Investment is not only about money

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Investment is not only about money. True enough, there are things more important than money. That is where you should invest.

When I was little, I would beg my grandfather to buy me a clown fish as a pet. ”Clown fish are bad for my fighting cocks!” he would tell me. He was quite superstitious.

On the other hand, sometimes he would bring home flying fish, but not as a pet of course. It was the most abundant fish in the market and the cheapest. By the way, a flying fish is not a pretty fish.
It is only now that I understand the lessons behind grandfather’s actions. First, it's more practical to buy flying fish for food than to buy clown fish for pets. In fact, one clown fish is more expensive than 1 kilo of flying fish. For the second lesson, let me tell you a story.

A long time ago in the deepest sea, there was only one kind of fish. They all looked the same, black tail and white scales. Nemo and Bangs were best friends in school. After their graduation, they were to choose their new destiny.

”I want some colorful scales, with a little line around my belly as if I were wearing a black belt,” Nemo wished. “And oh! I want my tails and fins thinner and softer.” Right there and then, he became a Clown fish. Everyone was amazed at Nemo’s new elegant look.

“I want wider, longer and stronger pectoral fins,” Bangs wished.

“That's it?” Nemo interrupted. “How boring! What would you do with your boring side fins? Why would you want them bigger?”

Before Bangs could respond to Nemo, his black fins grew longer, almost up to his tail. Nemo started laughing so hard he almost choked. Their classmates also joined in the mocking laughter.

When the laughter abated, Bangs opened his new fins and zoomed to disappear in the middle of everyone.

After the ceremony, Nemo and Bangs met again. “You know, I had a wonderful day swimming with my elegant scales and soft fins and tails.” Nemo looked at himself lovingly and admired his new self. ”So, how were your wings?” Nemo giggled.

“Oh! I had a blast!” Bangs said as he flexed his wings wide. “For the first time in my life, I saw the world. I flew up above the water and I tasted the air. I saw the sun. I felt the waves of the sea. I saw the birds, the trees, and everything was beautiful. I can’t wait to go back there again.”

As Bangs went on and on sharing his experiences of the day, Nemo was silent.

Just like Bangs in the story, invest in things that will allow you to fly, rather than make you look flashy. Invest in education, in improving your skills, in developing your well-being, in honing your talents, in memorable experiences, etc. They are more important than buying things just to impress others.

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