Here are a few reminders that I want to have to myself, so hopefully you can gain some value from this too!
Money Doesn’t Equal Happiness
This is one of the all time cliches, but it rang true to me earlier this week (generating the idea for this post). My net worth is at an all time high and the same is probably for you too! The stock market is at an all time high and I’ve continued to collect my paychecks every two weeks. I spend less than I make. As long as I keep going at this rate, and no major life setbacks or emergencies, hopefully after every year my net worth goes up a bit.
Am I happier today than I was 3 years ago? If money was tied to happiness, then I should be significantly happier. There should be a correlation between my net worth increasing and my happiness levels, but I haven’t found that to be the case. My happiness is derived from how I spend my time during the day. I do my best to recognize the things that put a smile on my face and do those activities as often as possible.
Being Mad and Stressed Isn’t Fun for Anyone
We all get mad, upset, angry, stressed, etc. It’s part of being human. With that being said, it isn’t fun for anyone to have strong outward negative emotions consistently. I don’t feel good about myself if I’m angry or stressed and it isn’t pleasurable being around others with those emotions. Take the time you need to get right and understand the impact you can have on others.
Winners Typically Continue to Win
I see this most often while trying to decide whether or not to invest in a company. “This stock has more than doubled within the past year, so it must come back down to earth.” While that may be true, don’t get scared away from it. Right now, one of my best investments is Microsoft. No, I didn’t invest in them back in the 1980’s. I started building a position in 2017. They have shown a proven track record and have rewarded shareholders handsomely. The same goes with Sea. Sea has had an incredible run up, but I wasn’t afraid to get on the ship!
The same is true with people. I look at some people and I think to myself that they are a winner. They have made the right decisions so far in their life and I expect them to do the same in the future. I want to surround myself with these people as much as possible.
Iteration is Part of the Process
This has been one of my biggest takeaways since graduating college. The approach I might start with for completing a body of work might be completely different from the final product. That’s part of the process. There are elements of the first draft that end up in the final product. Sometimes it might be as valuable figuring out what you don’t want which guides you to what you do want in the end.
Talk to People About what They Love
There are few things better than getting a person going on a topic they can speak about for days. They are enjoying themselves because they are talking about something they love and you can learn a thing or two from them. It helps when there is genuine passion and interest from the person behind the words they speak.
Peace and love.