be construed as fantasy where your thoughts run away with themselves, only to be quickly anchored back to one’s reality. But, could your dreams become your reality?
If you are aspirational and want to live life to the full then having a co-ordinated and robust financial plan which is evaluated frequently is essential. Money doesn’t alone make us happy, but it does give us choices. My question is, are you exercising those choices and living life to the full?
I know I’m “preaching to the converted” to most of my readers but sadly the vast majority of people accept their lot all too easily. If you know of anyone like this, please point them in our direction. I’ve spoken to three such people already this year and it’s only the 10th of January.
Best wishes,
Gary
Gary Neild B.Sc.Hons. DipIP PFA
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Risk warning
Please Note: This communication should not be read as giving specific advice regarding your personal circumstances. This would only be given following a detailed assessment of your individual needs. The value of investments may fall as well as rise; you may get back less than invested. Past performance is not necessarily a guide to future returns.