I came across the following paragraph in a tweet by Evan Kirstel on Twitter recently:
Steve Jobs died a billionaire at the age of 56. Coming from a man with such vast wealth, his last words were quite an eye-opener about the real meaning of life. This is what he said: “After all, wealth is just another life experience I’ve had the opportunity to know. At this moment, as I lie sick in bed reminiscing about my life, I realize that the recognition and wealth I’ve achieved have become insignificant and meaningless in the face of impending death… So, take my advice and be courteous and considerate of others. As we grow older, we become smarter, and we gradually realize that a $30 watch and a $300 watch show the same time…”
As we grow older, we tend to scratch the surface more and more to see what lies beneath the normal day-to-day struggles. We try to distill the massive amount of things we have picked up during our lives into something simple, pure and comfortable. Where we once were active participants, we now tend to be very enthusiastic spectators.
The investment markets, however, will always be a day-to-day maelstrom of activity. We are at the start of the latest earnings season for companies in the USA; and with that comes great excitement and price movements as analysts try to re-price the shares they follow.
The (“Republic of the”) Western Cape is also a hive of activity as the semigration continues and thousands of families from other provinces settle here. We see the benefit of this influx if we look at the increase in property prices since 2010, with Cape Town leading the way with an increase of 141% compared to the average of 98% for other metros.
So, whether you are a $30 watch person or a $300 watch person, as long as you realise that wealth is just another life experience, you will be just fine.
