2018 has been a most… interesting year for me. In life, I believe there are 3 main aspects that we all seek to maximize in order to be happy: Wealth, Health, Relationships.
Wealth.
This first key component hasn’t really gone as expected for me this year… It’s only with the benefit of hindsight when we can reflect back and kind of figure out just exactly what went right/wrong with some of our decisions…
Earlier this year, I felt somewhat a sense of pride in being able to exceed my wildest imaginations/dreams/goals/etc. when my mining stocks portfolio eclipsed $1 million in profits…
Little did I know then, but pretty much, not too long after penning this post right here, that was it…
Indeed the market “top” for many of these mining stocks, and a whole lot of volatility and negative price action to the downside, shortly after…
Blink and you missed it…
That’s how insane mining stocks can be…
One could argue, I “dodged some major bullets” by being somewhat proactive (instead of being reactive) and having to sell off many positions at/near 52 week lows (like many people are contemplating doing at this time)…
Granted, I didn’t cash out of EVERYTHING (again, with the benefit of hindsight, of course, I wish I did, no question!), and even today, I still own some mining stocks…
So, it’s all anti-climatic…
I made good gains, suffered some losses on some positions from holding on too long, and know many, many, many people who are lamenting the fact that some of their major mining stocks holdings are down in the dumps now…
Naturally, I feel horrible for these people, and I don’t really know what else to say other than — That’s just how the game goes…
Booms and bust… Cycles and waves… Over and over again.
For those who are languishing in major pain, history and experience at least have taught me this — The turnaround typically comes after most everyone has given up and very little (to zero) hope remains…
When it comes to: gold, silver, base metals, clean energy metals (lithium, cobalt, graphite, etc.), it’s mostly *CRICKETS* and immense suffering right now for investors (especially anyone who got into the game around January).
I have no crystal ball, but I’m really hoping 2019 will be the start of a major trend-reversal in many mining stocks…
For clean tech stocks in particular, around 2020 will likely be GAME ON! We aren’t there yet, but the macro looks to be shaping up spectacularly for an epic bull run… at some point.
It might be tough for anyone reading this to actually believe my thoughts/optimism right now, but as you all know:
“Buy low and sell high.”
Or as I kinda like to re-phrase it:
“Buy when nobody else gives a shit and you feel like a total idiot… Sell when everyone and their dog wants into the game and you feel like THE BIG CHEESE who is the smartest guy/gal in the room.”
Outside of mining stocks, as many readers know, I suffered some monumental losses in South Chicago (Shitcago) when this horrible “investment” reached a crescendo and I was forced to cut my losses and hightail it outta town… I took a major beating, but despite nearly blowing myself up in the process to the tune of losing ~$200,000, I did learn a lot from this debacle.
Most importantly:
When it comes to investing there are no shortcuts. You get what you pay for. There’s a very good reason why certain assets are priced the way they are. If someone is trying to sell you on a dream and paint you this super rosy and most amazing investment scenario (that they argue can’t fail), be on high alert and extremely weary of some serious RED FLAGS!
Newb investors are most easily duped. If you think something sounds way too good to be true, it most likely is.
With real estate in particular — If your property’s performance rides on certain individuals (e.g. property management firm) doing a phenomenal job of taking care of your home, that’s already a SERIOUS warning sign right there… For the best assets, you could have a monkey running the show, and you’d still be making good $$$ and laughing your way to the bank.
In other words…
At the end of day, and if you have any doubt at all, just stick to: QUALITY QUALITY QUALITY.
Very few people (if any) who buy the best World Class Tier 1 assets at attractive prices/valuation ever regret it in the long run… On the flipside, impatient newbs (like me) who rush into lower quality assets looking for “needles in the haystack” type of “deals” oftentimes end up stepping on landmines that end up being way more stress/headaches/trouble/etc. then they are worth.
The reality is also this — Many people who suffer major losses and make the most horrendous financial decisions of their lives will be too embarrassed/ashamed/afraid/shy/etc. to want to share these details with you… This stuff happens all the time, but you rarely ever hear about it…
In many ways, I feel like I need to speak up and represent the little guy/gal out there… I know your struggle, because I’ve gone through it myself… The first half of 2018 was an absolute nightmare/hell for me… one that I would never wish even on my worst enemies…
But somehow, I got through it… and if I can spread the word and help other people avoid making the same mistakes as me, that’s really all that I can hope to achieve…
Anyway…
So, moving forward, and especially with real estate I’m NEVER gonna bother wasting my time on junk assets again. All pain and no gain, so no thank you and good riddance to anyone who wants to pitch me a sales pitch on this crap.
World Class Tier 1 assets have changed my life for the better.
World Class Junk assets have nearly destroyed my life and killed my early FI dream.
I’m adamant about this to the extreme b/c I have first-hand experience and too many datapoints to count of other individuals who have experienced the same outcome.
Please note: No, I’m not a financial advisor/expert, so as ALWAYS, please do your own due diligence and research before making any kind of financial decisions!
But, I’m trying my best to tell it like I see it…
Health.
In terms of health, I’m still suffering from adrenal fatigue and I get tired really easy… still. But for the most part, my health is doing better, and has improved quite a bit since I arrived in Manila in September.
Reason being?
I don’t do well in cold weather, and I exhibit signs of hypothyroidism where I need to be in warmer climate to avoid feeling cold all the time…
Yes, it’s really weird, I know…
But as someone who burned themselves out majorly while working the 9-5 as a corporate engineer, it is what it is…
No, I don’t really have any regrets, because I worked a very good job/career and was fortunate to make a lot of money during those years…
However, it came at a huge cost to my own personal health and let’s just say I more than “paid my pound of flesh” to get to where I am today…
No one ever said early FI was easy, and I have the “battle wounds” to prove it.
Despite what anyone else says/thinks, I believe I’m doing the best for my own personal health by moving overseas to a warmer environments, especially during the fall/winter months of the year.
I need to do better with sticking to a regular exercise/fitness program, but one step at a time…
Relationships.
I don’t talk about this subject too much on here since I prefer to remain kinda private with this part of my life… but I made some important strides this year and feel very good overall with the progress I’ve made to enrich and improve the relationships in my life.
Old friends, new friends, family, loved ones, etc., 2018 has been a shining light in this regard in many ways.
For those closest to me who are reading this, you know who you are and THANK YOU SO MUCH for all your support and belief in me!
There were many trials and tribulations faced this year, and I’ll never forget those who stood by me and had my back… Loyalty and TRUE FRIENDSHIP mean the world to me! It will never be forgotten!
As for this blog, I’m still essentially an anonymous NOBODY on the web, and to be perfectly honest, I’m kinda ALWAYS on the fence with what I want to do with this… On one hand, I want to grow and build a brand with this blog… help/reach a lot more people… On the other hand, though, I’m very much an introvert at heart and don’t really gravitate towards the spotlight… like ever.
Being low-key and flying under the radar feels most natural to me…
And here’s a random thought/observation — I really get a kick when I connect with readers who are also self-declared introverts… You know, people who are more into listening/observing/analytical thinking/etc.
We just relate… and it takes me back… makes me feel less lonely in the world.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy to connect with most anybody, especially anyone really into early FI and building for a better future.
With introverts, though, I guess a lot of my own struggles/shortcomings/apprehensions/doubts/etc. are more relatable b/c we tend to face an go through the same challenges/struggles…
Anyway, time is money, and in the end, all we really have are the experiences in our lives…
If this blog resonates with you in any way/shape/form, I’m grateful and happy to hear that.
I’ve got a ton of work to do and mountains of self-improvement terrain to scale in the future.
2018 was in many ways a year of transition for me…
I got to close the book on some things, bury the hatchet, and start some new chapters in life.
To an even better and brighter 2019 and onwards!
Fight On!