Author Archives: Edward Brownlee

Parable: “200 Year Old Watch”

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A dying father called his son to his bedside and presented him with an old pocket watch. The father said,

“Your grandfather gave this watch to me. It is more than 200 years old. But, before I give it to you, I want you to go to the watch shop and tell the owner you want to sell it. Ask him what price he would pay for it.”

The son went to the watch shop and then returned to his father’s bedside. He reported, “The watchmaker said he would pay $5 for the watch because it is old and scratched.”

The father then said to the son, “Go to the coffee shop and ask the owner if he would be interested in buying the pocket watch and what he would be willing to pay.”

The son ran to the coffee shop and quickly returned. He told his father, “The coffee shop owner said he didn’t have much use for an old pocket watch but offered $3 for it.”

Finally, the father told the son, “Go to the museum and show them the watch.”

The son left for the museum and returned with a look of astonishment on his face. He whispered, “Father, the curator at the museum offered me $10 million for this pocket watch!”

The father laid his head back, closed his eyes and said: “I wanted you to experience for yourself that the right place, and the right people, will value your value in the right way.

Never put yourself in the wrong place, with the wrong people, and then get angry when you don’t feel valued. Don’t stay in a place, or with people, that don’t value your value. Know your worth and while being confident in your own value look for the value and the potential worth of others.”

The lesson of this parable is that you must value your own value. Along with recognizing your value you must also avoid putting yourself in the wrong place, with the wrong people, who don’t or who are unable to value your value.

https://www.deseret.com/opinion/2019/12/11/21012123/what-an-old-pocket-watch-says-about-your-unique-worth-and-leadership/

Be Strong

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.“Strong people make as many mistakes as weak people. Difference is that strong people admit their mistakes, laugh at them, learn from them. That is how they become strong.”

“Great things never come from comfort zones. Embrace change and challenge yourself to grow.”

Your habits dictates your behavior and your BEHAVIOR DETERMINES your DESTINY

Chipotle Stock Split

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Chipotle Mexican Grill’s first-ever 50-to-1 stock split will be one of the largest in New York Stock Exchange history. The split will cut Chipotle’s share price to about $64 each from nearly $3,200 each now.

Splits don’t change the market value of a company, but the smaller share price may be more attractive to retail investors, making them popular vehicles for companies.

Chipotle shares are up nearly 40% this year. CFO Jack Hartung has said the move can help it reward employees.

Chipotle’s split comes after some other high profile ones this year, including Nvidia’s and Walmart’s. Chip maker Broadcom is set to split its stock in July.

Overall there are nine stock splits this year through July, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence, up from two in the same time period last year.

History shows that companies tend to outperform after splitting their stock, even though nothing fundamentally changes about their business.

BofA Global Research found that average returns are about 25% during the 12 months after a split is announced, versus 12% gains for the S&P 500

Margin of Safety

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Seek investments where the asset’s intrinsic value significantly exceeds the market price – a concept known as a “margin of safety.”

Investing is all about finding opportunities to buy assets below their true worth.

“It is extraordinary to me that the idea of buying dollar bills for fifty cents takes immediately with people or it doesn’t take at all. It’s like an inoculation. If it doesn’t grab a person right away, I find you can talk to him for years, and show him records, and it just doesn’t make any difference. They just don’t seem able to grasp the concept, simple as it is…I’ve never seen anyone who became a gradual convert over a ten-year period to this approach. It doesn’t seem to be a matter of I.Q. or academic training. It is instant recognition or it is nothing.” ~ Warren Buffett

Source:  http://mastersinvest.com/newblog/2017/6/12/50c-dollars

Peter Lynch Rule 5:

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Peter Lynch, the Fidelity investing guru, once said:

“When stocks are attractive, you buy them. Sure, they can go lower—I’ve bought stocks at $12 that went to $2, but then they went to $30.”

With this in mind, never invest in a company without understanding its finances.

The biggest losses in stocks come from companies with poor balance sheets.

Always look at the balance sheet to see if a company is solvent before you risk your money on it.

Understand how a company makes its revenue and maintains its cash flow.

Peter Lynch Rule 3:

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In the short run, the stock market acts like a “voting machine”, while functioning in the long run more like a “weighing machine”. ~ Warren Buffett

Often, in the short term, there is no correlation between the success of a company’s operations and the success of its stock over years.

In the long term, there is a 100% correlation between the success of the company and the success of its stock.

The disparity is the key to successful long-term investing.

Such opportunities arise occasionally because in the short run the stock market acts like a “voting machine” (reflecting all kinds of irrational attitudes and expectations), while functioning in the long run more like a “weighing machine” (reflecting a firm’s true value).

Higher or Conscious Self

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Be Grateful and Find Joy in Every Momemt!

The higher or conscious self plays a significant role in shaping your experiences and perceptions.

The higher or conscious self is the true essence of who we are, connected to higher wisdom, intuition, and universal consciousness. This aspect of our being transcends the limitations of our physical existence and egoic mind. It embodies qualities such as deep wisdom and insight, unconditional love, compassion, authenticity, integrity, unity, oneness, calm, and presence.

The higher self operates from a place of unconditional love and empathy, guiding us to live in alignment with our true values and purpose. It recognizes the interconnectedness of all beings and sees beyond the illusion of separation created by the ego, providing a sense of inner peace and presence.

By strengthening the connection to the higher self, one can transcend limitations and live a more authentic, fulfilled, and purpose-driven life.

Learning to trust inner wisdom over external influences is key to aligning more closely with the higher self and achieving personal growth and self-awareness. This balance allows for a life led by intuition and inner wisdom, ultimately fostering deeper fulfillment and alignment with one’s true essence.

Source:  https://m.facebook.com/story.php

Gratitude, Positive Thinking and Mindset

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Gratitude, positive thinking and positive mindset can decrease your stress and anxiety, and scientists have proven it.

A 2021 study found that gratitude and verbal encouragement can help students to perform better in school and on tests.

Praise and positive attention have also been linked to better behavior in teenagers and kids.

Gratitude and appreciation are core positive psychology practices that have been shown to boost physical, mental, and emotional health.

Building daily gratitude habits and communicating more appreciation toward others are also some of the simplest ways to gradually shift to a more positive mindset and experience the joys of life more deeply.

Source:  https://pro.positivepsychology.com/sale-page/17-gratitude-exercises/

 

The Greatest Wealth is Health

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“The greatest wealth is health.”

Your physical and mental well-being are arguably the most valuable assets of all.

What Does “Health Is Wealth” Mean?

At its core, “health is wealth” means that your physical and mental well-being is far more important than wealth in the realm of life satisfaction and happiness.

It’s saying, “Yes, money is a great tool. It can solve many basic problems and lead to a fantastic quality of life. But in the absence of good health, it means very little.”

In other words, don’t pursue wealth to the detriment of well-being!

After all, you can’t enjoy the financial fruits of your labor if you’re in constant pain, unable to move, struggling to breathe, going to the hospital every few months, or worrying about your health…or dead.

Only if you’re well can you take full advantage of your wealth. What’s more, staying healthy is also crucial to reaching your full financial potential.

The Financial Importance of Physical and Mental Health

“Health is wealth” reminds us that these two vital components of a happy life are interconnected. Indeed, numerous studies have shown that higher socioeconomic status usually leads to improved health prospects. But the opposite is also true. If your health suffers, then so do your finances. Here’s how:

Being Sick Is Expensive – It doesn’t matter whether you’re suffering from a broken leg or a bad bout of depression. Being sick has costs attached.

For example, you might not be able to work, and you only have so many paid sick days to take (unless you’re self-employed, in which case you might not have any). You may even have to quit your job. Either way, your income suffers, which can lead to a host of additional money problems. You might be unable to save, for instance, and/or forced to take on high-interest debt to cover your outgoings.

Mental illness has close links with financial difficulties, as well. You may have no energy or feel too anxious to work. Or perhaps you enter a manic episode and start making unwise purchases. Whatever the case, debt can follow. Indeed, National Debtline reports that 50% of adults with debt also have mental health problems.

Oh, and what if you die from a preventable illness? All those years of stress and hard work to ascend the corporate ladder, earn a high salary and squirrel away a sizable retirement nest egg could be for nothing.

Being Healthy Is Lucrative – Put yourself in an employer’s shoes. At a job interview, one candidate is smiling, full of energy, and has a CV full of relevant experience. A second candidate seems pale, lethargic, and weary. And the third didn’t come because they had the flu.

You’d hire #1, right? It’d be the same if you were choosing someone to get a raise or promotion. And that’s just one example of how being fit and healthy can benefit someone financially. You need energy to work hard, be proactive, contribute to a team, and show up how you need to – qualities often rewarded with higher pay.

And let’s not forget that being healthy almost always means you live longer. As a result, you can (among other things):

  • Earn a salary for longer before retiring
  • Reap the benefits of employment for longer
  • Have more opportunities to climb the career ladder
  • Have longer for the value of your investments to compound

Source:  https://wealthtender.com/insights/health-is-wealth/

Health Benefits of Cinnamon Spice

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Cinnamon has many healthy benefits. Cinnamon is derived from the inner bark of Cinnamomum trees, and is high in cinnamaldehyde, a potent polyphenol antioxidant which has anti-inflammatory effects, reduces risk of heart disease, cholesterol, triglycerides and blood pressure.

There are wo main types: Ceylon cinnamon (also known as “true” cinnamon) and Cassia cinnamon (more common).

Cinnamon also increases sensitivity to the hormone insulin, having a potent anti-diabetic effect. This spice also makes improvements in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, and it may have protective effects against cancer.

Cinnamon contains powerful antioxidants, including polyphenols.

Cinnamon is loaded with highly potent polyphenol antioxidants. These antioxidants protect against oxidative damage caused by free radicals. One study found that cinnamon supplementation increased antioxidant levels in the blood and reduced inflammation markers.

Anti-Inflammatory Properties:

Cinnamon’s antioxidants have anti-inflammatory effects. Cinnamon’s anti-inflammatory effects contribute to its health benefits and chronic inflammation can be harmful to the body.

Other Benefits:

Modern studies suggest that cinnamon may have antitumor, analgesic, cardiovascular protective, neuroprotective, and immune system-boosting effects. While more evidence is needed, cinnamon shows promise in protecting against cancer and cardiovascular disease.

Remember to incorporate cinnamon into your diet through recipes or as a spice to enjoy its potential health benefits!

Sources:  https://microsoftstart.msn.com/en-us/health/ask-professionals/in-expert-answers-on-cinnamon/in-cinnamon