By
Siddhartha Rastogi
The need for constant growth and success is the sole common factor applicable to all living beings on this planet. Whether it is plants, animals or humans, all strive for progress and advancement.
Every single day the sun rises, gives light and energy and sets once again to start a new day. Life starts with a clear message, which is to end each day with a promise, to multiply and proliferate.
It’s profound to note that, “If you are not GROWING then you are surely DYING”
But then you have laziness, complacency, boredom, fatigue, distraction, comfort zone, satiation and surely some people mistake it for NIRVANA.
Almost all mortals on this planet have a desire to do better, not necessarily in terms of money, but for fulfillment, knowledge, etc. Some people like Bill Gates and Warren Buffet don’t spend hours working for money, but they do spend hours working for humanity. Many bankers and businessmen on the contrary don’t care for the world at large but for the money they make at the end of each transaction. Each one decides her/his definition of progress and chooses her/his own path.
However, life is not so easy. It’s not that you get everything on a platter as soon as you decide to achieve it.
Obviously not!
You work hard and sometimes even harder.
And then you have obstacles.
As soon as you hit road blocks you tend to give up. You tend to strive for a while until it becomes an uphill task and then you decide to give it all up. Even if you manage to drag yourself along that path, you are very likely to encounter politics; bad blood and hostility accompanied by increased levels of stress, and you give it all up with thoughts like these that linger in your mind.
After all, for WHOM am I doing this?
The fact is that you are doing this for YOURSELF. You want to be there, you have set the goal for yourself and not for anyone else, and you don’t want to be a loser in your own eyes.
What’s next?
How can you get back on track, rejuvenate yourself and work even harder to achieve what you have set your eyes on?
The role of a companion then becomes crucial.
Since the Stone Age, man has needed company. A companion to watch his back, when he went hunting to bring food for his family, his clan. A companion whom he could rely on when wild animals attacked him. A companion to take care of his children while he was away. A companion whom he could trust when he was fending for his near and dear ones and protect his territory. Presence of such a companion not only gives confidence that he/she is there but helps one to pursue the objectives he/she has set out to achieve.
- Most of us engage in some form of exercise. What is the probability that you will run that extra mile, should your best friend come and run with you? Very high.
- What is the probability that you will finish your office assignment if your colleague is also sitting with you to help you finish your assignment? Perhaps the sheer presence of the person motivates you to move ahead and push the limits.
- Why do students who study in groups tend to have lesser stress and generally perform better in exams?
Man is a social animal and tends to derive inspiration from other humans whether known or unknown to them.
Why am I saying unknown as well? People in similar situations tend to connect better as they believe the very fact that they are in that peculiar situation makes them unique and connected and hence are a great support to each other.
This applies to investments as well.
More often than not, investment and growth in investments are a journey rather than the destination. This journey can be far more enriching and will have lesser mistakes if someone accompanies you and helps you through the navigation process. In a similar way, like in any other facet of life, investments too have their share of ups and down. The person accompanying you helps you to go through troughs, explaining the reasons and causes. Honestly, the rational mind might be seeking reasons and causes but the emotional mind needs assurances and handholding, which only a trusted advisor can bring.
This trusted advisor can be your spouse, your friend, your mentor, your relative, or someone whom you have recently bumped into and have connected well. You can’t have multiple people as your companions as an increase in the number of companions reduces the marginal utility and diminishes the potential monetary benefit one can gain from his or her presence.
History has proven time and again that too many moves and too many actions on investments generally lead to diminishing of wealth rather than increasing it.
When the overall market is fearful, your companion helps you decipher the fundamentals which goes beyond the noise and helps you to gather courage and steps in and helps you to buy, with which can build you a fortune. If left alone, despite having substantial information, the lack of courage and positive reinforcement do not help one to stay or get invested since the markets are in the grip of fear and thus opportunity is lost.
Anagogic banker says, “The feeling of a secured life in this world which is tearing apart can actually make one courageous, helping you make a fortune.”
Siddhartha Rastogi
Siddhartha was born to a learned middle class educated family in Semi Urban India. His father was an extremely honest man who because of his honesty had to pay the price in corporate world. Mother is a determined woman who ensured that children are being well taken care off. After a few years of birth, doctors called Siddhartha, a slow child having flat foot. He would fall more than he could walk. Determined mother ensured all therapies for her son to come out strong to fight the world. Siddhartha joined swimming when he was in 6th standard. Seeing other children of his class, he jumped in 10 feet deep pool and learnt swimming on his own, the very same day.
From that day there was no looking back. He topped his city in 12th and went to score highest in his B school exams. During his profession as banker, he became youngest branch manager of a MNC bank managing their biggest wealth branch in the country. There he found love of his life and got married. His love of his life emerged in the form of his daughter who completely changed him for good.
Siddhartha Rastogi is Director for a boutique Investment bank in India.
Siddhartha is a forward looking thinker & writer who has written a book on decision making. 8 Simple steps to effective decision making.
He writes on various social and current issues via his blog.
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