35 Years
What is persistence? Could it mean that you believe in something so strongly that you stay the course, no matter what the outside influences or powers that draw you in different directions? The other day, my wife and I celebrated 35 years of marriage. God willing maybe we have another 35 years, but if we aren’t persistent and believe that our marriage is worth fighting for, there is little hope.
There were many days that I’m sure it would’ve been easier for us both to go our different ways. However, we believed that our purpose was to make a marriage, not a perfect or flawless one, but one that was forever. And through this process we’ve grown together, failed together, succeeded together, and have become one, for each other.
As statistics prove, it is more often the choice to walk away from marriage and relationships. We often think it would be easier to find someone new, someone better looking, and someone with different attributes, rather than appreciating and being happy with what we do have.
I believe that success in marriage is about persistence. It’s about being intentional with your purpose, learning to accept your partner’s imperfections, recognizing your own, and believing that the union and vows you took under the oath of God are more important than your short-term needs or attractions to things outside the relationship. But you have to be focused, intentional and want for a long-term result.
In this throwaway society, isn’t marriage much like investing? One way to achieve our long-term goals is to stay unemotional, systematic and diversified; while intentional about what we believe and how we’re going to get the results we want. If we’re always looking for something better, if we’re always looking for short-term gratification, we will never achieve our long-term goals.
It is easy to get distracted with the markets just like it is in your relationship, but very much like my marriage of 35 years if I am to have fairly predictable results then my investing has to be for a lifetime, not until I get bored.
So for success in a long-term relationship or your long-term investment process, I suggest you shut out the financial pornography, along with all those who tell you why something else or someone else’s better, invest academically in your portfolios, rebalance consistently, and do not worry about short-term results.
Here’s the skill set that will do you well with both marriage and investing:
- Marry/invest appropriately
- Be happy with what you have
- Accept the short-term turmoil
- Consistently pay attention/rebalance
- Understand that marriage/investing is for the long-term
- Have a plan for success
I’ve been investing for 40 years/married for 35 and I believe because of my long-term, systematic and intentional approach both have done me well. I wish you success at both too!
The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. No strategy assures success or protects against loss.
