LIFE AS AN INVESTMENT
I wish to discuss something far more fulfilling and somewhat general point of view: personal investment.
I am not talking about managing your finances; I’m talking about managing yourself and the expectations in life.
Like with money, if you invest in something you expect to get a return.
Ideally, a positive return. The results are in the plus side, not the negative.
This same concept goes for your life. For instance, you sit around and do absolutely nothing. In some respects, you get nothing in return. (But in essence, there is no such thing as absolute nothingness. You have to be doing something and as a result, you get something.)
Okay, a far better example. Think of a party you are throwing for a loved one. You spent your time, money, and energy to plan for this party. In the end, the result is of success. Your loved one is happy and therefore, you enjoy the party as well. Investment equals positive return.
Going to school is a personal investment. You study and probably spend money as well on books, tuition, and other expenses (assuming you are not on a scholarship). You graduate and finally get a job within your field. Investment equals fulfillment return.
Unfortunately, personal investment can be at a negative. You get a result, but it is necessarily not for the best.
One example: I read a story in the news a few months ago where two people were spending a lot of time and money into their wedding. Days before the wedding, the groom dumped his bride to be. Naturally, the bride was furious. The result, even after all that planning, was heavily in the negative side. Not only was the money wasted, but both sides were hurt. The conclusion of the story was kind of sad, the jilted bride sued her former fiancée for the cost of the wedding (weddings can be expensive, which kind of dampened the occasion in my opinion but that is for another post). Messy indeed.
Everything we do is an investment in our life. There is always an end result to our personal choices and actions taken by:
- Planning for the present.
- Planning for the unexpected.
- Planning for the sake of planning.
Whew!
Perhaps in the case of the jilted bride, there may have been other reasons why this wedding failed. Sometimes during the midst of the planning, we forget the overall expectation. A wedding should be a happy occasion, and not stressful.
The Management of Personal Investment
- By focusing on what you really want at the end. Knowing that the result can be positive or negative. Ideally positive over negative.
- Is the investment a waste? Or is it really worth your time and energy?
- Know your limits.
- Know that plans can change and you should be flexible & open-minded.
- Believe in open-ended investments. Break the barriers. Where there are now no limits, in that everything is changing. Plans change, some things take longer than expected. For instance, you are traveling across the country. Maybe you don’t have an end date. You are still trying to find yourself. Spending time in self-realization is part of the investment.
- Once done, evaluate the return and reinvest. That’s right, challenge yourself not to be perfect but to take it to another level. Dispel bliss and be discontented with the result. Demand more.
Life is an overall investment and can be made up of many investments. Each phase and each moment of your life, you will find the investment that fits your style and everyday life. Everything you do is an investment towards who you are in the present. From taking the time out for a jog to eating well or studying towards something worthwhile, it matters.
