things the grandkids should know

The biggest mistakes I’ve made in my career were borne of a lack of courage and a fear of the unknown.  Hesitation has done more harm than impetuousness, though both have cost me plenty.

I know for a fact that things happen for a reason.  There are puzzle pieces that have fit together for me so perfectly that their being in the same box cannot have been an accident.  Fate is not so abhorrent a belief once you’ve decided that you are meant to have a meaningful fate.

No one gets away with anything.  Any envy I’ve felt at the questionable success of others has been misplaced, as people end up paying for their corner-cutting.  Eventually…but always.

“Uncertainty” is the most overused descriptive term on Wall Street and in life.  I’m waiting for someone to let me know when things are “Certain”.

I’ve kept a mental list of people I’ve let down.  The list has gotten longer, but the anguish fades away over time.  Never completely, though.

I’ve kept a mental list of those who’ve let me down.  The list has not grown in some time – I stopped putting myself in a position to be let down by people long ago.

There’s nothing funny about professional asset management.  There’s plenty to find funny about financial news and commentary.  Blogging the humorous side of the markets allows me the necessary outlet so that the serious business of helping people invest doesn’t overwhelm me.

I tend to get caught up in the madness of crowds.  This is not always a bad thing.  No one needs to be an outlier at all times, it’s lonely and dangerous.  I also tend to snap out of the madness before the crowd goes off the cliff, which is helpful.

Nothing good ever happens after 2 AM.  It took me 15 years to learn that lesson and every once in a while, I willfully forget it.

I’ve done and said things to people in the distant past that still make me physically sick when they pop into my head now and then.  This sickening feeling has had a lot to do with my improvement as a person, however.

I’m not a boss, a manager or a leader.  I’ve been in that role more often than I should have and it doesn’t suit me at all.

The prettiest people I know are the ugliest on the inside.  They’ve never been unpopular or denied anything, and as a result they’ve never developed a soul.

A single bite of someone else’s pizza tastes infinitely better than if you were to have an entire pie in front of you, all to yourself.  There’s a lesson here that is more about moderation and desire than it is about sharing.

I am loyal to a fault.  Sometimes I’m loyal to the wrong people, or for too long, or for the wrong reasons, but loyal nonetheless.  It’s a virtue that acts like a flaw.

Anyone can fire off an email or a text.  It’s when someone takes the time to write to you that the content is truly meaningful.

If I could have just one super power, I’d want the ability to take the pain for myself every time one of my kids gets sick or falls down.

Thanks to all my readers,  I’ll be gone for a little while but returning with very big news.