The title of this post might feel timely for two reasons. First, it’s Tax Day—a date that naturally brings a bit of "concern" to all of us. Second, given the headlines and market shifts of the last few weeks, that feeling of unease is shared by almost everyone I speak with.
We have a right to be concerned. But we also have a reason to be hopeful.
There’s a famous Mike Tyson quote that I think about often: “Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face.” If that’s the metric for success, I’ll be honest with you—I’ve got two black eyes and a few knots on my head to show for the last several years. We all start with grand designs, but how often does life actually follow the script? Think of something as simple as a date night with your spouse. Maybe the wait at the restaurant was two hours longer than expected, or the clouds opened up the second you sat down on the patio.
It’s easy to feel like "Schlep Rock," watching the rain fall on your plans. But eventually, the table clears, the rain stops, and the evening becomes a memory. Things have a way of working out, even if the path there is nothing like what we drew on the map.
Seven years ago, I moved back to Texas. I was eager to build a career at Forteris, eager to start a family, and eager for the "next chapter" to begin. Then, the world changed. A pandemic hit. We were trying to build a new office from scratch with no clients, all while facing a much more personal battle: the struggle to grow our family.
To say I was "concerned" would be a massive understatement.
If I asked you what matters most in this world, you’d likely say your children, your spouse, or your family. I am no different. That’s why my wife, Janelle, and I were devastated every time we faced disappointment. We sought every treatment, tried every method, and spent more than we cared to count. For a long time, the answer was "no." We feared we would never experience the quiet, great joy of parenthood.
After years of those "punches to the face," our daughter finally arrived. She is the greatest light in our lives, and watching her discover the world brings out the kid in me every single day. Looking back, I can truly say that every blow we took along the way was worth the wait.
This brings me back to the markets and the world we’re navigating today.
I am concerned. You probably are, too. But just like every other storm we’ve weathered, it will be okay. Your investment journey may not be taking the exact path you envisioned when you started, but decades of history show us that time is the great healer of volatility.
It is incredibly difficult to keep that perspective when you are in the "thick of it." It was hard for me during our personal struggles, and it’s still hard for me today. I’m human, just like you.
We know that volatility is part of the game—both in our portfolios and in our lives. But I’ve come to realize that the things that are the most volatile are often the things most worth having. Even better, what you have planned often isn't as good as what you actually get.
