There once was a hawk, ferocious and swift. He was young and agile with many years of life to hunt the open ranch lands. In a nearby field, a mouse scurried about the ground. The hawk saw the hurried motion and swept speedily toward the rodent.
Just as the hawk's shadow engulfed the smaller rodent, the mouse fell to its back and begged, "Please, Mr. Hawk, spare me my life!" This surprised the hunter and he landed beside the mouse.
"Why should I spare your life? I am hungry today."
"It's always about today, isn't it?" answered the mouse. "Do you ever think about tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow? Well, that's just another day to flap my wings. I will eat then, too."
The mouse scratched his chin and replied, "But one day you will be old and gray. You will have chiseled claws. You should prepare for the future now or starve later."
"I do, I do. I am building a grand nest as we speak. You see, I fly low to the highway's hot pavement in search of lost dollar bills everyday. I find a dollar a day and add it to my nest. I am constantly constructing my nest egg."
The proud hawk looked toward the mouse for a reply. The mouse shook his head and stated, "I will make a deal with you, hawk. If after fifty years, you have saved more money than me, not only will I give myself up for your feast, I will lead every mouse in this field to your nest."
The hawk did not take long to consider the proposition. He knew he could cover more ground flying than the mouse could crawling. He would be able to locate twice as many lost dollar bills and thus build a much larger nest. The hunter concluded that in fifty years, he would have a great feast.
Years ticked by and every day the hawk collected two dollars. On each given day, the mouse found one dollar and invested it wisely. Fifty years later, the bird of prey lived in a large nest made of twigs, mud, and dollar bills. He was feeble and sickly. And although his nest equaled that of $36,500.00(1) , along with a few very nice tree limbs, he knew the mouse would have less. He no longer invaded the far stretching fields, but took comfort in knowing he would soon have his great feast. As the hawk glared down from his perch, he saw the mouse. The mouse was alone.
"So, hawk, how much money do you have?"
"Just under $37,000(1) . And you?"
"I have $508,462(2), you fool. You see, I invested my $365 wisely every year. I dollar cost averaged into the market and utilized well-diversified mutual funds over the course of all these years. I am the victor and you have no feast."
The hawk collapsed into his nest and was never seen again. The mouse lived a happy life and provided handsomely for his family. He passed along a bit of advice to those who asked about saving: "The individual most accountable for your future financial welfare, is the one you see in the mirror today."
*Hypothetical investment for illustration purposes only.
(1): Based on a savings of $730 each year for fifty years with no interest.
(2): Based on a savings of $365 each year for fifty years earning 10.5% annually.
Wardlaw has been involved in the fields of investments and insurance for over twelve years. The author's belief is that familiar life elements best illustrate practical investment strategies; not typical investment jargon. For comments and questions, please contact the author at tools2invest@yahoo.com.
executive chauffeured services Bradford .. Madison to Airport carHello,If you dont understand this yet, or have not heard... Read More
Remember the bloodied face of Randall "Tex" Cobb?He was a... Read More
Paper burns and large companies can go bankrupt, but if... Read More
Top Investment PerformanceThroughout history, many coin collections have produced substantial... Read More
The business of banking has changed dramatically over the last... Read More
E-currency is very popular on the Internet today. People use... Read More
I'm constantly reading articles on the internet and in financial... Read More
Ever think about how eating all those fast food meals... Read More
No matter what markets you serve; what products you sell;... Read More
This article focuses on generating cash as a full time... Read More
I recently came across startling figures about the average American's... Read More
One of the things most of us have old ideas... Read More
Most people work hard all their lives only to "retire"... Read More
When Ben Franklin said "a penny saved is a penny... Read More
When you purchased your home, you most likely got a... Read More
Turn to the year 1999, a couple of friends sitting... Read More
Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes -- Envision your life 10... Read More
Financial planning is an ongoing process individuals and businesses should... Read More
This 4,000 acre sale (now a marina and resort town... Read More
Any successful person, or any anyone interested in self improvement... Read More
The idle are a peculiar kind of dead that cannot... Read More
There is no need to use the many middleman websites... Read More
This is a true story about a homeless man from... Read More
An ellipsis to your success is hidden in the word... Read More
Building wealth is as simple as saving a little bit... Read More
O'Hare Chicago prom limo ..Financial planning often gets a bad rap. Part of the... Read More
The vast majority of working people are in debt. The... Read More
U.S. Supreme Justice Louis D. Brandeis"I live in Alexandria Virginia.... Read More
How many people search Google, Yahoo and MSN each day... Read More
The business of banking has changed dramatically over the last... Read More
Steve Martin once delivered an opening monologue for Saturday Night... Read More
Everyone dreams of early retirement. The idea of no longer... Read More
I want to share an experience I had in common... Read More
This is a true story from my own experience that... Read More
Financial planning is an ongoing process individuals and businesses should... Read More
Imagine being able to steal untold millions of dollars in... Read More
Bottom line. No exaggeration. No hype. If you want to... Read More
Many people have a false understanding of what it actually... Read More
As a work at home Mother, I know the value... Read More
SCENE 1: Pharaoh has just woken up from a very... Read More
At any time in history, no matter what the current... Read More
At any time in history, no matter what the current... Read More
There is no need to use the many middleman websites... Read More
From tender age, we were exposed to myths about money... Read More
We all go to school for about twelve years, kindergarten... Read More
Whether an established conglomerate or a fledgling company, a business... Read More
Simple tips on saving can very often make quite a... Read More
How Much Money Will I Need to Earn to Retire?This... Read More
"Join our program and retire in 3 months..." yeah, right.We... Read More
When young men ask me how to succeed, I tell... Read More
Wealth Building |