By Joshua Schroeder
As an investor I look for opportunities where I can allocate my scarce resources to assets with the expectation of realizing a financial gain. I, probably like many of you, spend a number of hours each week researching and analyzing different opportunities in order to ensure my hard earned money is being invested where it has the best chance of helping me meet my financial goals.
Recently, however I was reminded of the importance of investing in the future of others and the joy that comes with effecting positive change in the lives of those less fortunate. While my 2-½ year old son and I were waiting for a connecting flight, we ventured off to a nearby airport terminal playground. There we met a young mother and her 3-year-old boy who were returning home from St. Jude Children’s Hospital. She explained that he had been receiving treatment for brain cancer and was still suffering from the effects of radiation therapy. She struggled to hold back tears as she shared their story and told us how proud she was of her son.
I was floored. This moving encounter, coupled with a beneficiary of services made possible by individuals who realize the importance of giving back, was the catalyst for me to incorporate philanthropy/charity as an ongoing part of my “asset allocation.”
While I am not going to set any records or win any awards for the largest donation, just giving back to this cause has helped put my life in perspective and returned more to me in terms of happiness and self worth than any financial investment. Often times I think we forget that wealth alone does not equate to happiness, and I am grateful that this experience reminded me of that. Think of all the ways that you can give back, non-financial included, and make a difference in your community today.
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Any opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author, and do not in any way represent the views or opinions of his employer or any other person or entity.
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