Invest In Yourself

I made an offhand quip on the latest Core Intuition podcast, that in light of the recent stock market plunge, I should have invested money into my own company instead of the likes of Yahoo and Apple.

I was (mostly) joking, but there’s a philosophical truth in there. All of us have lately learned, or been reminded, that there are no guarantees when it comes to investing money. At the core of most investments is the expectation that one day down the road, we’ll take back more dollars than we put in today. We’re disappointed at best and devastated at worst if we are forced to cash out with less money than we started with.

But many of life’s investments are risk free precisely because we don’t expect anything tangible in return. So be sure to spend at least some of your dollars and time on something more valuable and permanent than money. Education, artistic expression, good health, time with family & friends, travel, or pursuing your own particular favorite pastime.

All of these investments yield immediate, intangible returns that can’t be diminished at the whim of bankers, stockholders, or public policy makers. People who invest only for financial return wind up going mad with money lust. Losing their investments spells catastrophe. A pity they never took the time to write a novel or learn to play guitar.

In short, invest in yourself and you’ll always have plenty of you to value.