On the way to my sons’ school I have to cross over a very long bridge over a pretty large lake. One really can’t ignore the lake because its pretty large and it is also a very shallow lake and full of alligators. Its always cool to go over the bridge and count how many gators are on top of the water.

Some days the water is perfectly flat all the way across. Not even a ripple. The next day the water is really rough. Without even having to give it a second thought, our mind is aware that both, either flat or rough, is totally normal.

Personally we often have periods just like this in our lives, but especially when we invest. We have periods of calm that go on for a very long time, sometimes longer than normal. We like that so we start to get used to that. Then we have NORMAL, as seen in any historical period of ups and downs. It’s usually not so bad, but we get really nervous. Nervous is natural now a days because everybody on TV is telling us that we are all going to die. In addition, your neighbor and barber is telling you “hey have you seen the market?”. Sooooooo, you get anxious. Its like “Oh God, this is it! Nothing like this has ever happened before”.

The stock market is no different than your life. They are also no different than the lake I cross to take my son to school.

As a matter of fact, periods when there is nothing going on are not normal yet that’s what we get attached too. Ups and downs are normal. One day we’re healthy, the next day we’re sick. We have job issues, family issues, political issues…. issues, issues, issues,. That’s NORMAL.

I always take comfort, with some struggle, that during periods when nothing is going on I understand that uncertainty is coming. Because of what I know and have done in the past, I will surf through that NORMAL uncertainty and be OK.

Now this doesn’t at all mean that you are not going to get bumps and bruises along the way. It doesn’t mean that you are sometimes not going to feel nervous and anxious. But its helpful to understand that this is NORMAL and if your my client, we’ve prepared for this.

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