No Limits Ladies.com

Was reading the hot new novel Visions Of Heat by Nalini Singh when I came across this passage.

“Every prediction Faith ever made, if not purposefully circumvented, came true. That was why she was worth untold millions. Possibly even billions. NightStar considered her its most prized asset. Like any asset, she was kept in the best condition for optimum functionality. And like any asset, should she prove defective, she’d be overhauled and used for parts.”

Now I can’t predict the future (just look at some of my stock picks if you need proof) and I’m not worth untold billions or even millions, but am I considered an asset?

Wikipedia’s definition of an asset is “any economic resource controlled by an entity as a result of past transactions or events and from which future economic benefits may be obtained.”

I don’t know about being controlled by an entity (although I guess we all are in some way controlled by someone or something else) but I do know that I plan to provide benefits and add value to the world. I try to give more than I get.

Isn’t that the goal in life? To become more than what we started out as? To make the world a better place by having lived? To leave the world in not only the financial black but in the cosmic black also?

I think so.

Though asset or not, I doubt I’ll ever be overhauled and used for parts. After 35 years of solid living, many of my parts are already proving defective.

Was reading the very well written novel Still Life With Husband by Lauren Fox and one of the telling moment in the young couple’s relationship is concerning buying a house.

Here’s an excerpt…

“Housing prices are on the rise, and interest rates are going up, and I was just doing some calculations, and if we want to Buy…” (these days Kevin says the word “buy” with a portent, a heft that clearly means he’s not talking about shoes) “…if we want to Buy in Deer Park or Lakewood, our salaries would have to increase by twelve percent this year, and I don’t know about yours, but mine’s not about to. Emily,” he says in a panic, barely stopping for breath, “that means, a house we can afford today will be beyond our means six months from now! If we don’t get on the ball here, we’re going to be priced right out of our first-choice suburbs!”

You see Emily isn’t ready to buy a house, at all. Kevin, her husband, is. And he gets himself in a panic thinking that if they don’t buy now, they might never buy. This puts stress on the relationship, assisting in its downward spiral.

I wish I could say that this is purely a piece of fiction. It isn’t. I know many couples in the same predicament (especially on the west coast). They may not be mentally ready to buy a home (or other large purchases/investments), they may not even be financially ready, but they feel the pressure to buy. They don’t want to “miss the boat.” And it causes real conflict in relationships and within themselves.

When I feel that way (and don’t we all at some point in our investing lives?), I know it’s my emotions talking (panic is pure emotion), not my reason. I try to take a moment to step back, cool down, before taking any action.