Life is like a game of Snakes and Ladders.
Unlike the Game, Life, thankfully, does not depend on the roll of the Dice or is a long journey of Chance.
If played well, you’ll live a contented and fruitful life. Your Major Decisions will determine your Journey in Life.
In Life, you want to be associated with the Ladder People, those that will encourage, inspire you and lift you up by giving you great life and business opportunities and advice. They are called Mentors, Real Caring Friends, Care-Givers, Family Members etc.
In Life, you also want to avoid the Snake People, those vipers (so-called friends) that will poison you with bad advice, unlawful opportunities and dangerous escapades.
In the Game of Snakes & Ladders, our aim was to land on and ride the long ladder from Tile 17 right up to the top tier at Tile 93. And subsequently roll the winning dice combination to Tile 100. But alas, we fall short and sometimes land on Tile 99, which sends us down way down to Tile 4.
In Life, the seasoned and tough people will regard this as a minor set-back and start all over again.
Life Happens!
Sometimes it’s good to simply head on to Tile 100 (finishing line) without aiming just to take the easy Long Ladder to the top.
Enjoy your Life Journey with little Ladders whilst giving your full-day, honest work in earning your wages. Put aside some savings for investments. Remember the amazing power of Compounding.
Sometimes it’s advisable to take the arduous and honest way to the Top, avoiding the Snakes. Look in the Mirror, and see an honest man/woman of dignity, integrity and conviction.
As I tell my kids, earning a decent salary is great and admirable but it’s your clever investments (emphasis on the word – clever) that will generate your passive incomes which in turn will make you rich and be able to retire happily.
In short, your Salary will not make you retire, your good, compounding Investments will.
To make clever decisions, hang out with clever people and read clever books. To hang with clever people , it’s a game of give and take. You must also put something of use on the Table. To do that, go read good books (investments, self-improvement, autobiographies of great, kind men etc.), have a Mentor(s).
Important Reminder – The way Great Investors make money is maximising Wins when they are Right and minimising Losses when they are Wrong. It’s a long and exciting journey to Riches. They do not put their futile hope on landing on the Long Ladder to the glittery Lottery Land.
Being calm, educated (financially savvy) and level-headed is crucial to long-term investing. Most First-Prize Lottery Winners eventually squander all their winnings away as well as losing their fair-weathered friends who exit when the lottery funds run dry.
The more Clever Things you surround yourself with, the less Shit you will step on, the less snakes (people and situations) you will encounter.
You see the long orange Snake that drops from Tile 99 down to Tile 4? That’s when you attained fame and fortune in your advanced age and then a Scandal hits. You best avoid that, in today’s jargon it’s called Scams (internet, investment, love). When something good sounds too good to be true, it’s probably going to cost you heavily in terms of your wealth, emotions, friends, family and reputation. Despite doing good work your whole life, that one scandal will leave a big blemish on your life.
I tell my friends – When in doubt, remind yourself you don’t want to do something that will end up in tomorrow’s media.
Happy Trails!
