YesterYesterYear
It is funny what time does.
- Two years ago yesterday was the market low for the S&P 500, ending at 677. For those not familiar, basicly the S&P 500 tracks 500 of the largest publicly traded companies in the US. It ended yesterday at 1315.
- S&P 500 has surged more than 95%, as of Tuesday's close.
- That is the strongest 2 year bull market since 1962
- This added $6.2 trillion in market capitalization to the S&P
Those numbers may not mean much to you but it is interesting what time does and lessons I have noticed. Time can torture, trap, and hurt in the immediate. Two years ago yesterday, people were panicked. People were in crazy bad situations financially through the poking of the housing bubble. For those who haven't or can't refinance, there will be more people in crazy bad situations, as Adjustable Rate Mortgages (ARMs) change these next few years.
This 'challenge' has helped. Adversity has helped. People (and our nation) were living way beyond our means. Not just the individual, but municipalities, states, and the government were saddled with debt and we still are. Even businesses made themselves lean. Businesses cut off departments that they felt were unnecessary, watched expenses, and cut out excessive expenditures. I believe many of the large US companies are well positioned for future growth. Although we did let the competition gain a few steps on us, we still have the lead.
Two years later, there are still issues but not as dire as we thought only two years ago. Time can trap, torture, and hurt in the immediate. But time will free, save, and heal in the long run.
Patience is the state of endurance under difficult circumstances, which can mean persevering in the face of delay or provocation without acting on annoyance/anger in a negative way; or exhibiting forbearance when under strain, especially when faced with longer-term difficulties. Patience is the level of endurance one's character can take before negativity. It is also used to refer to the character trait of being steadfast. Antonyms include hastiness and impetuousness.
Those who were negative and hasty 2 years ago would have lost out on all the gains. People assume time is patience. Patience takes time but time is not patience. You can take time but not be patient. You can be patient but not give it enough time. In either cases, you are not patient. In the definition above, endurance and perserverance mean you are working toward a goal, you are hopeful, you are not negative. Patience is the level of endurance one's character can take before negativity. Patience is a virtue. Why is patience a virtue? I am not entirely sure. I just know that the last two years has helped open my eyes. Patience.
Share on FacebookI thought I could have both…
You can get sympathy or you can get better, but you can’t get both. You can be in your comfort zone or you can have growth, but you can’t have both. You can be interested or you can be sold-out-committed, but you can’t entertain both. You can have excuses or have results, but you can’t do both. Choose the path that develops your visceral fortitude.
- Mario Cortes
I thought I could get sympathy and get better at the same time. I was wrong. I thought I could be in my comfort zone and still grow. I was wrong. I thought I could be interested and sold-out committed at the same time. I was wrong. I thought I could make excuses and still see results. I was wrong.
I'm a type of guy who wants to 'have my cake and eat it too'. I thought I could have the best of both worlds. Recently I have been realizing that making a choice nullifies other choices. You made a choice. There are pros and cons to that choice, but you can't make a choice and think you have another choice. I thought I could get results while making excuses. Nope. I was just making excuses. You can't make an excuse and think you can get results. You're excuses will bring you down. Excuses dampen any result, even if it was the result you wanted. When we fail, we always look for an excuse. We take the easy way out. We don't look inside.
I thought I could be sold-out committed while being interested in others... which makes no sense at all now that I am writing this. I was just being interested, never committed.
I thought I could grow while being in my comfort zone. This also makes no sense. Growth can come naturally, through experiences and what life brings. I am talking about purpose driven growth. Growth that comes from trying new things and strengthening your weaknesses. Your comfort zone is just being in an area you are comfortable in. Comfort comes from knowing and also, generally, being good at that particular action. It is easy for you. Comfort zone is ease. Ease of mind, ease of actions, ease from growth (change).
I thought I could get better and get sympathy at the same time. When something troubling happens to you, the initial warmth of sympathy does get you better. However, that sympathy can become a crutch to you getting better fully. Sympathy is the social affinity in which one person stands with another person, closely understanding his or her feelings. Initially, having that person stand next to you is what is needed. You don't know what to do with yourself. Your friends and family keep you going. But after a while, the sympathy becomes a detriment rather than a soothing ailment to your suffering and grief. During your state of sympathy, you are not 'getting better'. You are leaning on others. Not on yourself. 'Getting better' meaning further growth, getting on with your life, learning from your experiences.
Choose the path that develops your visceral fortitude.
In other words, choose actions that develop your instinctive (gut feeling/ not intellectual) mental and emotional courage when facing difficulty, adversity, danger, or temptation.
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