Last year I opened up my first Investing Account. My goal for the year was to play around and learn more about buying and selling shares. The very first purchase I made was about me wanting to support a company I believe in. The second purchase was recommended by a mentor and the third purchase came out of following the generic rule, "buy low sell high." I was also invited to my first share-holder meeting at a beautiful private club in Toronto which was an exciting and eye opening experience. I was the youngest person in the room and one of only 3 women.
Once I had had some fun, I started thinking about what I really wanted to invest in and something that has always resonated with me is what I call "real" currency, precious metals, gems, land, water and air. Things that human beings cannot physically create and will always outlast a dollar bill.
For investors and those who are curious about investing, I came across a great site that shows the price of gold over the years and one example of something that could contribute to an individual retirement plan.
As I began my research, I thought more about my generation and how few people will have long-term, stable work with a retirement plan or long term stable relationships. That means my generation will have to think extra hard about what they are going to do about their future now. Many of us are going from job to job and relationship to relationship with no sense of definite purpose and hoping everything will work out for the best or the mentality of "I'll deal with it later."
What would actually get people to start thinking about what matters now? What came to me is making "real" investments in our selves. But what does that mean? Do we know who we are? Why we are here? Have we made sense of our challenges? Do we know what we are grateful for? Do we know what our priorities are?
Sustainable investments -- investments that will be worth just as much if not more decades from now -- are investments in learning to focus our mind, relax and strengthen our bodies and engage our spirit, so that we feel just as amazing 20 years from now if not better than we feel in this moment.
Taking risks in the stock market is fun but only once we have built a solid, dependable financial foundation, otherwise it causes stress and anxiety. We are the same way on the inside. When we take the time to build real security through paying attention to our inner world -- the words we choose, our dreams and goals -- then doing adventurous things is simply fun. We don't have to wonder if we are wasting our time or compare ourselves to others who seem farther along.
So invest in the long run now and let yourself enjoy your life in the present. This is how we can have our cake and eat it too.
Love Mala
'Its Cool To BE Happy'