I remember feeling…. hardened.
Hardened on the inside. That stubborn feeling that you don’t want to get rid of.
Three of the hardest words to say.
No, it’s not “I am sorry”, but that certainly comes up in a similar vein.
This time, it’s…
“I Was Wrong.”
It’s hard to admit when you done something that you felt was right. Heck, at the time you KNEW it was right.
Yet, somehow someway you end up being wrong.
She Was Wrong
Just the other day my family and I ordered some take out from a local sushi chain Kyoto. In lieu of all-you-can-eat they replaced the sumptuous spread with a special of ordering 5 items for about $25.
At the time we talked about it, I wasn’t sure whether it was 3 or 4 or 5 items for their special.
My wife had a ministry event to attend that afternoon and she gave me 4 of her choices so we could enjoy dinner together when she got back. To avoid a miscommunication, I asked her to text me the items.
She promptly texted them to me and headed off to her event.
Fast forward a couple of hours, I order all the items she asked for. I know I double checked my phone to make sure I got what she ordered.
On top of that, I ordered some additional items that my daughters and I would like as well.
We ordered chicken fried rice, shrimp tempura rolls, dynamite rolls, spicy salmon rolls, California rolls and shrimp tempura (1 extra since the wife asked for 4 items).
I particularly ordered shrimp tempura because I KNOW how much the family tears those right up.
About 6pm, I go and pick up all the items in question and head home with a smile on my face looking forward to lots of yummy food and a very happy family.
My wife gets home a bit late and we sit down to enjoy the meal.
Then she asks the question…
The question that irked me…
Her voice raised as she asked…
“Where are MY shrimp tempura?”
My first reaction…. Whoa…. First of all, you didn’t order shrimp tempura.
Second ---- I ordered them for all of us and we can share them.
She didn’t believe me.
She said, “I KNOW I texted them to you.”
I said sharply with a little bit of a bite of sarcasm, “Oh really? Check your texts.”
She said, “I KNOW I did”
I said, “Go and check your phone.”
She checks her phone… and she pauses.
I look at her face and there’s a combination of her being a little crestfallen and a little sheepish in a small amount of shame…. She said “I was wrong.”
I have to give her props --- she owned up to her mistake!
Of course, I can’t throw her under the bus without admitting to my own mistakes.
I Was Wrong
I’m sure my wife could think of many, many instances where I was wrong, but that’s a blog post for another day.
=-)
I want to admit here in front of the whole world that yes… I was wrong.
If you’ve been following some of my blog posts and videos, you’ll know that I’m a staunch believer in timing systems.
Well, 2020 has humbled me.
I Was Wrong.
Timing has not worked.
In 2020, we sold when the market was down rather than when it was up.
In 2020, we got hurt with an allocation to small caps and mid caps and international stocks and didn’t have enough exposure to tech heavy indices like NASDAQ.
In 2020, we bought a little bit of the most beaten up stuff – energy – in particular and this sector in particular has languished.
Like my wife, I have felt crestfallen and a bit sheepish and even a little ashamed and frustrated.
In the vast majority of cases, clients are doing okay because we’ve had a fair amount of bonds, but I’m not satisfied with doing okay.
In this historic year, we’ve had the shortest bear market in history and the shortest recovery.
When you look at the averages, most bear markets last at least 18 months. This one was just slightly over 1 month.
What a journey!
I am grateful to clients for believing in me. For trusting that I have their best interests at heart. For believing that I will keep working and adjusting and tweaking and never giving up.
I am wrong and yes….. I will be wrong again in the future.
That’s painful to admit, but it’s true. Very painful still though.
Hopefully, that’s just a very long time away…
However, I’m not going to give up. A bad year doesn’t mean that everything is wrong. A bad year doesn’t mean we need to burn the whole thing up and start all over.
It hurts though!
It hurts to be wrong.
I’m going to continue to learn from the mistakes and work towards delivering the best experience possible. I’m going to continue to take risks and try new strategies. I’m going to continue to stretch myself and grow in my knowledge.
Have you ever felt this way before?
When was the last time you’ve been wrong and have felt humbled in the process?
Want to commiserate with me?
=-)
Contact me at dave@daviddenniston.com and we can share in our highs and lows and learn from each other’s mistakes.
Material discussed is meant to provide general information and it is not to be construed as specific investment, tax, or legal advice. Individual needs vary & require consideration of your unique objectives & financial situation. Please consult with your accountant or tax advisor for specific guidance.