Greetings and Happy Friday!

Our financial life is linked to pretty much all the other aspects of our lives; because we all need a level of financial security as a backup for the life we want to live.

How many people do we read about and even know that have lots of money but are very unhappy, plenty right?

That’s why we write about and encourage exploring the human side to try to maintain a balance that works for each of us. Nobody has all the answers, which is why it’s interesting to read insightful articles by qualified good writers, like this one by clinical psychologist Karen Nimmo:

How To Tell You’re Alive

Not just going through the motions.

Most people won’t open this post.

That’s because it Sounds Dumb — I know I’m alive, I have a beating pulse, I don’t need a checklist to work that one out.

Fine. Fair. You may not need to be here. But for those who are committed to doing the best they can, with the time they’ve got —you’re in the right place.

I get tired of the constant demands to live your Best Life. Or be the Best Version of Yourself. Any life — and any version of yourself — is fine, as long as you are okay with it.

We all go through slumps and difficulty — times when we’re absolutely not at our best — but here’s the thing. There’s a serious gap between Being Alive and Feeling Alive.

I know which one I’m striving for. Do you?

But I wake up tired…

I don’t know many people who bound out of bed with their internal fires blazing. Most of us have to stifle a slight sense of overwhelm when the alarm shrills. Most of us take time to warm up to the day.

It doesn’t matter; we all have different biorhythms, as well as circumstances and stressors. The only thing that matters is that we do wake up — fully — that our days don’t run together as a blur in time. Because a succession of blurry days will lead to a blurry existence — and no-one truly wants that.

So here’s a realistic guide to making the most of your life. Not just for getting through the days — but feeling alive within them.

5 Ways to Tell You’re Alive

“If you don’t live the only life you have, you won’t live some other life, you won’t live any life at all.” — James Baldwin

1. You’re anchored — so you can fly.

Being anchored is also known as “grounded”. Often when people are struggling with anxiety or depression, they’ll describe feeling detached, vague or slightly disoriented. The key counter step is to ground yourself and the best way to do that is to lock in a daily habit.

I don’t advocate for long, drawn-out morning routines. That’s fine if you have the time and inclination, but most of us barely have time for toast. A single daily activity you can lean on will anchor you in the day. Even if it’s just to make your bed, sit on the floor with a cup of tea, rock out a couple of yoga moves or walk around the block. You’ll feel grounded and steady for whatever the day brings.

As writer J.R Rim puts it: “Flying starts from the ground. The more grounded you are, the higher you fly.”

2. You’ve stopped gritting your teeth.

A lot of people operate in fight mode; their internal state never settles, they never have the sense of calm — and that plays havoc with their mental health. To come alive you need to quit the fight. And breathe out. Slowly.

I worked with a woman who wanted to lose weight. She’d tried everything and she’d had some short-term success — but she couldn’t sustain it. When we met, her jaw was tightly clenched: She knew how HARD it was for her to lose weight. Trouble was, the more she gave herself that message, the bigger the barrier she built, the harder she made it. That’s no way to chase a goal. It’s no way to live, either. Working towards your goal is easy if you have good routines and are consistent. And very, very patient.

3. You act in spite of your doubts.

One of Shakespeare’s best known quotes reminds us: “Our doubts are traitors,
and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt.”

So true. We all have doubts, so that’s not the problem. The problem is that our doubts feed our insecurity and when insecurity takes hold it leads to inaction. Over-riding your doubts to do something that stretches you (even just a tiny bit) will make you feel great. Strong. Alive.

4. You have “two feet” in your relationships.

We all know relationships — social connections — are psychologically good for us. But the real riches lie in deeper connections. Author Anthony Liccione says: “It’s not how many friends you can count, it’s how many of those you can count on.” Let’s take it a step further. It’s also about how many of those friends can count on you — to be 100% in it.

I was working with a woman who was struggling in her relationship. She described herself as having only “one foot in” and even that foot was half-raised and ready to run. I understood her angst — but I loved that image. It’s not possible to have an intimate relationship when you’re only half in it. Same with friendships. If you are with someone, commit to being fully with them. That’s where the fun, and the joy is. (And, if they’re no good for you, leave them — on both feet.)

5. You’ve thrown your heart over the bar.

Minister Norman Vincent Peale, one of the founding fathers of the self-help “movement”, said this: “throw your heart over the bar and your body will follow.”

I love that quote. Let your heart lead — not always and not stupidly, but in the ways that work for you. When you’ve thrown your heart over the bar, you have something you are fully invested in. That makes your heart sing. Maybe it’s your work or a hobby or a side hustle or art or just something that quietly brings you joy. People crave feeling passionate, excited and invested. Have you ever wondered why people who experience tragedy or loss often start up a movement or get behind a charity event? It helps them mentally, yes, but it also fires them up. It brings them alive.

So ask yourself: where’s my heart? Have you tucked it up at home, in bed, with the covers drawn up? Or have you thrown it over the bar? Have you given it a chance to sing?

In the News this Week:

Friday, 11 June 2021

US markets closed higher with the Nasdaq the biggest gainer on the day, the S&P500 closed at another record high. Consumer prices rose 5% in May, higher than expected and the fastest annual rate in 13 years. Jobless claims fell to 376’000 last week., continuing the positive trend. The 10-year U.S. Treasury note closed at 1.458% from 1.489% previously.
European equities put in a mixed performance, with travel, leisure and retail stocks underperforming. No surprises from the ECB’s policy decision. They left key policy settings on hold and maintained their commitment to buy bonds under its emergency QE plan at a higher pace this quarter. While there has been some conjecture over the possibility of the ECB pulling back from the current pace of bond buying because of a better economic outlook, most policymakers have said it is too early to discuss tapering. President Lagarde echoed this message at her press conference and warned against a premature tightening of monetary conditions, but confirmed there was a divergence of views on the pace of bond buying. As expected, the ECB revised up its growth and inflation outlook, but core inflation is still seen at just 1.4% at the end of its forecast horizon in 2023. Factset
S&P500 +0.47% Dow +0.06% Nasdaq +0.78% FTSE100 +0.10% DAX -0.06% CAC -0.26%

Asian equities are mixed so far today, Mainland China lagging other regional indices. New Zealand manufacturing PMI was little changed while Japan Q2 large firm manufacturing index fell back into contraction territory.
Nikkei +0.03% Hang-Seng +0.41% Shanghai -0.46% ASX +0.27%

SA markets closed weaker with financials the biggest losers on the day. Pres. Ramaphosa said the license-free threshold for companies generating their own electricity would be increased to 100MW, some much-needed relief and a step in the right direction. The oil price rebounded after data was released that showed that US crude inventories dropped for the 11th straight week. The 10-year Government bond closed firmer at 8.66%.
Notable Gainers/Losers
Vukile +3.34% Sasol +2.68% Equites +2.56% MTN +2.29% Dis-Chem +2.04% Motus +1.93% Mr Price +1.93% Kumba +1.59% Pepkor +1.15%
PSG consult -4.35% EPP -4.27% Bytes -4.25% Capco -3.47% Implats -1.82% Nedbank -1.81% Richemont -1.34% Std Bank -1.16%
JSE All-Share -0.20% JSE Top 40 -0.23% Industrials -0.17% Resources -0.13% Financials -0.47%

JSE All-Share 67’542
S&P500 4’239
USDZAR 13.58
EURZAR 16.55
GBPZAR 19.25
EURUSD 1.22
GBPUSD 1.42
GBPEUR 1.16
AUDZAR 10.53
NZDZAR 9.77
Brent Crude $72.28
Gold $1’903
Platinum $1’145
Palladium $2’775

Sources: Factset, Yahoo Finance, Trading Economics, BusinessDay Live, WSJ

Please give us a call or email if you need any assistance. Have a great weekend!

Kind regards,

Your TurnPoint Team

Vic Hodoul CFP®
Certified Financial Planner®
Cell +27 (0) 79 353 1076
Email vic@turnpoint.co.za

Office/Admin Manager: Arlene Schoeman: +27 (0)21 555 1010
Email arlene@turnpoint.co.za

TurnPoint Investments
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