Be Smart

Over the years, there have been several lessons I have learned the hard way.  Here is a couple of things I have learned and will share with you.

Return on Investment -  You are paid for buying or investing your money so someone else can use it.  The higher you get paid, the more risk you have on getting it back.  Nothing is free and all investments involve risk.  If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.  For me, I am a conservative when it comes to my money.  Simply put, the return of my money is more important than the return on my money.  I don't leave it up to someone else to do what I should.

A good will goes miles towards helping your family do what you want done with your stuff when you no longer need it.  It is simply a guide to what you want.  It doesn't need to be hard or complicated.  For me, I simply want my wife to have everything I have if I die before she does.  If we are both dead, I want out son to have everything.  Simple guidance can save a lot of heartaches.  Then, make sure that everyone mentioned gets a copy.

You don't get unable to play when you get old, you get old when you stop playing.  Walk, golf, ride a bike, swim or get up off your butt and do something.  There will be long enough later on that you won't be able to do things.  

It is never too late to learn.  Getting an education can include a life long passion for reading.  Then, only believe about half of what you read.  History is only what people remember and write down.  There is a lot of revision done after the fact and reading about the events can help you understand.

When bad people do bad things, a lot of time and energy is spent asking the question, "Why did they do it?" Most of the time there is no legitimate answer to that question.  Don't spend hours and hours wondering why things did happen the way they did.   It is time spent poorly.  I believe in seeking justice and don't worry about someone else seeking mercy.  Move on.

They say that money can't buy happiness.  It can buy a hell of a lot of contentment when your roof doesn't leak and your belly is full.  As my mother said, you don't find happiness by getting what you want, you get it by wanting what you have.  

MUD