“Failure is not an option” sounds good as a bumper sticker, but it ain’t reality.
No one wins all the time. Just ask any Raiders fan.
However, more can be gained from a loss than from a win if you take some time and reflect on what went right and how something went wrong.
A loss ain’t a loss, it’s a lesson.
-Jay Z
I’m not making light of losing. It hurts.
Sometimes you have to put some distance between the date of loss and your moment of reflection.
But if you intend to stay in the game, it must happen in order for you to improve.
And that’s not the worst part.
The worst part is…it will happen again.
The growth comes when you anticipate losses and have a plan for that too.
This isn’t a concept that I developed. I learned it from two very different sources.
- The US Army
- On Wall Street
The Army was preparing me for the realities of war.
The Wall Street brokerage firm was teaching me the realities of the market.
You get the benefit of the lessons without having to go to war.
-Monk
- Finance is a Game.
- You’re already playing the game! The only difference is that someone else is profiting from it while you’re not (yet).
- Financial Literacy is your pathway to your Financial Freedom.
To the youth, young adults, and the mothers who raise them, Financial Literacy: Monk Says… Learn the Game