Author Archives: Edward Brownlee

Habits Matter

Posted on by

“The real reason that habits matter is that your habits are how you embody a particular identity. So every action you take is like a vote for the type of person you wish to become.” ~ James Clear, Entrepreneur and bestselling author of Atomic Habits

James Clear, New York Times bestselling author of Atomic Habits, has inspired readers to change their health behaviors for the better. He puts it simply:

“Who we are reflects our habits.”

With his helpful metaphors and refreshingly straightforward and sustainable mindset techniques inspired by psychology greats, he contends that we can all build habits that make us shine.

“Look at a stone cutter hammering away at his rock, perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred-and-first blow it will split in two, and I know it was not the last blow that did it, but all that had gone before.” ~ Jacob Riis

The boulder did not crack just because the one hundred and first hit, but the accumulative effects of the previous hits. Thus, you must have the mindset of patience and wait for the results that will come.  Be patient and let things accumulate.

Habits matter are how you habit are how you embody a particular identity.

US Credit Rating Cut by Fitch Ratings

Posted on by

The US had its credit rating cut one step to AA+ from the top ranking of AAA by Fitch Ratings, echoing a move made more than a decade ago by ratings agency – S&P in 2011.

The credit agency saying that it reflects “expected fiscal deterioration,” a “high and growing” government debt burden, and an “erosion of governance” in face of repeated debt-limit standoffs and other ills have cast doubt on the United States’ ability to meet all its payment obligations.

A lower credit rating could make borrowers less likely to lend money to the federal government on favorable terms, potentially raising costs for U.S. taxpayers.

Rock, Pebble and Sand

Posted on by

A philosophy professor once stood up before his class with a large empty mayonnaise jar. He filled the jar to the top with large rocks and asked his students if the jar was full.

His students all agreed the jar was full.

He then added small pebbles to the jar, and gave the jar a bit of a shake so the pebbles could disperse themselves among the larger rocks. Then he asked again, “Is the jar full now?”

The students agreed that the jar was still full.

The professor then poured sand into the jar to fill up all the remaining empty space.

The students then agreed again that the jar was full.

The Metaphor:

In this story, the jar represents your life and the rocks, pebbles, and sand are the things that fill up your life.

The rocks represent the most important projects and things you have going on, such as spending time with your family and maintaining proper health. This means that if the pebbles and the sand were lost, the jar would still be full and your life would still have meaning.

The pebbles represent the things in your life that matter, but that you could live without.

The pebbles are certainly things that give your life meaning (such as your job, house, hobbies, and friendships), but they are not critical for you to have a meaningful life.

These things often come and go, and are not permanent or essential to your overall well-being.

Finally, the sand represents the remaining filler things in your life, and material possessions. This could be small things such as watching television, browsing through your favorite social media site, or running errands.

These things don’t mean much to your life as a whole, and are likely only done to waste time or get small tasks accomplished.

The Moral:

The metaphor here is that if you start with putting sand into the jar, you will not have room for rocks or pebbles.

This holds true with the things you let into your life. If you spend all of your time on the small and insignificant things, you will run out of room for the things that are actually important.

In order to have a more effective and efficient life, pay attention to the “rocks,” because they are critical to your long-term well-being.

Source:  https://www.developgoodhabits.com/inspirational-stories/

Four Stages of Wealth

Posted on by

Riches are visible; Wealth is invisible!

The biggest barrier to becoming wealthy for most people is living like you’re rich before you are. Why? Because all that unnecessary discretionary spending — to appear rich — crowds out the necessary saving and investing over the long-term that will enable you to be wealthy someday.

Finding 100 Baggers

Posted on by

“To make money in stocks, you must have the vision to see them, the courage to buy them, and the patience to hold them.” ~ George Baker

The rarest of the three investing virtues is patience, according to Thomas Phelps.

Thomas Phelps was 70 years young when his book “100 to 1 in the Stock Market” was published. Phelps spent over 40 years in the investing world working as a private investor, a columnist, an analyst, and a financial advisor.

Mr. Phelps went back in history and found that from 1932 to 1971, there were over 350 stocks in which you could have turned $1 into more than $100. He said, “The reason that more people don’t make 10,000% on their money is that they don’t set their goals high enough!”

He  shared four things an investor should look for when investing their money in order to increase their wealth 100-fold.

1. Invest in smaller companies that can sustainably grow their earnings at a fast pace for a long time.

2. Invest in relatively unknown businesses. Phelps writes, “Popular growth stocks may keep on growing, but too often one has to pay for expected growth, too many years in advance.”

3. Invest in companies with a strong, progressive, research-minded management team

4. Buy companies that have a unique product that can do a job better, faster, or cheaper than their competitors or provide a new service with prospects of long-continued sales increases in the future.

This often leads investors to microcaps because they meet many of Phelps’ four requirements:

They are generally early-stage small businesses, relatively unknown, and their values are between $50 and $300 million.

One of Phelps’ biggest takeaways from his study was the importance of simply never selling.

To achieve 100X returns, you need to find companies that are compounding capital rapidly and hold them for a very long time.

This eliminates a big wealth killer: capital gains taxes.

Sometime the thing that is holding you back is all in your mind.

Advice for Your 18 Year Old Self

Posted on by

Gary Keller, founder of Keller Williams Reality said the following:

It’s Graduation Season! Here is what I would I tell my 18 year old self. Parents, this goes for you too.

  1. Breathe. No matter what happens. Just make sure you always breathe and know you’re ok.
  2. Love. No matter what happens. Just lead with love and always know that you are loved.
  3. People. No matter what happens. Just make time for the people who matter the most.
  4. Charity. No matter what happens. Just be charitable and go find a charity and get involved.
  5. Hit it. No matter what happens. Pick a target and go for it with everything you’ve got.
  6. Never ever give up. No matter what happens. When you fall down simply get up and move.
  7. Believe in yourself. No matter what happens. Always believe in yourself, believe you can do all things through Him who strengthens you, and always be grateful. 

Life is About

Posted on by

Life is not about winning or accumulating wealth. It’s about your relationships, your health, your believing in yourself, your always being grateful, your fighting and never giving up.

https://twitter.com/valuestockgeek/status/1684154374317133826?s=46&t=mF_tsrQnjgviyl62GYfJjw

Success is not just about what you are achieving, but who you are becoming.

Are you spending your whole day pursuing things, or are you becoming something?

At the end of each day, take a moment to reflect on the moments that made you smile, the connections you made, the lessons you learnt, the positive impact you had on others.

It is in the small moments that you often find the greatest joys, it’s the little things that often make the biggest difference.

Each day, ask yourself if you lived authentically, if you were true to your values, and if you took steps towards your dreams, no matter how little.

As the night draws near, you may not have achieved all that you set out to do, but remember, the true measure of success lies in living a life that is aligned with your purpose and that brings you a deep sense of fulfillment.

It’s not enough to only get things done, always have the courage to ask yourself, “How am I living?”

Practicing Mindfulness

Posted on by

“Our life is shaped by our mind, for we become what we think.” ~ Buddha

Practicing mindfulness (being aware of the present moment without judgement) can allow you to harness the energy of your thoughts and shape the trajectory of your life’s journey.

Practicing mindfulness involves breathing methods, guided imagery, and other practices to relax the body and mind and help reduce stress.

Practicing mindfulness exercises can help you direct your attention away from negative thinking and engage with the world around you.

There are many ways to practice mindfulness. Mayo Clinic has outlined how you can be mindful in your daily life.

Start Small

Starting small means taking 5 minutes or so out of your day and dedicating it to yourself. These 5 minutes can bring a new perspective, positivity and calmness to whatever stress is weighing down on you. Take the time to focus on your senses, breathing, body and environment.

Accept Yourself and Be Open to Change

The Mayo Clinic suggests treating yourself as you would treat a friend. In avoiding self-criticism and negative self-talk, you’re demonstrating mindfulness by practicing to regulate damaging thought patterns.

It’s easy to be very critical and judgmental throughout the day, even unintentionally. Being open to trying new things and thinking a different way can open the door for a new way of life. Change can lead to progress, even some changes that are frightening at first.

Fit Mindfulness Into Your Lifestyle

It only takes a few minutes per day to decrease your stress levels through mindfulness. Find these moments in your day. They might be transitional periods, like right after work, between tasks or after meals. You can also dedicate a space in your home to mindfulness by setting up a quiet and comfortable area to practice connecting with yourself.

Mindfulness can be practiced wherever and whenever, but The Mayo Clinic notes engaging your senses outdoors is especially beneficial. You might go for a walk as an opportunity to increase your mindfulness, or even just take advantage of the moments in your day when you find yourself outdoors, like checking the mail or walking to your car.

References:

  1. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/consumer-health/in-depth/mindfulness-exercises/art-20046356
  2. https://www.snhu.edu/about-us/newsroom/education/how-to-practice-mindfulness

Posted on by

 

Happiness and the Meaning of Life

Posted on by

According to Frank Martela, a Finnish philosopher and psychology researcher, finding meaning in life boils down to five words: “Make yourself meaningful to others”.

You can do this by opening yourself up to deep connections with others, your community and your passions.

1. Live for yourself, not someone else’s expectations.

It can be hard to live with purpose if you’re going through the motions, burned out, or filled with resentment because you’re on a path that someone else picked for you. Even a meaningful job like being a doctor can feel empty if your heart isn’t in it.

Before you can give to someone else, you have to understand what makes you happy, and start doing more of it.

2. Become an expert and share your knowledge.

One of the best ways to serve others is to find something that meets three requirements:

  • You’re good at it.
  • It excites you.
  • It has a positive impact on others.

Once you’ve found a job or a hobby that makes you feel fulfilled, put all your focus into becoming an expert in it. Then share it with your community.

3. Practice random acts of kindness.

You should strive to do three random acts of kindness a day. It can be as simple as offering a glass of water to the mailman, spending an afternoon with a grandparent, or helping a tourist find their way.

By doing three random acts of kindness daily, you might develop unexpected deep bonds with others as a result. Here’s how:

Helping people doesn’t just feel good in the moment; it benefits your long-term health, too. Studies show that people who give emotional support to their family, friends and neighbors are more likely to live longer.

4. Be a good neighbor.

“Working together to do something that one would not be able to do alone.” This philosophy can be essential for the good of the whole.

5. Embrace quiet time together.

People don’t need to make grand gestures to be an important part of your life. Being together in silence is enough to make individuals feel connected and loved. Sitting silently with someone can be moments of deep meaning and connection.

6. Practice mindfulness.

Being intentional with your thoughts and actions, you can begin to reduce your stress and increase your happiness through consciously focusing on your state of mind.

Mindfulness is focused around being present in any moment, at any time. It’s the human ability to be aware of where you are and what you’re doing  A key to mindfulness is recognizing emotions or situations without any positive or negative judgment. When you observe rather than judge, you can be more purposeful in what you say and how you say it.

Mindfulness has been proven to be an effective tool for reducing stress and anxiety. If you’re one of the 40 million U.S. adults who suffer from anxiety per year, the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) promotes mindfulness as a technique for growth, self-discovery and success.

References:

  1. Frank Martela, I’m a psychology expert in Finland, the No. 1 happiest country in the world—here’s the real meaning of life in 5 words, CNBC Make It, June 9 2023. https://www.cnbc.com/2023/06/09/psychology-expert-from-finland-the-worlds-happiest-country-shares-the-meaning-of-life-in-5-words.html
  2. Joanne Coffey, How to Practice Mindfulness, Southern New Hampshire University, October 18, 2022.  https://www.snhu.edu/about-us/newsroom/education/how-to-practice-mindfulness