Bullet Point Wisdom

I often re-read the letter my father wrote to our clients and team upon his retirement from Brand Asset Management Group in 2003. In a style that is somewhere between Solomon and Mark Twain, Dad wrote 152 bits of wisdom, caution, and encouragement.

They came from his heart and 31 years’ experience rowing the same boat in the same direction. These are some of my favorites:

 

• #5: Answers to half-asked questions leave room for doubt.
• #27: Discourage the excessively courageous and encourage the excessively discouraged.
• #28: Dropped crystal balls don’t bounce.
• #37: An advisor who is fired by a client and doesn’t learn a lot from the experience, should have been fired sooner.
• #46: Financial independence is more of a journey than a destination.
• #60: In my whole life, I’ve never seen the sky actually fall. It could happen, but I would suggest betting against it.
• #75: The most important missed opportunities lie ahead of us.

At each staff meeting, one of us takes a turn sharing a quote we’ve found valuable, relating that quote to our mission or a current task at hand. There is something about reflecting on wise words that helps us focus on what’s really important and bring some clarity to a murky world.

I hope you enjoy these bits of wisdom from my Dad, and that they help you see yourself a little better. I’ll share a few more from the second half of the list soon.