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Milky coffee splattered the hood of the black SUV and the driver started shrieking—she’d narrowly missed the young dad as she was hurrying out the drive-through. His two sons, walking ahead of their dad, looked back at the noise, unaware of the tragedy that nearly happened.
A bit shaken, I drove on. Literally a mile later, I stopped again—this time to flashing lights. A dead deer lay next to a mangled motorcycle leaking fuel all over the road. Luckily, the bike’s (helmeted) rider stood nearby talking to the cop in charge—clearly it could have been far worse.
Life is full of risks. There are those we can plan for and those that just happen, changing our lives forever in the blink of an eye.
Process that for a moment. We hear everyday about accidents. We know people whose lives were completely altered by sickness, completely changing their plans and dreams. We know—at least subconsciously—that we live “on the razor’s edge.”
So what do you do? You realize what’s beyond your control and plan as best you can.
1. You can plan for market volatility, making sure that you invest appropriately based on your time horizon (because putting your emergency fund into the stock market is like playing Russian roulette with 5 bullets in 6 chambers). Chances are, something bad will happen.
2. You can buy life insurance to protect your family and your future earnings in case you’re not here to do so.
3. You can keep your debt in a rational range, in case of a disruption of income.
4. You can save prudently to build a nest egg for the future.
5. You can build a lifestyle based on your values.
6. You can put money away for our children’s education.
7. You can have a Will, Power of Attorney and Advanced Health Care Directive drafted to protect your loved ones, make financial transactions in the event you can’t and make critical care decisions you’d rather make yourself.
8. You can plan for a life after children and the next chapter in your life.
9.You can plan for a time when you cannot take care of yourself and need the assistance of others.
But there are far more aspects of life for which you cannot plan.
1. You have no control over the tax code and how it will impact your life next year or in retirement.
2. You have no control over the stock markets that operate all over the world.
3. You have no control over interest rates and whether the Fed raises or lowers them.
4. You have no control over the price of wheat, orange juice or oil.
5. You have no control over the amounts of pollutants injuring our planet—and you.
6. You have no control over whether the inattentive driver or a deer hits you.
Life is a precious gift to be valued. Why not plan for what you can and truly savor the gifts you have right now?
