Spreading Meaning This Holiday Season
Have you ever noticed, when people speak about meaning or direction, they usually talk about finding it, discovering it, or adding it to their life?
What if that’s not how it works? Rather than casting about for meaning, maybe it’s already there, happening all the time:
“The greatest things in the world are brought about by other things which we count as nothing: little causes we overlook but which at length accumulate.” — Georg Christoph Lichtenberg, 1742–1799 – The Waste Books
We’re financial advisors, not philosophers. But like you, we sometimes wonder about those greater things. Perhaps that’s one reason the holidays are special. They grant us the time and space to step away from the daily fray, to have a better look around.
Why don’t we dedicate this holiday season to welcoming in more of the meaning that already surrounds us?
It’s already there, in even the smallest acts of kindness:
“When we smile at someone, we leave a tiny imprint on that person’s brain. Somewhere, deep within their motor cortex, their brain is smiling back.” — Helen Thomson, contemporary author – Unthinkable
It’s in the choices we make as we decide where to devote our time and talents:
“The word power has two different meanings. There is power to: strength, gift, skill, art, the mastery of a craft, the authority of knowledge. And there is power over: rule, dominion, supremacy, might, mastery of slaves, authority over others.” — Ursula Le Guin, 1929–2018 – The Tombs of Atuan
And let’s not forget that pumpkin pie:
“I have a simple philosophy. Fill what’s empty. Empty what’s full. And scratch where it itches.” — Alice Roosevelt Longworth, 1884–1980 – As quoted in The Best
Without a doubt, the world is a daunting place. Each of us has endured our own heartbreaks; the wider daily news can grind us down as well. But while our can-do spirit may take its sweet time to prevail, it has surely proven stronger than our setbacks over time:
“Bad things happen fast, while good things take longer. … If newspapers and websites were only updated every 50 years, they might report: literacy is up, longevity increased, violence is down.” — Kevin Kelly, founder, Wired Magazine – The Case for Optimism
In many respects, this is our treasured role in your life: to help you manage your money in a manner that frees you to marvel at all the meaning already within your life.
With abundant gratitude, we wish you and yours the warmest of holiday seasons.