Investing as a Way of Life
By Mikaela Hodges, FPQP®
Investment –
When you read this word, what comes to mind first?
Do you think of your personal portfolio or an asset, the S&P 500, a specific holding, or maybe even your financial advisor? If so, you’d be aligned with the Oxford Dictionary, which defines it as ‘the action or process of investing money for profit or material result.’ However, there’s also an alternative definition that deserves attention. For the purpose of this article, think of investment as ‘an act of devoting time, effort, or energy to a particular undertaking.’
Beyond financial investments, where do devote time, effort, or energy? In what “portfolios” of life do we hope to see worthwhile gains? It could span anywhere from connection to the community, the health of a marriage or family, the development of a career, personal wellbeing and beyond.
Not all these commitments are easy. Some bring great joy and fulfillment with immediate dividends. Other commitments are more difficult and require a lifetime of stewarding. Many times, we choose not to invest due to the inherent risk. We ponder, what will this cost me, or is the risk worth the reward? It does not help that we are inundated everyday with reminders of the world’s frailty as well as our own. If life can teach us anything, it’s that investing is to show up (sometimes, courageously), and face the risk head on. In anything worth doing, we’ll find that the sacrifice of comfort is worth the growth and change it produces.
Similar to monetary investments, holding onto hope is not always easy. Most, if not all of us, don’t enjoy down markets, volatility, and the future unknowns impacting our economy. Yet, we still invest. Why? Because with sound counsel and a well-thought-through strategy, we hope that the risk we’ve taken will end with a reward.
Taking the risk to invest in the relationships and responsibilities in our lives will look different for each of us. If you’ve recently lost a loved one, maybe it’s allowing yourself to feel the grief. Maybe it’s continuing to devote time and resources to a charitable organization near to your heart. Some have welcomed children or grandchildren into the world and want to invest more time with them. Perhaps it looks like putting intention toward your physical or mental health or courageously seeking the restoration of a severed relationship. Whatever it may be, take the time to slow down, assess, and ask yourself if and where you should invest…
With 2022 coming to an end and 2023 on the horizon, we hope you feel inspired to contemplate where and how you’d like to devote your time, effort, and energy. As your team, we take great pride in watching over your financial investments, so that you can invest in whatever your life calls for. Our wish has always been and always will be to provide sound financial counsel and give our clients the opportunity to prosper in every area of their lives.