Summer Blog

Happy Summer! I hope you’re all having a good summer so far. I remember looking so forward to July 4th only to find that we’re in August already. We had a relatively quiet July 4th this year. We hosted a BBQ with my folks and my sister’s family. From our backyard, we get to see fireworks all over town – from the Main Street Huntington show to Long Beach, Newport Beach and even the Disneyland fireworks. As we were watching the beautiful shows happening all around us, my 6 year old niece exclaimed that she LOVED watching the fireworks and only wished that she had “more eyes” so she could see them all.

Growing up, my parents would take my sister and I down to the local association clubhouse well before the sun went down so we could get a good viewing spot. We’d wait patiently until the sun set and the show began. In my memory, I remember those shows as the most spectacular fireworks I’d ever seen. I’m sure the shows were terrific but there’s no doubt I’m a bit biased by the nostalgia. But after hearing my niece’s comments, I realized that she’s also on to something. It’s definitely better to be completely present and focused on one show rather than being distracted and dividing your attention across a lot of shows.

The same can be said for almost everything – July 4th fireworks, financial goals, or just life in general. So often we see people get distracted from their goals by a hot stock tip, something they saw on the evening news, a crazy email they received from someone pitching their newsletter, or just life. In those moments, it’s important to refocus on your plan and not the short term distractions. And such is life. With technology and life moving faster than ever, it’s becoming increasingly difficult, if not impossible, to stay present and fully enjoy moments. As Stephen Covey says, “the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.”

Cheers!