We had a potentially serious health scare earlier this year and it helped a bit of perspective on a lot of what I’ve been doing.
I would never wish that type of stress on anyone but it offers a good reminder of the tenuousness of life.
Our first post is one that was published more than 2 years ago and the author, Elliot Dallen, passed away on the day it was published.
At 31, I have just weeks to live. Here’s what I want to pass on [The Guardian] – “… the human body is a wonderful thing. You only appreciate this when it starts to fail you. So when you find yourself slipping into autopilot, catch yourself, and take simple pleasure in movement, if you can. Look after your body because it’s the only one you have, and it’s bloody brilliant. Knowing that my life was going to be cut short has also changed my perspective on ageing. Most people assume they will live into old age. I have come to see growing old as a privilege. Nobody should lament getting one year older, another grey hair or a wrinkle. Instead, be pleased that you’ve made it. If you feel like you haven’t made the most of your last year, try to use your next one better.”
Cash is King – and the Queen, Jack, and definitely the Joker [Accidentally Retired] – “You don’t need to save for anything in particular. You just need to save. The more you save, the better you’ll hedge yourself against life. Before I had ever read Morgan Housel’s wise words on saving, my wife and I instinctively held 2-3 years’ worth of cash at all times. It wasn’t always this way, but over time, we built up our cash cushion to give us the hedge we needed against my entrepreneurial career – and life in general.”
How to Invest Like the 1% [A Wealth of Common Sense] – “A lot of investors assume once you amass a large fortune that you’re welcomed into some secret club that unlocks the holy grail of investment opportunities. Sure, there are plenty of really rich people who invest in excluding, expensive, complex strategies but the majority of the wealthy class has most of their money in normal asset classes like stocks and bonds. Here’s a piece I wrote for Fortune about how the top 1% invest their money.”