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What I’m Thankful For

Last evening I sent a short email to my clients sharing my appreciation for the relationships we have built, the trust they have in me, and for allowing me to do what I enjoy the most each day. After I hit send, I thought I’d write a post for supporters of the blog and my FinTwit friends.

We all have so much to be thankful for–so, here’s what I’m thankful for in 2018:

1.) Family

For many, this is the obvious number one. But, with each year we become exposed to new aspects of life, and unfortunately, I’ve seen multiple examples where family would not make someone’s list. I don’t need these examples to remind me of how fortunate I am to have my family, but it does make me even more grateful for them. It’s no secret my family is an extremely important part of my life–the boys show up in videos and posts, my firm is named after Roman, Leo, and Silas, and I often brag on my wife’s dedication and drive as a business owner, mother, and wife (she doesn’t make it into the posts as often, but if we’ve ever spoken, you definitely know about Ang).

For some reason, I’ve grown to enjoy sharing parts of my personal life on here and in social media, and I cannot tell you how cool it is to receive comments about or have people ask about the boys. Sometimes I wonder if my sharing is overboard, but they bring so much happiness to my life that I just want to share it.

I’m also thankful for my extended family. We are extremely lucky to have my and Ang’s families in town; my boys get to grow up seeing their grandparents and cousins at least every other week (we trade Sunday dinners with each side of the family), having family attend their sporting and school events, and I get to keep a close relationship with my parents and sister, although I know I probably don’t give them as much time as they’d like and deserve. I grew up with all of my extended family out of state, so I can appreciate how lucky we are to have family close.

Without the support of my family, especially Ang and the boys, I would not be enjoying my life as much as I do; I’m eternally thankful to have the family I do.

2.) Health

I loved this tweet yesterday:

Just like we are reminded how family is not the same for everyone, each year we seemed to be reminded how fragile life can be. I often include wellness, nutrition, and fitness in my posts, and I will continue to do so because it has become a passion of mine. I want to minimize as many potential health issues as possible. In investing we talk about controlling what we can (behavior, expenses, taxes, etc.), and the same is true with our health; with health, it is what we put in our bodies, the amount and types of activity we do, and the lifestyles we live.

Knock on wood (taps desk), I’ve been fortunate to experience a healthy life so far (my family as well)–I certainly do not take this for granted. I still have a lot of things I want to accomplish personally and professionally, and I’ll need my health to get it all done. I don’t know what God has planned for me, but I’ m going to do my best to minimize the harm I inflict on myself.

3.) RLS Wealth Management

Including my business might seem a little odd, but after spending the first eleven years of my career working for other people and at firms I did not fully align with, I am now fortunate to go to work each day, work with the individuals and families I chose to, do things the way I have determined to be the best, and enjoy every moment of it all. “Thankful” doesn’t even seem like enough.

I have been granted the opportunity to do what I love to do with people I enjoy being around. I’m beyond thankful for the clients who followed me and allowed me to start RLSWM, for the clients that picked right back up with me after not being able to help them for a couple of years, and for the clients that have entrusted me, initially a stranger, to help their family make some of the most important decisions of their lives.

I’m thankful to live in a time where technology allows for RLSWM to exist. Ten years ago, starting my firm would not have been possible. I know luck plays a role in a lot of life’s successes, and I’m thankful for being lucky enough to be alive at the right time to have the opportunity to start and now grow my own firm–I’m extremely excited about the future!

4.) The FinTwit Community

When I first joined Twitter and found the community, I told myself I wanted to be a part of it. Once I became a participating member, I wanted to contribute to the community in a meaningful way–I didn’t just want to be a spectator (I think I’ve started to make my impact, but I’ve got a long way to go). I could tell many of the active members in FinTwit were changing the industry for good, whether they had the blue check or not, and I wanted to be a part of it.

I had no idea I’d forge the relationships I have over the last couple of years–this year has been bonkers with the friendships I’ve developed. There are too many of you to list, and I’d hate to leave someone out, so if we’ve interacted at all, or you find yourself wondering “Is he talking about me?”–yes, I’m talking about you, and I’m thankful for you.

On multiple occasions I’ve confessed my love of FinTwit–I am a better advisor, investor, communicator, father, and person because of the community–they say iron sharpens iron, right? Without your support, just like my family, I would not be having as much fun writing, recording videos and podcasting–you all have been tremendously supportive and I am grateful for all of it.

I’ve learned to tell people I appreciate them when and as often as I can. I think Kanye West (old Kanye, not MAGA Kanye) sums it up best:

“If you admire somebody, you should go ahead and tell them. People never get the flowers while they can still smell them.”

-Kanye West

If you’re reading this please know I appreciate you and your support; this is the written form of giving you flowers.

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family!

Disclaimer: Nothing on this blog should be considered advice, or recommendations. If you have questions pertaining to your individual situation you should consult your financial advisor. For all of the disclaimers, please see my disclaimer page.

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