I always start my morning with a cup of coffee and by reading Understandably. Almost always I gain an insight about how my fellow travelers on Planet Earth might think/feel/do. I then I get to nibble on the seven tidbits at the end with the option to consume the whole meal via the handy links!
I especially enjoyed today’s “brush with fame” and the 25 tips for surviving life after high school. So simple, still true, and fairly easy to apply. Now I can go about my day uplifted instead of being weighed down by “the news.”
I'm also a people pleaser in recovery. My mom engrained the what are people gonna think in us. Well, let people think what they want. They will anyway. We can't please everyone all the time, especially when we are vocal with our opinions. Somebody’s gotta speak up, right?
same thing from my mother, also 'it's not the __________ it's the scandal' can't remember quite what was in the ____/blank, event? situation? can't remember; anyway emphasis on the scandal, another way of saying what are people going to say
oh, and then there is the ever present 'I love you but I hate your ways,',,,,never quite have understood that one, but now of late, she is old, crockety, cantankerous, etc. sometimes I get it....;(
Best thing I’ve done is set a little distance from my mom. She’s now an hour away and that suits me just fine. Since my dad’s passing, we’ve grown apart. I no longer tolerate her bullshit any longer. The pandemic restrictions made our relationship even more strained, but that's a whole other can of worms.
I couldn’t agree more. If you allow what other people think of you rule your life, you’ll have no life. The really stark lesson here is, “most people” aren't really spending their valuable time (judging)thinking of you anyway.
Here's the story of how I almost met the Beatles. Moral: 80% of life is showing up.
It was 1964. I was in 9th grade. Like everyone I knew, I was an avid Beatles fan. A group of of my girlfriends formed a Beatles fan club, but I declined to join it because I didn't see what we would actually do. Would we sit around mooning "Paul is so cute", and "John is so clever"? I didn't want to join a club to do that. They collected a few hundred dollars in dues and then realized they had no idea what to do with the money, so they decided to donate it to sponsor a Native American child . Somehow the Beatles got wind of this. When they toured North America, they came to our city. They asked to meet the president of the fan club. She and my friends all went to the Beatles concert. I did not. I figured it would just be a bunch of screaming idiot girls and I wouldn't hear a note (true). The president of the club was shown to the green room to meet the Beatles, while the others waited outside. In a minute she stuck her head out and said the Beatles wanted to meet all of them. They spent two hours hanging with the band and of course they never forgot it.
80% of life is showing up. Had I showed up, I would be writing today about what happened when I met the Beatles instead of how I didn't. Go to things. Try new places. Take a chance. As Kurt Vonnegut said, "Peculiar traveling suggestions are dancing lessons from God."
Never be afraid to change your path. Time is going to pass regardless of what you decide. It’s far better to say “I’m glad I did it” rather than “I wish I had”. I live by this rule. I was unhappy with my career, so I changed my path and went to law school at 40 years old. Those three years passed by quickly and I’m so glad I did it.
“ However, the general feeling is not one of total pessimism. Even with all the skepticism surrounding the bear market and a potential market crash, many investors believe that it might be a good time to buy on the downside.”
— Bernard Zambonin
I believe a lot of people predicted the ‘08 recession. I saw it coming as well as the dotcom bubble. History favors the long view, so unless you need cash in a year you are statistically better off.
There is too much money involved for the market to let it completely torch itself aside from outside factors like Covid, Ukraine, etc. Housing prices will fall but it won’t have the same result as ‘08 because the reason then was different. People currently have primarily fixed rate mortgages and only new borrowers will have adjustable rate instruments.
My biggest concern is what will happen if democracy fails with the 2024 election. Then, all bets are off and we will have larger concerns than the stock market.
Start with Robert Fulghum's list of 13 things " All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kingergarten " and continue with Emory Styons list of 25 after High School .... winning recipe for a good life.
The one piece of advice I give everyone graduating High School (and college, but that might be too late) is:
Always live below your means.
When (not if) Inflation kicks up, an unexpected expense comes along, or you lose your job and have to take a pay cut, you'll be ready to weather it. Over time, you'll also build up a financial cushion which will take some of the stress out of your life.
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Mr. Styron for sharing this back in 1997; and Thank you Bill, for re-sharing this now!
I did have to smirk a little with the comment about not eating out with small children, though … I so understand that sentiment :-)
There are so many nuggets to share as we journey through Life.
As for “Family matters” - it may be helpful to explain to young folks, that family does not have to be biological … close friends from myriad social experiences (school, military, church) definitely count!
great column again today!!! Favorite one is "21. A smile is the cheapest way to improve your looks, even if your teeth are crooked." Your email is my "go-to" email that starts my day.
The brave may not live forever, but the cautious do not live at all.
'cowards die many deaths, the valiant only taste of it but once'....Shakespeare? Julius Caesar?
“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.“
— T.S. Eliot
Almost forgot:
“Fortune favors the bold.”
— Latin proverb
I always start my morning with a cup of coffee and by reading Understandably. Almost always I gain an insight about how my fellow travelers on Planet Earth might think/feel/do. I then I get to nibble on the seven tidbits at the end with the option to consume the whole meal via the handy links!
I especially enjoyed today’s “brush with fame” and the 25 tips for surviving life after high school. So simple, still true, and fairly easy to apply. Now I can go about my day uplifted instead of being weighed down by “the news.”
yeah, I should also turn off the 'series of unrelenting disenchantments' and go out and tend to my trees....;)
Wow! I loved reading today's edition. I would add one thing, not an original.
People will judge you whatever you do so just do what you want to do. Don't let the, "What will they think?" stop you from being happy.
Yes they will judge regardless of what you do. I am a people pleaser in recovery.
I'm also a people pleaser in recovery. My mom engrained the what are people gonna think in us. Well, let people think what they want. They will anyway. We can't please everyone all the time, especially when we are vocal with our opinions. Somebody’s gotta speak up, right?
same thing from my mother, also 'it's not the __________ it's the scandal' can't remember quite what was in the ____/blank, event? situation? can't remember; anyway emphasis on the scandal, another way of saying what are people going to say
oh, and then there is the ever present 'I love you but I hate your ways,',,,,never quite have understood that one, but now of late, she is old, crockety, cantankerous, etc. sometimes I get it....;(
Best thing I’ve done is set a little distance from my mom. She’s now an hour away and that suits me just fine. Since my dad’s passing, we’ve grown apart. I no longer tolerate her bullshit any longer. The pandemic restrictions made our relationship even more strained, but that's a whole other can of worms.
'take away reason and accountability' .....
I once read 'the most important thing one can do as an adult is to forgive one's parents'....;)
I couldn’t agree more. If you allow what other people think of you rule your life, you’ll have no life. The really stark lesson here is, “most people” aren't really spending their valuable time (judging)thinking of you anyway.
Here's the story of how I almost met the Beatles. Moral: 80% of life is showing up.
It was 1964. I was in 9th grade. Like everyone I knew, I was an avid Beatles fan. A group of of my girlfriends formed a Beatles fan club, but I declined to join it because I didn't see what we would actually do. Would we sit around mooning "Paul is so cute", and "John is so clever"? I didn't want to join a club to do that. They collected a few hundred dollars in dues and then realized they had no idea what to do with the money, so they decided to donate it to sponsor a Native American child . Somehow the Beatles got wind of this. When they toured North America, they came to our city. They asked to meet the president of the fan club. She and my friends all went to the Beatles concert. I did not. I figured it would just be a bunch of screaming idiot girls and I wouldn't hear a note (true). The president of the club was shown to the green room to meet the Beatles, while the others waited outside. In a minute she stuck her head out and said the Beatles wanted to meet all of them. They spent two hours hanging with the band and of course they never forgot it.
80% of life is showing up. Had I showed up, I would be writing today about what happened when I met the Beatles instead of how I didn't. Go to things. Try new places. Take a chance. As Kurt Vonnegut said, "Peculiar traveling suggestions are dancing lessons from God."
I'll bet if Ringo and Paul knew of this they'd show up
truly this is a beautiful poignant story
A hard but extremely valuable lesson learned, wasn’t it?
Loved the column today. I would add…
Never be afraid to change your path. Time is going to pass regardless of what you decide. It’s far better to say “I’m glad I did it” rather than “I wish I had”. I live by this rule. I was unhappy with my career, so I changed my path and went to law school at 40 years old. Those three years passed by quickly and I’m so glad I did it.
good advice, maybe I'll go for it
You’ll be glad you did!
Bill sent u an email about 10 minute YouTube about Michael Burry THE GUY THAT CALLED THE BIG SHORT
CMO COLLAPSE
PLEASE FIND 10 minutes to goto YouTube
Type in Michael Burrys warning 2022
It’s 6 days old
Just listened to the YouTube session re: Michael Burry.
Thank you for pointing him out.
“ However, the general feeling is not one of total pessimism. Even with all the skepticism surrounding the bear market and a potential market crash, many investors believe that it might be a good time to buy on the downside.”
— Bernard Zambonin
I believe a lot of people predicted the ‘08 recession. I saw it coming as well as the dotcom bubble. History favors the long view, so unless you need cash in a year you are statistically better off.
There is too much money involved for the market to let it completely torch itself aside from outside factors like Covid, Ukraine, etc. Housing prices will fall but it won’t have the same result as ‘08 because the reason then was different. People currently have primarily fixed rate mortgages and only new borrowers will have adjustable rate instruments.
My biggest concern is what will happen if democracy fails with the 2024 election. Then, all bets are off and we will have larger concerns than the stock market.
My day begins with Understandably and a cup of tea. Thank you for these gentle reminders. So needed in today's world.
Live by what you trust, not by what you fear. Timeless advice.
Thank you, Bill.
I shared the tips with my recently matriculated grand daughter.
Thank “you” for sharing!
Thanks for the return to Ann Landers. Voice of reason.
This is an incredible list. I can see why Ann Landers loved it. It is timeless. Thank you for sharing with us Emery.
Sooo good! Thank you Bill
Start with Robert Fulghum's list of 13 things " All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kingergarten " and continue with Emory Styons list of 25 after High School .... winning recipe for a good life.
The one piece of advice I give everyone graduating High School (and college, but that might be too late) is:
Always live below your means.
When (not if) Inflation kicks up, an unexpected expense comes along, or you lose your job and have to take a pay cut, you'll be ready to weather it. Over time, you'll also build up a financial cushion which will take some of the stress out of your life.
excellent
This falls in line with "pay yourself first" ie: save some money BEFORE you pay your bills, etc.
ditto, excellent, what is the 'old' saying, you should have enough savings to pay everything for six months, just in case,,,,,or something like that
#15: Add mobile phones, tablets and any other devices where you can access social media
#26: If you smoke, stop. If you don't, don't start.
#27: Save 10% of what you earn.
your take on #26, good advice, perhaps expand to any drug, if you've never had it you won't miss it (?)
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Mr. Styron for sharing this back in 1997; and Thank you Bill, for re-sharing this now!
I did have to smirk a little with the comment about not eating out with small children, though … I so understand that sentiment :-)
There are so many nuggets to share as we journey through Life.
As for “Family matters” - it may be helpful to explain to young folks, that family does not have to be biological … close friends from myriad social experiences (school, military, church) definitely count!
great column again today!!! Favorite one is "21. A smile is the cheapest way to improve your looks, even if your teeth are crooked." Your email is my "go-to" email that starts my day.