Many of us work hard and save funds to acquire valuables or other keepsakes. These items can be art, furniture, jewelry, writing instruments, purses, clothing and so many other items that are valuable in the eyes of the beholder. These items may have been gifted to you by a family member and they typically deliver a tremendous amount of satisfaction.

A few months ago, I was with a client and his health was failing. I asked him how long how it had been since he reviewed his estate plan. He said, “Oh a few years ago and it’s all good.” I asked if we could call his estate attorney to check in and he accepted the invitation. It turned out his estate plan was not up to date, it had several gaps, and critical pieces of information were missing.

In the last 60 days we have seen several amazing sporting events. The completion of the Triple Crown by Justify. The NHL playoffs with the Vegas Golden Knights going to the finals in their inaugural season. The French Open with Rafael Nadal winning a record-setting 11 th time. The NBA playoffs with Golden State taking the championship 3 out of the last 4 years.

Did you watch the Super Bowl LI? Did your team win or lose? Some unhappy fans went to social media during the game and started saying negative comments about their losing team and then started talking about the next football season already.

As we enter the Thanksgiving week I invite you to pause and reflect on the question above and begin an exercise. This exercise is called the grateful exercise. It only takes 10 - 15 minutes but if it takes longer it’s ok.

After many years in the industry, I am witnessing something I have never seen before among clients and investors. Investment anxiety and fear are at all time highs. Life is short. Please relax.

Life is short and unexpected. A question I have for your thought and consideration is this - What brings you peace and joy?

Is $220,000,000 a lot? Yes, it is. I would answer rapidly and with certainty that $220,000,000 is a lot of money.

A dying man came to a doctor and asked the doctor if he could perform surgery on him. The doctor said he would but then went on to tell the man that there was a very high chance that the man would not live through the operation.

What’s in your portfolio? Do you have real assets or are they artificial assets?

Have you ever thought about abandoning your stocks? Or you have been challenged by owning stocks? The truth is that you will be tested by stocks, and at times you will feel that they have permanently lost their value. You will feel that they are worthless and have let you down. You might ask yourself: “Why am I holding these things? They’re not doing anything for me.” But despite it all, you have to hold onto stocks and never give up on them.

If I told you to walk in a straight line, could you do it? I hope you could. Now, what if I blindfolded you and then told you to walk in a straight line, could you do that? You might say yes like most people would, but it is not that simple.