24 Jun The Weekend Starts Here.....
Well. This blog post is slightly tinged with sadness for me as it will be my last one.
My job for the last 30-odd years has been helping people to achieve their financial goals and reach financial independence – the point where paid work becomes optional.
I found myself in the position of having reached that milestone myself a couple of years ago but while it didn’t seem the right time to ‘bow out’ then, it does now.
Whether the pandemic has had a bearing on my decision is hard to say but I believe on balance that it probably has. I have certainly felt as though a massive ‘reset’ has taken place over the last 15 months, even though on a day to day basis I have rarely felt too badly affected by the various lockdowns and restrictions we have all had to deal with. Apart from not having seen my mum for nearly two years (when you feel as though you can see someone whenever you want, there is little urgency to do so. And then suddenly you can’t) the only thing I have really missed is the freedom to travel, something my husband Eddie and I have been fortunate enough to do a lot of in recent years.
So, it seems a case of if not now, then when? What this pandemic has taught me is just how fragile ‘normal’ life is. Having spent years helping clients make this same decision I now face, it would be wrong not to take the advice I have always given them. So, the time feels right to hang up my boots and spend more time doing all the things I love doing outside of work.
I am delighted that my leaving Bloomsbury provides the opportunity for our Wealth Planning Manager, Charles, to become an equity owner of the business. It is a wonderful opportunity for him and very well deserved.
I must also thank Rob for being the best business partner one could hope for. Whilst, as with any close relationship there have been times we’ve driven each other up the wall, our ethics and values have always been aligned and I have always felt that I have his total support – as he has had mine.
I am sure that between them Rob and Charles will take Bloomsbury on to bigger and better things and will ensure that the reputational standing we have built in the financial planning profession will continue.
Ok, let’s crack on with this week’s offering. As always, take what you need and ignore the rest. And no investing-based links this week 😉
Up until recently I had no idea that some people can’t form pictures in their heads (known as ‘aphantasia’). It seemed like a huge disability to me, but as this piece explains, maybe it isn’t. [2 min read]
The ‘mysterious, eerie hum of the Golden Gate Bridge’ (having clicked on that link to the video I don’t think I could put up with this for long!) [4 min read]
Man swallowed by humpback whale [3 min read]
A short reminder about the concept of being in control [0:30 read]
Some absolutely stunning photos from the Tokyo International Foto Awards [Photos]
‘Share-housing’ in your 60s. I could see this catching on [5 min read]
And finally. Olive & Mabel: Call of the Wild [0:47 video]
Thank you to everyone reading this for supporting my blog over the years, I really appreciate each and every one of you.
Carolyn