It’s mind-boggling to know that about
15% of the world’s population lives with
a disability of some kind; that’s staggering 1 billion people!!! Surely they can’t be ignored…She argues
further that inclusion and acceptance are important because it’s right thing to
do. I couldn’t agree more. But in my personal experience, inclusion and
acceptance is GOOD; not just for the specific individual but for everyone in
the given ecosystem. Of course, every person and every situation is different,
but by and large, inclusion and diversity should be way of life…at the very
least that’s what we should learn from NATURE….
Couple of years ago, I had penned down an article on what has SHLOK meant to me. Shlok is my 13-yr son with Down's Syndrome who has changed my world for good. Shlok has surely expanded my world-view with –Sense of purpose, Hope, Love, Objectivity and most importantly, Kindness (https://shlokabiity.blogspot.com/2020/03/what-does-shlok-mean-to-me.html). When I pondered more, I realized, those are all in-tangible aspects and that’s all great. But in reality, Shlok has also helped me make more money in financial world :)
Parenting and investing are very similar in many ways. Most of the things we do fall somewhere in the spectrum between extremes of self-less love and selfish love …and where we choose to stay/progress on this spectrum decides how good parents or investors we can be; of course in long run :)…Let’s look at some quotes by the investing greats like Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, Charlie Munger, Warran Buffet and read it in the context of parenting instead of investing…
- “Respect the market (read as parenthood). Have an open mind. Know what to stake. Know when to take a loss. Be responsible.”
- The big money (or Prize) is not in the buying and selling ....but in the waitinng.
- The most important quality for an investor is temperament, not intellect
Some time back I was reading Jack
Schwager’s best-selling book – “The Market Wizard’s: Interviews with Top
Traders”. In the same book, Dr Van Tharp mentioned about 5 psychological
factors that decide success in trading/investment – a well-rounded personal
life, a positive attitude, lack of conflict, responsibility for the results and
finally, the motivation to make money ( read as bring positive impact in child’s life! ).
I believe all these factors are very much relevant for parenting as well…Actually,
my investment journey in financial world had started few years after Shlok’s
birth and that’s why I can look back over last 10 years and relate how caring
for Shlok has made me a better investor. Here are 4Ps of my investment journey...
It’s a Process…Duh – like in parenting, there are NO short-cuts .. One has to devise a system / process that suits oneself and stick to it. With Shlok, we learnt to inculcate positive habits in his routine and that seems to yield fantastic results in his behaviour. Another interesting situation I have experienced recently. We have been trying to train him with riding a bicycle for past so many years. Of course he was doing it with side support-wheels; but never achieved balance to do it independently. Couple of months ago at a Down’s syndrome conference in Raipur, I got trained myself with the process to train him. Since then, I followed the process for 30 mins every day. To our surprise, Shlok can ride bicycle now…hurray… Same way, I have started monthly review of all my investments for last few years consistently which has helped me get fantastic results with my portfolio.
Planning: As Ben Franklin said rightly – “if you fail to plan, you are planning to fail. It is the most important aspect in anything we pursue. After Shlok’s birth, I was clueless on what and how I am going to manage this special child. I was absolutely anxious / stressed out for first year… But after that I started to gather more information from various sources and planning my next moves carefully. “Returning to India” was first step in the journey I had envisioned for my family. After staying at my native place for couple of years and experiencing difficulties in getting special educators, we decided to move to Pune ….So every few years, we had to review our plan and make the course correction as well… Same applies in investing and that’s called periodic re-balancing!!!
Patience: Not that all is rosy and nice. With Down syndrome’s happy faces comes its share of challenges. By nature, most of the Down syndrome kids are obstinate. At times Shlok becomes impulsive and difficult to manage. At times we feel very frustrated... Sameway, market is NOT easy to manage. As traders, any strategy could have only 30-40% success rate. We have to be patient when we get failures…We have to maintain our emotional balance. At times, learn to say- “it’s ok” and move on… No wonder Buffet say – “Stock market is a device for transferring money from the impatient to patient”.
Priorities: I have always been a positional trader. Recently I have done a course in "Futures & Options" so as to learn hedging my positions. The instructor stressed that the first and foremost priority as a trader is NOT to chase the profit but to minimize the losses and survive in the markets for long-term. Parental Burnouts and Trading Fatigue are quite common these days. Survivorship for long-term takes precedence over quick profits in markets. That's why it is worth to have ways to make our journey enjoyable... I have experienced this with my kids that their growth happens in due course as long as, being a parent I avoid being too harsh/overly disciplining etc and rather create fun environment... For instance, we have started ‘family-time” for 15-20 minutes post-dinner since last one year playing games, puzzles etc. This has created a fun environment and each one of us looks forward to the family time now…
Anyway kids’ life is full of struggles in the hyper-competitive world around us...As parents, our job is to develop “continuous learning” and “smell the roses” mind-set along the way and also develop healthy attitudes towards any “special”/"different" individuals in our ecosystems ( in a way, let's make our world a tad more inclusive!)….I guess, for me that's the way leading to pursuit of happiness (and perhaps profits too!!!)
For Comments & Suggestion, Please Contact - Sachin Jakhotia /C.+91 83088 79900/ sachinjakhotia@gmail.com
You can find me at:
Blog: https://shlokabiity.blogspot.com/2022/
Linked-in: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sachin-jakhotia-4602711/
*** This post is a part of “International Day of Disabled Persons” blog hop hosted by Sakshi Varma – Tripleamommy in collaboration with Bookosmia. #IDPD2022Bloghop.
*** Access all posts of this bloghop at https://tripleamommy.com/2022/12/02/idpd2022-lets-make-this-world-a-more-inclusive-space/
I liked your comparison of parenting with investment. Taking care of a disabled kid requires loads of patience, perseverance and sense of humour. :) I liked your other posts too. Great to know parents like you.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your kind comment
DeleteYou have drawn such interesting parallels between parenting and investing. Made me think!
ReplyDeleteThanks Sakshi
DeleteIt's no secret that parenting is hard work. From the never-ending laundry and dishes to the constant piles of homework, it can be tough to keep up with everything. And on top of all that, there are the emotional ups and downs that come with raising a family. It's no wonder so many parents end up feeling burnt out.I would suggest to all parents that, "If you're starting to feel like you're running on empty, it's important to take some time for yourself. Make sure you're getting enough sleep, eating healthy meals, and taking breaks when you need them. It's also helpful to talk to other parents about how they're managing their own stress levels." Remember, you're not alone in this - we all need a little help sometimes!
ReplyDeleteVery True...
DeleteSachin - you have shared 4 valuable Ps, which are great for us as parents, and as invividuals. This is a wonderful perspective which I think will guide each one of us in our own journeys.
ReplyDeleteIt's true that parenting is a beautiful journey that teach many aspects in life but correlating to investment is something very unique. Thank you for sharing your thoughts that taught me something new.
ReplyDeleteI am glad you could get something fresh out of this article
DeleteTo begin with, visiting you blog for the first time, and I loved the name as well as the post of what shlok means to you. Shlok in hindi is hymns of lord, verse, or a hindu mantra and I loved how you well connected it to finance as well as parenting. The 4P's with Shlok are a learning to all of us for life. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your kind words
DeleteWas actually reading a book where movies and business were two parts like investing and parenting here. Glad that each one of us learn to ease with life and its challenges gradually. Glad I read
ReplyDeleteFascinating parallels between parenting and investing. And of course, parallels apart, parenting definitely means a conscious investment in the child. Same goes for inclusion I would say - if we inculcate it daily into our thinking and actions, we can one day create a world where everyone can participate and nobody is isolated.
ReplyDeleteSo True...
DeleteWhat an interesting parallel between investing and parenting. The banker in me is already invested in the blog topic. And love how you have expanded your son's name. He looks like a sweetheart. There is so much to learn from this blog. Thanks for writing
ReplyDeleteSreeparna
Investments are welcome :)
DeleteRaising a child is really a work in progress. It's great how you relate investing and parenting. We somehow invest our time as parents to learn more on how to raise our child. Not that there isn't enough resources available to learn from, add to that the people around you who only wish the best for your parenthood, yet, we as parents still try to search and learn on which is the best of the best way we could raise our child. Love this article! - MommyWithAGoal
ReplyDeleteThanks for your kind comment
DeleteThe part I like best about this blog is the mention of extremes of selfless and selfish love. The golden balance where we balance self-care and care of a special child is what many caregivers struggle to achieve. Patience, emotional balance, persistence : these are indeed so important for the parent to take care of the special child. Love the way you have brought this out.
ReplyDeleteThanks. I agree with you. Raising a special child is such a roller-coaster ride. EQ along with balancing self-care & caring for the child both are equally crucial
DeleteYou should train parents in parenting and investing both as this will go a long long way in making their children future ready. They say when markets are down its a great time to invest-- similarly the toughest phases of our life with our kids give us the much grounding and foresight too
ReplyDeleteThanks. That's good suggestion...I intend to volunteer some time for advising special parents with financial planning pointers based on individual's goals
DeleteWonderful take on the topic. It is really refreshing to see the take from a father's perspective. Beautiful name and how you have come up with a meaning for each of its letter. Nice analogy of Parenting with investing. Keep the good work going.
ReplyDelete#ContemplationOfaJoker #Jokerophilia
your parenting take on happiness (and profits) is very interesting! thanks. aanchal
ReplyDeleteWhoa, this was such an original and unique take on disability. I'm not familiar with investing but the way you connected it with parenting made it relatable. Loved your fresh perspective, Sachin. Looking forward to reading more of your posts.
ReplyDeletewhat a unique fun perspective! As a mother of 2, i can say that raising a child is a lot like an investment.
ReplyDeleteThis insightful post beautifully outlines a transformative journey from financial stress to freedom for two generations. The emphasis on planning underscores the importance of fostering financial well-being. The positive tone and thoughtful approach inspire confidence in navigating this journey. The focus on generational impact adds depth, making it a valuable read for anyone seeking financial empowerment. Well done in encapsulating the essence of a positive financial trajectory!
ReplyDeleteThanks for kind words, Monidipa.
Delete