What Really Matters

In coping with the loss of a loved one recently, I was reminded of not only how fragile life is and how quickly it can end, but also what really matters.  It's not all the things you have - investments, money, cars, homes, clothes, etc.  It's cliche, I know, but you can't take it with you.  Life is all about the people who care about you.  It's also about treating them with the love and respect they deserve.  All the people we love and who love us back - family, friends, work family:  they are our true wealth and our greatest strength.

Having a career and a good job or successful business, being a great investor, growing your portfolio and building a solid retirement nest egg - these things are nice and certainly fill you with a sense of accomplishment, are important to live a comfortable life and lay the groundwork for an equally comfortable retirement.  But the reality is, we don't accomplish very much in life on our own without any help.  This is particularly true in leadership.  Our relationships are what sustain us and help us achieve success in life.

Also, what good are all the accomplishments if not for the people in your life to share your journey, to lift you up when you fall and to celebrate your successes?  In the Seven Habits of Highly Successful People, the author talks about how you should "Begin with the End in Mind."  That means living your life in a way that you want to be remembered when your life is over.  What a powerful guiding principle to live by!  What will they say about you when you are gone?    A great investor?  Or a great person? 

I came across this quote that I think lays it out really well, and since I grew up in Hawaii, it really resonates with me.  Indeed, it was how my wife chose to live her life, and what she taught all of us who knew her and loved her:

Best wishes to you, your friends and your family this Holiday Season and have a Happy and Prosperous New Year.

As we begin a new year and a new decade, let's not forget what really matters.

In loving memory of Zena - 1970-2019.  You lived Aloha.