After talking to the student after class I went home and wonder if I would have said something different to someone twice his age. And the answer was yes. So I prepared a lectured for the next day and it went as follows.
Class, let’s talk about money. Not the numbers in your wallet right now, but the bigger picture — the way money moves through your life like a river.
Now, you’ve already heard those three little phrases: could have, would have, should have. They’re not just about regrets in love or life; they’re everywhere in money. “I could have bought Apple stock when it was cheap. I should have saved more instead of spending it. I would have been rich if I’d only invested in Bitcoin early.”
The problem is, just like life, you can’t predict the waves. You can prepare, you can plan, you can study the markets, but there will always be things you don’t see coming. A small decision, a chance meeting, a headline on a random Tuesday — those can change the course of your finances for years. Sometimes in a good way, sometimes in a bad way.
So what do you do? Do you give up? No. You do what surfers do: get ready for the wave.
Preparation matters. That means education — not just about stocks and bonds, but about how money itself works. It means saving something, even if it’s small, because rainy days come, and they don’t call ahead for an appointment. It means diversifying — don’t put all your eggs in one basket, or all your dollars in one idea. You spread it around, because you don’t know which seed is going to grow.
And here’s the big lesson: don’t think there’s a magic formula. Anyone who promises you “the sure thing” in investing is either a fool or a crook. Instead, you do the simple things well. Live a little below your means. Save steadily. Invest wisely. Keep learning. And understand that luck — good or bad — will always play a role.
The “could haves, would haves, should haves” are going to whisper at you all your life. That’s fine. Let them whisper. But don’t let them paralyze you. Because the only money you can use, save, or invest is the money that’s in your hands today.
Let’s be honest: economies rise, and economies fall. Markets climb like a ladder one day and tumble like a stone the next. If you live long enough, you’ll see both. So the real question is: how do you prepare yourself for the future, especially when things go bad?
First, understand this: you can’t predict the exact moment a market will crash. Nobody can. Not the experts on TV, not the bankers in their suits, not even the geniuses writing algorithms. But you can prepare. Preparation is the difference between those who survive a downturn and those who drown in it.
1. Save for the rainy days.
When times are good, people forget storms exist. They spend like the sun will shine forever. Don’t do that. Even if it’s just a little, set something aside. A cushion of savings gives you breathing room when everyone else is gasping for air.
2. Stay diversified.
Never bet everything on one horse. Don’t put all your money in one stock, one property, or one idea. Spread it out. If one part of your portfolio gets crushed, another might stay afloat. Diversification is your life jacket when the waves hit.
3. Live below your means.
It sounds boring, but it’s powerful. If you’re always spending every dollar you make, then when a downturn comes, you’ll be caught with nothing but bills. But if you’ve built the habit of living a little leaner, you’ll be able to ride out the storm.
4. Invest in knowledge.
The world can take your money, but it can’t take what you know. Skills, education, and practical know-how are the best assets for surviving bad times. In a downturn, the people who know how to adapt are the ones who thrive. Your Education is all forms is the best investment you can make, use your time wisely.
5. Keep perspective.
Downturns feel like the end of the world when you’re in them, but they’ve always been part of the cycle. The Great Depression, the oil crisis, the dot-com bust, the financial crash of 2008 — each one felt permanent, but the world kept going. If you keep your head and hold your ground, you’ll often come out stronger than those who panicked.
Now here’s the truth: could have, would have, should have — those words are useless when the crash comes. What matters is what you did before the storm hit, and how you carry yourself while it’s blowing.
So prepare yourself, ride the waves you can, and don’t spend too much time crying about the ones you missed. There’s always another set on the horizon.
Tomorrow, we will talk about Could have, Would Have, Should have in Relationships.
Could Have, Would Have, Should Have — In Relationships
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