Retiring at 40

source: http://exoticpetstore.blogspot.com/

While the market is still down deep(yup don't lose hope it will go up anytime now) lets talk about what you and I wanted to do in life.

Back then I have told myself that I will retire at 40. By that, to clarify, I mean to retire from being an employee and be the boss of my own. Kinda big job to accomplish but as they say unless you have a specific goal you want to achieve you will be always reckless and find yourself from where you have always been, that is the beginning.

So make a bold statement. Tell the world what you wanted in the next few years(and for me its about 10 more years to go). Tell yourself, yup of all you have to make yourself aware of what you have been asking or else after starting such journey you might give up).

I have started this blog primarily to document my journey to financial freedom. Many people think "FINANCIAL FREEDOM" is when one has a lot of money. That means you have money enough so that you can just sit down and relax in the comfort of one of your 200 40 hectare vacation houses in the world. Probably this is how you picture yourself being financially free but even though you are filthy rich(as most of us term it) Financial Freedom actually is not measured in the quantity of money you have. Rather one is said to be financially free once one has achieve mastery of how money works for oneself and not the other way around. Probably you may have all those vacation houses I just mentioned but you are still unhappy in spite of what you already have then I guess you are not financially free. Your accumulated wealth has just become an escape or a facade of your unhappiness.

A lot of people also say that to be selfless is the way to happiness. Yeah you did it. You join a charity group once in a while you do give donations and join in activities which are good. But in the middle of it you are still unhappy. Probably you cant put such activity to your schedule any more or maybe financially you are incapable yourself. Instead of feeling the happiness and self fulfilment it seems that your joining a group is choking you. And that is an unhappy situation.

So how should we be able to achieve our goals?

source: http://www.speaklifeyouthministries.com

2 Corinthians 9:7

Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 

We have to strike a balance. As the verse from the Bible says, we must be decided, not reluctant, and not under compulsion. When we make decisions and set our goals we must give our 100% and not just a partial of it. When we give we must not have any hesitation. So if you are hesitant please don't give. Let that opportunity pass. Maybe you are not ready because at the back of your mind there are needs of your own or your family that you have to care of. 

So as early as possible decide what you really want(for me that is retiring at 40). Set a date for that and as you do your day to day living ideas or opportunities will open up for you to take action. Yes you may grab that opportunity but again if such opportunity is paired with hesitation or reluctance let go. It simple means you are not ready. 

If you are still undecided why don't you take a walk in your village or a nearby park where it is quite. Just walk. They say walking clears the mind. 

source: http://tripwow.tripadvisor.com

Will you join me in my walk? Yes in awhile I will be walking in the lovely sunset here in Tumon, Guam(I hope the dark clouds will be fully blown away) the stock market is probably in its bottom and I am thinking which stocks to buy next week.

Have you lost money like Steve Jobs?

source: http://www.blogworld.com

“I’m the only person I know that’s lost a quarter of a billion dollars in one year…. It’s very character-building.”

- Steve Jobs

Have you lost already in your stock investments like Steve Jobs? Probably not or probably you might have. And as the great man of marketing and innovation said "It's character-building."

I have two online stock brokerage accounts. Ask me now how is my portfolio on both accounts? Answer is: Both are at negative after the sudden stung the stock market took from recent economic woes. How much? About 1/5 of my total investment. 

It is sad to hear when people ask me about my stock investment and how much I already earned expecting me to say that I already earned one million in just 6 months but in reality I only earned about 1/4 from my original investment(which is not yet a million by the way). And when they learned about it they would say "oh I thought I can be a millionaire in the stock market."

Here is the truth: The stock market is a risky place to invest but along with risk comes returns.

source:http://wilderdom.com

That is why we have what we call calculated risk. We place our investments in stocks that will generate an acceptable future earnings at the same time buying such stocks when they are at their bottom prices. We only put free cash in stocks. We are investors not gamblers. 

From time to time we might do short trades on our stocks to seize the moment and pocket gains to further buy stocks of great value that will give us at least two bagger returns within the next 3-5 years.

So should we stop investing in stocks because we made a bad stock investment decision and lost money? 

We should rather be good students who learn from such mistake and use that learning experience to avoid the same mistake and develop a better way of doing stock investing.

Yes as Jobs said it is humbling; accept your mistakes and learn how to  turn your mistake into your point of achieving your goals.

source: http://www.triathlontrainingisfun.com