The tone of conversations have become somber these days. There is market volatility, racial tensions, coronavirus infections on the rise, millions of people are out of work and not to mention, it is a contentious presidential election year. America as a country is facing many battles, attacks are coming from several different angles.
However, no matter how difficult the hardship, we are able to dictate our response. We cannot fight the wave or struggle against the rush of the river. We have to roll with the punches. There is an insightful analogy that I believe is appropriate during times like these.
Think of the world as a premature baby in an incubator. The baby’s health status is extremely bad and her breathing, heart rate, and other important signs are tracked constantly so that changes for better or worse can quickly be seen. After a week, she is getting a lot better. On all the main measures, she is improving, but she still has to stay in the incubator because her health is still critical. Does it make sense to say that the infant’s situation is improving? Yes. Absolutely. Does it make sense to say it is bad? Yes, absolutely. Does saying “things are improving” imply that everything is fine, and we should all relax and not worry? No, not at all. Is it helpful to have to choose between bad and improving? Definitely not. It’s both. It’s both bad and better. Better, and bad, at the same time. That is how we must think about the current state of the world.
Those are the words of the physician, educator, and World Health Organization advisor, Hans Rosling. This profound excerpt is from his seminal book Factfulness written during a time when he himself was dying of cancer. I believe Dr. Rosling has a profoundly beneficial perspective when it comes to facing adversity of any kind.
Uncertainty in certain parts of our lives can make us feel uncertain about other areas as well. What do we do now? I think that is a pivotal question for many retirees today. A simple approach could be to concentrate on the areas that we have control over:
Time – You can scour every inch of this universe and you will not find an asset worth more than your time. When facing challenges, it encourages us to refocus and adjust where we spend our time. This is an incredible opportunity to concentrate on our own mental, physical and spiritual health. It is also an invitation to reach out to those people in our lives who would love to hear our voice.
Mindshare – You are the sum of your thoughts. Mindshare refers to the predominant hold of one’s attention. What are we reading? How much credence do we give to cynical talking heads? We cannot control the world around us however we can control what we consume and how we react to what we consume. If you are looking for a positive source of information, check out actor Jonh Krasinski’s “Some Good News” network on YouTube .
Plan – Every experienced captain knows that if you will be out on the open seas for an extended period of time, you will encounter some bad weather. It forces the captain to prepare a plan and continually adjust as needed. The journey of a retiree is very similar. A fruitful use of our timeshare and mindshare is to plan for the future. This will help to protect our families and assist us for the days when we encounter storms once again.
Our Retirement Design System is a clear and methodical approach for retirees and those approaching retirement to chart a course for their golden years. Just like life, retirement will present its unique set of obstacles. Are you confident in your plan? If not, we would love to help you build a plan designed to last – (863) 304-8959.
Investment advisory services offered only by duly registered individuals through AE Wealth Management, LLC (AEWM). AEWM and J.Biance Financial are not affiliated companies. The information contained herein is from sources that are believed to be reliable, however accuracy and completeness cannot be guaranteed. 664924-7/20