Have you ever invested time, energy, money, devotion, love… only to ultimately be let down when the bottom dropped out?

I’m going to answer for you.  Yes.  Of course you have.

And have you ever wondered why your investment didn’t pay off, especially since you gave it your all?   Ever feel betrayed?  Foolish?

Again, let me help.  Of course you did.  That’s human nature.  Behind all of our dedication, is the expectation that we will receive the same.   Energy to be returned.  Devotion to be rewarded.  Promises to be kept.  Love to be reciprocated.

And the more time we invest, the harder it is to deal with the end.  It’s painful to think that maybe we wasted our time.  It’s difficult to deal with the fact that perhaps we were investing in a lie.  And we begin to question our intelligence.  Was it doomed all along?  We should have seen it coming, right?

Let me stop you there.  The truth is that smart people invest.  They plan for the future and they give it their all.  But crystal balls are hard to come by, so investing is always (let me say that word again… ALWAYS) a leap of faith.  There are no guarantees.

Here’s the silver lining.  Those past investments make us better people.  We come away with more experience, skills and knowledge that prepares us for what’s next.   And while past investments may have failed, WE did not.

Go ahead and take the leap.  Invest in what’s next.  The past was a lesson.  Gather up all those experiences and say yes to the future.  It’s bright.

A cute boy once told me… what was that cliché?  They can’t eat you?  It’s all small stuff?  I never did mind about the little things?  I don’t care (shortly before someone jumped off a dam…)?  Here’s to us?  Something like that.