As investors, our ability to picture a future that is brighter than the present largely comes from never forgetting the past. A belief that is strengthened in our everyday life… if we take notice.
I often share with clients, colleagues, and even myself that today we are living our best life. My educated guess would be that in ten years, I can make the same statement. Unfortunately, in this go-go world, we don’t give much thought to how good our lives are. We are focused on the minutia of the day. A recent moment gave me such pause that it led me to share it in this valuable space here.
A few weeks back, it was a typical fall Saturday for this Crawshaw clan. We started at 8 am on the pitch (that’s soccer talk for all you Americans) and ended at 4 pm on the softball diamond. As we watched match #2 on the pitch, it was time to divide and conquer. That’s right; I needed to drive my daughter to her softball game while my wife stayed to watch the second half of the soccer match. In a rush, I left my mobile phone with my youngest son, as he was using it… code for staying occupied!
Within five minutes, perspective set in (at least in my little brain). If I’m being honest, panic set in at first. As we got to the softball fields, neither my daughter nor I could identify any of her teammates or coaches. After two laps around the park and seeing no one from her team, I had no idea what to do. I first tried to call my wife from my smartwatch. No dice… not smart enough to make a call without the phone in toe.
Next, I thought to myself… “what would I have done if this happened fifteen years ago before I had an everything device on my hip.” Well, I most likely would have written directions down to the actual park where the game(s) were being played and thus would’ve known ahead of time that we were not playing at the field I was circling.
So, of course, I relied on my 10-year-old for the proper course of action, who sagely recommended we head back to the pitch and get my phone. The disaster was averted, and we arrived a few minutes late at the correct field. Thankfully, I am still in the running for DOY (Dad Of The Year)!
As investors, our memories compared to today remind us how much our lives improve with every passing year, decade, etc. Putting this into context makes us appreciate today, but more importantly, it drives our positive thoughts for the future. That’s right; it’s okay to be positive… we call it proper perspective!
Think about how your handheld device has improved your life, mainly by providing information at your fingertips on demand. It’s shocking how easy and efficient our lives are (or can be) with this device at our side. It’s even more terrifying to imagine living without it. Trust me on this one!
Ten years (even a few years) from now, handheld devices may very well be the key to improving our health, or more so, our healthcare. Today, at its simplest, the smartwatch allows millions of people to track their steps… which leads to better health. Years from now, this device will do even more… maybe alert you before having a cardiac event or when it’s time for a checkup with your doctor… over Zoom!
When building retirement plans, I share with clients that many of us will live to 100. If that’s hard to believe, there’s no way you can fathom that the first 150-year-old is most likely being born today. Well, if I told you 15 years ago you would have the power of a computer in your pocket, would you have believed it?
The future is bright… we need to allow ourselves to see it!
Happy T-Day to all!
Note: Nothing in this letter should be considered investment advice, research,
or an invitation to buy or sell any securities.