Author: cbarney.45

When speaking with others, try to sincerely compliment them. This can help to make them feel better, build their confidence, and, hopefully, pay it forward to someone else. The opposite is also true if you improperly criticize them (even just nitpicking little things). That person will either be stripped of their confidence and be afraid to make any decisions, resent you and not want to be near you, or let it negatively affect their mood, which can rub off on others.

Be wise with when you praise others (sincerely, and mixing in private praise with public acknowledgement) and when to give them necessary constructive criticism (privately, relating it to how you may have done something similar in the past, and what you’ve learned from it).

When you live below your means, are debt-free, and have been investing in your future, it frees you to become the best possible version of yourself. You are in a position of strength. If your work disappears overnight (as it has for many during the COVID-19 pandemic), it allows you to not go into complete freak out mode. It allows you to gather your composure and to reset. You are ok. Now it’s time to plan for your future.

If you have been living paycheck to paycheck, and are feeling unusually stressed at this point in time, now is the time to reorganize your finances and put things into perspective. Can you find ways to earn more money (changing careers, working side jobs, or selling things around the house that you don’t use)? Can you find ways to cut your expenses (not buying/renting more house than you need, owning a car outright – even if it’s not as nice as you’re used to, cooking your own meals instead of ordering out, or just not buying things that you feel like you “deserve”)?

If you’ve never budgeted before, try it out today. See what you’re actually spending money on (maybe some subscriptions that you never actually use) and you’ll be amazed at how much money you can “find.” Practice living below your means and you’ll soon find out that it doesn’t feel like a life of deprivation. No, living below your means will actually free you, and you’ll be much happier in the long run.

Watch out for those who care too deeply about the opinions of those they are trying to gain something from (business, prestige, etc). If you watch them closely, they don’t respect those who they feel are “beneath” them. The problem is, sometimes these people can deceive others – tricking them into thinking that they are kind and generous, but really, it is all for show. Often times they give to charity only as a means to improve their social status with whomever they are trying to impress. They wear a figurative mask to cover up their true self because their true intentions are ugly and only of self-interest.

We all do this to some degree, but some do it more than others. Today, take the time to reflect how you are treating others. When are you wearing your mask and when are you your true self? Hopefully you have no mask and what people see is what they get. But really, ask yourself, “Do I act differently in front of those who have more status than me? How do I act or react to those closest to me? Am I treating them with the same amount of respect as the people in power? Do people know who I really am? Or do they just see my mask?”

Samuel Johnson once said, “The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good.” Take that to heart. Be kind to everyone. Hope for the best for others. Give, be charitable, love, and care for those around you. And please, don’t just do this for show. Don’t do it only so that you get recognition from others. Do it because it’s the right thing to do.

First of all, I’m an amateur investor and have no financial credentials, so this post is just my opinion. Before you make any decisions, you should consult your financial advisor (and make sure they are a fiduciary). If you don’t know one, message me privately and I can potentially point you in the right direction.

Ok, so, as this Coronavirus pandemic has continued, I know that there has been a lot of panic regarding the stock market. It causes a lot of people stress, seeing the market go down, down, down. And it is concerning. But if you’re in this for the long run, you will be ok. Do NOT sell your stocks or anything in your portfolio if it has been performing leading up to this temporary setback. If you do, the only thing you are doing is ensuring that you lose money. You are selling when the market is down.

Even if the market came up from yesterday, but is down overall from the past month, two months, six months, or more, if you plan on investing for the long-term, chances are likely that the stock market will not only recover, but grow to new heights. If you sell your shares now, stay out of the market until you feel that it is safe, and then buy when you’re feeling better about the economy, you’re essentially selling low and buying high (the opposite of what any investor wants). Remember, until you sell, you haven’t technically lost anything.

Let’s take a look at an example…Let’s say you have 100 shares of a company that is trading at $100 per share at the height of the market (in this hypothetical scenario, you’re investing in one company, but really, you should invest in mutual funds or index funds). That means you have $10,000 of paper equity (100 shares x $100/share). If the stock market crashes, and now that company is only worth $70 per share, your paper equity has been reduced to $7,000 (still 100 shares, but now you’re multiplying that 100 by $70/share). Your mind may be telling you that you lost $3,000, but really, you haven’t lost anything because you haven’t sold any shares. If the market rebounds to its initial $100/share and you still have 100 shares, you’re back to being even. If it grows above the $100/share mark then you’ve profited! Your gains won’t be as high as if the market never tanked in the first place, but you didn’t lose anything.

So, if you think that the market will come back (hint, as long as it has been in existence it has always come back) then don’t sell! Don’t panic. We will all get through this.

(Side note, unless you actually have extra cash that you can invest now, it’s not necessarily a good idea to buy more than usual right now either. I like the idea of dollar cost averaging for most people. That means you put in the same amount every month, so you’re not trying to “time the market.” Don’t deplete your cash reserve and then have to rely on credit cards because you threw every extra dime you had into the market. Be smart with your money. Only you can decide what that means.)

Being stuck at home, out of our routine, and surrounded by negativity on the news and social media, it can be easy to start feeling a little down about the “stay at home” orders. But with every challenge that we face, as long as we can survive it, there is always a silver lining. If you search for things to be grateful for, you will find them. If you search for things to be upset about, you will find them. Today and everyday, try to search for the good in life. Because, in reality, there is no better time to be alive than right now, and we have so much to be thankful for. Below are my top five reasons to be thankful during my Coronavirus “quarantine.”

1. Spending more time with my wife and kids…Ever since graduating high school, I’ve been go, go, go. From working 25+ hours per week while taking a full course load at Ohio State, to graduating and working mandatory overtime at my full time job plus two part time jobs, to my current role, I’ve put in considerable hours into my academic and professional career. But this time off has given me more time with my family over a short stretch than I have had in years and I’m loving it. It is definitely something to be grateful for.

2. Completing mini projects around the house…I’ve been able to update faucet supply lines and install Shark Bites for the first time ever, do some minor drywall touch ups, and paint so far. I didn’t prioritize these items previously, but now am able to squeeze activities like these in during the kids’ nap times.

3. Helping more around the house…My wife and I never had an agreed upon set of chores that she does or I do, but we’ve found that we compliment each other well in what each of us likes/dislikes doing. For example, I always take out the trash and do dishes most of the time. We both vacuum and while I usually start the laundry, she likes folding it (one of my least favorite activities). But now that I’m home more, I’m able to contribute more and make her life a little easier by cooking and cleaning more frequently. And when I’m not doing those things, I can play with my son (which makes it easier for her to do what she wants).

4. Getting caught up on shows…Honestly, I haven’t watched very many t.v. shows in the past four or five years. The only shows I watched were Game of Thrones and Westworld. All of my other free time was spent trying to be more productive (reading, working, listening to podcasts/audiobooks, or exercising). But I can only read so much before I want to fall asleep. Or I can only exercise so much now before my body feels like it will break. So what can I do? Get caught up with shows like The Mandalorian on Disney Plus. It’s excellent and I’d highly recommend it.

5. Not taking having a job for granted…People complain about their jobs all the time and some people even get a case of the “Sunday Blues” when they think of going back to work after a couple days off. But working gives you purpose. It helps you feel like you’re accomplishing something, and that you’re contributing to something greater than just yourself. Volunteering does the same thing. But with this quarantine, being stuck inside and isolating ourselves from our friends, we don’t get to feel that normal sense of purpose anymore. This is why I enjoy working. Even though it can be stressful at times, a life without stress would be boring. If you had to rate each day of your life on a scale of 1-10, it’s the low days (1’s-4’s) that really make you appreciate the average days (5’s-7’s). And without those low days, the high days (8’s-10’s) might not even be possible.

In closing, those are just a few positive takeaways from my “quarantine” so far. What are some of yours?