Keys of investment

Have you ever invested? ALL of us, in one way or another has invested before. Investment is defined as the investing of money or capital in order to gain profitable returns, as interest, income, or appreciation in value.This means that it does not necessarily require money. I had this interesting thought where the rule of investment in our finances actually applies to our emotions,relationships and everything else! The capital being refered to in the definition can be an act of effort, time or energy. I am sure you have invested into the lives of your loved ones, you have invested time in the assignment you want to score in, you have invested research time to learn how to cook the dish you always wanted to eat.


RULE 1: We ALWAYS expect a profitable returns. The similarity i learn about investment is that regardless if money or a capital(time,energy) is being invested, we want something in return. I think this is interesting. Can we genuinely say we are doing something not expecting in return? Even if it is done out of love, is it possible to say that we dont expect anything ABSOLUTELY? Does this mean that we are only being nice and helpful to our friends with a motive or purpose? Will you still do something for someone without expecting anything in return? Some people will be offended by this notion but if you think about it, even if it is subtle or subconsiously done, people do expect things in return. Economics use the term 'there is no free lunch', that is very true.

For example, one of the greatest love in this world is parental love. When they invested energy, finance in your education and upbringing, they are doing it for your own good. However, ask any parents, and subconsciously they will tell you they do expect their children to take care of them in their old age. Is this wrong? That is subjective to every individual, but i feel parents do have the right to expect such things and children should take care of them regardless.

What about my beloved nation? They love their 'children' so much that our education and livelihood is marginally subsidised!! Yes they are doing it out of love, but they too expect me to serve the 2 years of my life. They expect you to conform to their social norm. Indeed, there is never an investment without expectancy.

RULE 2: Get your currency right. The key to good investment is to invest in the currency that we expect to get in return. To get a financial return in the stock market, you first need to invest with MONEY! When you want to make friends, you got to invest in others' lives as a friendly person. When you want to chase a woman hoping to get her affection, you first got to be affectionate to her. I hope it makes sense.

The reason i blog about this is because i got this friend who was telling me she feels that she got no friends. However, after much conversations, I understood why. She is not putting her in a position where she is not investing in other people's lives, how can she get friendship in return? Personally, sometimes i feel that she is always in the mindset of what can she get out of a person. I think it is scary how our mindset can dictate the outcomes in our lives.

It is so common that we hear of guys buying girls gifts to get their affection or attention! I am not trying to save the guys' money here, but seriously! You want to win her over for her time,commitment and companion, so start investing your time on her, getting to know her, spending time with her, be it in the good or bad times and for once LEARN to commit to her. Gifts and stuff should be a by-product, not the thing to win a girl over. Besides, giving gifts is not a good idea. Girls will always expect something better and your stake on her just gets bigger. Be warned guys! :S

RULE 3: Investment is about profits and losses. We can never win in every investment we get involed in. It is afterall a calculated risk. It is always easy to accept the profits from an investment, but it is difficult to swallow the loss from an investment, especially if you had invested so much into it. Disappointments and failures have been such a big factor in suicidal cases in our community. It has crippled many regardless of their stature or personality. How else do people whom we thought have it all commit suicide?

Dr Adolf Merckle, 75, of Germany was one of the richest people in the world, ranked number 94 by Forbes in 2008 at USD9.2 billion. He committed suicide when he was crashed during the economic crisis. He lost a lot in his investments. What about many of us? Many of us our age? I don't know many rich or famous people our age, but so many of us have crash and burn when we invest with our emotions. Many has committed emotional suicide! I for one seem to be heading that direction if i did not renew my mind. I find it easy to be attracted to someone, but liking someone is something of a whole new level. It strikes fear of making a bad choice and making a bad investment all over again.

In conclusion, it is necessary for me personally to reflect how i view this concept of investment. The keys to investment are ultimately investing with the right currency for the things I desire and to be prepared that not all investments will bear fruits. We are human who make mistakes, and we will face disappointment. Be prepared to face them and learn from them. Investment is a life long learning process, one if we face optimistically can be embraced!