Sushi Money

 
I was musing today on life’s journey, our place in the world and many other imponderables.  I was thinking about my father who passed away a few years ago.  Looking at the sky I wondered about his life, my life and the journey we all must take.  I wondered if he was listening somewhere, chuckling at my thoughts.  And then, looking up at the clouds I saw little dancing birds flying slowly along…  but they were not birds.  All at once I realized they were Monarch Butterflies migrating south for the winter.  It was a simple observation perhaps, yet a revelation in many ways as well.  I realized how our lives are part of a journey.  The Monarch does not journey north, breed and journey south again come Fall.  It actually has multiple life stages… hence the butterflies that I saw are of a different generation than those who came before them.  But their road is the same… they must find their way and continue a journey and cycle that has begun long before, and will continue long after they are gone.  What is the quality of our life on this great journey?  What choices do we make to determine our life outcome, or that part of our journey we call our life? 

     I was reading the Tao Te Ching by Lao-tzu recently and found wisdom in words that speak of fulfillment and abundance:

If you look to others for fulfillment,
you will never truly be fulfilled.
If your happiness depends on money,
you will never be happy with yourself.

Be content with what you have;
rejoice in the way things are.
When you realize there is nothing lacking,
the whole world belongs to you.

     So much of our lives are simply one aspect of a larger journey.  We don’t try to make the journey all at once, that would be silly and illogical.  And yet when it comes to money and wealth, so often we try to make the financial journey all at once.  We look for the next hot investment, or mutual fund with the highest return, or chase stocks that look like they’ll rocket over the next year.  Perhaps it works for some people, but I would bet that most who do so are spinning their wheels, their time and their energy trying to make the journey all at once.   Instead, I believe it important to find peace with the journey, and take it one step at a time.  With knowledge, informed choices and time, we will achieve all things. 

    Briefly watching the journey of the Monarch butterfly helped me realize there are many aspects to the great journey we all make, including our financial journey.  It helped me remember to have patience and belief in the positive choices I make for the long-term.  To be happy with the journey we are taking, and with what we have.  Like the Monarch, we will encounter clouds, rain, wind and threats to our survival… yet we can make positive choices to find our way and do our best on our own journey, and for the generations that come after.

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