The lament about maturation through middle age, penned and performed by a famous international rock star came true for many people, including yours truly, this week.

For some, unfortunately, the focus is on an inevitable decline, hastened by negativity and regret. For others, it is the best and marvellous age to be. Most of us are incredulous that we could have made it this far relatively intact and celebrate this gift.

Intact is an interesting word given that it means remaining untouched especially by anything that harms or diminishes. And maybe it is the wrong word to describe a life lived. It is almost certain that no one survives through decades without leaving emotional bits, irrelevant body parts, and the like behind.

But if viewed in the right context, we can still float buoyantly on the top of life's experiences, exhilarated and downright pleased to still be here.

It is often said that you make your own luck. Luck does play a part in life — not impartially — dishing out a lot to some people, to others precious little, or none at all. Why this is so, is a never-ending question for the ages and better left to theologians, mystics and pure faith.

Sceptics also claim that luck has nothing to do with success, and maybe it doesn't; however, what we do with our own set of circumstances can deeply influence our quality of life.

Starting as children, we listen and learn, applying those lessons absorbed in determining the dynamics of our own lives. We've all made mistakes in living, perhaps ended up in the wrong place for a time. Overall, we humans are very resourceful people and we possess enormous reserves of courage and resilience.

The observations below about finance and human nature have been shared with me or gathered by me along the way.

— Genetics does play its role. It is often said we don't want to be like our parents; inevitably, we end up just like them so they did provide us with role models.

— Being nice is its own reward, but it won't get you extra food at the end of the buffet line.

— Attitude will take you to the stars; aptitude only works with attitude.

— We all operate with our own best interests at heart (all right a few truly good people don't); some of us are just better at hiding it than others.

— Never take yourself too seriously, thinking you are better than anyone else; the big secret is that everyone, except you, knows you are not.

— When you commit to a project, stay committed and finish the job.

— The people that complain the most; forget the obvious. They are considered boring and no one listens after a while.

— A good sense of humour when handling adversity can go farther as a mood elevator than potent tranquilisers.

— Be gracious; when you make others look good, you look even better.

— Make your friends before you need them.

— The world is in constant evolution; keep up or get left behind.

— Never, ever burn your bridges when you leave a job. You never know when you may need (or work with) that person again.

— If you can't remember where you left your favourite shoes, stop buying them; you have far too many. The same thing applies to purses.

— Learn to read contracts and ask questions. If you don't know what you are signing, how can you protect yourself?

— The salesperson who says two things, "This product is guaranteed and has a high rate of return," may be saying just the opposite.

— Teach yourself a math concept every week. After a year, you will know far more about achieving financial success than ever.

— Don't buy anything because everyone is doing it; ditto, for selling out. Remember, investment opportunists are hoping you will do precisely that. Always research your purchases and sales, then think about it again before acting.

— Respect and listen to your intuition. Never respond to statements such as, "This is the only opportunity to buy now".

— Adversity can be turned into opportunity. It might take a while, but you can win in the end. We all know adversity heroes.

— Motivate yourself by setting goals. Nothing is more rewarding than reaching goals and achieving success.

— Be grateful, even if you fail. Know that time is on your side and you can still try again tomorrow.

— Live life everyday, even when you don't feel like it. You can change your mindset, but you have to make the effort first.

— Be kind. It costs you nothing, but it leaves a positive permanent impression of you.

— Cherish your relationships; in the end, they matter the most.

Martha Harris Myron CPA -NH1929, CFP® -67184 (US licenses) TEP — Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners. She is a Senior Wealth Manager at Argus Financial Limited, specializing in comprehensive financial solutions and investment advisory services for individual private clients and their families, business owners, endowments and trusts. DirectLine: 294 5709 Confidential email can be directed to mmyron@argusfinancial.bm The article expresses the opinion of the author alone. Under no circumstances is the content of this article to be taken as specific individual investment advice, nor as a recommendation to buy/ sell any investment product.

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