I’ve been listening to a lot of YouTube videos about making money and investing money. It’s a new hobby that I took up over these last few months at home. The concept of investing is easy. Yet, many people don’t quite comprehend it or are fearful of doing so because of the fear of losing money.
I’ve watched a lot of YouTube videos that promote a certain stock. Or a certain index fund. Or a certain way of asset allocation. And there’s no right way nor wrong way of doing things. These methods could work for someone and not for someone else. They could work one year and not the next year. It’s really up to the individual investor to decide what is worth investing in.
That’s why many of these financial blogs and videos always have a disclaimer emphasizing that they are not professional investment advisors. And that all advice is solely for entertainment purposes only. Yet, they still create lots of content for us to comprehend and read through.
I’ve been fortunate enough to have a sound grasp on investment for the most part. And much of my investment in the stock market has panned out pretty well over these past years. I mainly operate on a buy and hold strategy, since I am still only in my 30’s and still have a long time horizon to invest.
I’ve also been placing some of my funds in low-cost index funds like Vanguard’s well-regarded VTSAX. I’ve been told that it is a good play for long-term investing. We’ll see.
But, this is not an essay about stock picks or investment recommendations. It seems like many people are infatuated with investing because they are looking for a quick short-term fix. A quick way to make money. An easy way to cash out. A get-rich-quick type of scheme. However, investing is more of a long-term game. One of several decades.
It’s hard to fathom what life is going to be like in a couple of decades. Will Social Security still be around? How will my nest egg look like? Will I have children? How will my business be doing?
All these are legitimate questions to ask and ponder about. But, at the same time, no one can really know what the future holds. All we can do is forecast and plan to the best of our abilities. So, I’ve been looking into additional places to invest my money. Additional places to reap rewards and have long-term gains over the years.
I’ve been looking into stocks, bonds, mutual funds, index funds, real estate, and even crypto currency. But, I’ve been mostly just sticking with stocks and index funds over these years. It’s all a long-term game. No need to take it too seriously.
It’s just a form of entertainment, like everything else in this world. I hope that when I reach the ripe age of 65, I will have a content lifestyle. One where I am grateful for every little thing that I have. Every breath of air that I take. Every little experience that happens to me.
I know that money is simply paper. It’s not meant to produce lasting happiness or contentment. That comes from within. Regardless of whether I have $0 or $1 million in my investment account when I retire, my well-being depends on my perspective. My inner nature.
It’s something that I can control every day, every hour. It’s something that only I can comprehend. For better or worse. Don’t get me wrong, having a large nest egg will make my life considerably easier on an external level. But, internally, I am in control of how I want to be. No one can change that for me.
So, invest wisely. Invest for the long-term. Take advantage of everything that is money. Take advantage of tax breaks. Take advantage of the long-term wealth building that is the stock market. Know that at the end of the day, whether I have $10 million or $1 million in the bank account, it doesn’t take away from my true nature.
My eternal nature. The one that I choose to have. The one that I have everlasting control over. My perspective is in my hands whether I like it or not. All the investment gains in the world cannot control how I feel on the inside. So, learn to ride with the roller coaster. Learn to cherish your money and manage it wisely.
But, know that money is just paper. It’s not something to take too seriously neither. Life is an entertaining game. One played gratefully. One played with heart and health and happiness. One that we should be grateful to have. We are what we perceive. So let everything soak up for what it’s worth. Look for beauty in the here and now. If you can’t find it, look for it again.
Investments are simply another cog in the machine to help us achieve external independence. But, internally, we already have control of everything in the here and now.
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