I have five children, two of whom are now married with growing families of their own. In fact, I’m a grandfather a few times over at this point.
My three younger kids, meanwhile, are all out of high school with various levels of college completed. So it’s not like any of them are in the stage where they’ll follow me around with rapt adoration, waiting on my every word.
That’s what my grandkids are for these days.
Even so, I like staying in communication with them as much as possible (without being too annoying, of course). After all, I already experienced much of what they’re going through – including founding an investment analyst business, as my son, Nick, is doing.
He’s focusing on cryptocurrency and technical analysis, a field I’m not nearly so familiar with. But there’s still a lot of wisdom I can offer him if he wants to listen.
Which he does to varying degrees, depending on the day and the topic.
My oldest daughter has also become an exceptional Wall Street writer, breaking merger and acquisition (M&A) news for The Wall Street Journal. So clearly, I’ve had some impact on my offspring.
As much as I love their career trajectories, though, I got to thinking earlier this week about the real legacy I want to leave. It’s hardly the first time I’ve hoped for their lives to be filled with success and fulfillment. However, it might be the first time I summed it all up quite so well in a text message.
As such, I thought I’d share it with you as well.
The sentiments you’re about to read matter much more than the markets, without a shadow of a doubt. Yet the principles behind a strong life are often the same ones behind successful investing: doing the right things consistently, thinking clearly, and letting time do the heavy lifting.
I hope my children recognize how much richer their years will be under this guidance. And I hope you and your portfolios benefit deeply as well.
What I Wrote My Kids
Here’s what I told them, in its entirety:
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve spent more time thinking about what truly matters – not just in business or investing, but in life.
Success isn’t about luck. It’s not about being the smartest person in the room. And it’s definitely not about shortcuts.
It’s about how you carry yourself every single day.
There are a few simple rules I’ve come to believe in: lessons passed down to me that have been tested over time and proven the hard way. I want to share them with you today.
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Always do more than what’s expected of you. Not because someone is watching, but because it builds your character. The extra 10% is where trust is earned and reputations are built.
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Be careful with your words. Never present opinions as facts, especially when you don’t truly know. Discipline your thinking and respect the truth. Your credibility is one of the most valuable assets you will ever have.
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Treat people with respect. Everyone. With no exceptions. It doesn’t matter who they are or what they do. Be courteous, be kind, and be thoughtful. The way you treat others will define you more than anything else you ever accomplish.
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Don’t waste time complaining or tearing others down. If something isn’t right, offer constructive solutions. Be someone who builds – not someone who criticizes from the sidelines.
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Don’t be afraid to make decisions when you have the facts. You won’t always be right, but indecision will hold you back far more than a well-reasoned mistake ever will.
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Learn to quantify things. Measure what matters. Whether it’s in business, investing, or life, clarity often comes from understanding the numbers.
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Stay open-minded… but never lose your skepticism. Listen, learn, and consider different viewpoints, yes. But never forget to think for yourself. The world is full of noise. Wisdom comes from filtering it appropriately.
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Be prompt. Respect other people’s time and show up when you say you will. It sounds simple, but it sets you apart more than you think.
If I had to sum it all up, it would be like this: Do the right things the right way over a long period of time. That’s how trust is built. That’s how success compounds. And that’s how you create a life you can be proud of. The same is true whether you’re building a reputation, a career, or a portfolio.
I won’t always be there to guide you – but these principles will. And if you follow them, I’m confident you’ll not only succeed…
You’ll do it with integrity.
I love you.
Dad
Living a Life That Pays Off
They say the nice guy always finishes last. But I’m not promoting “niceness” to my children, my grandchildren, or to you.
I’m promoting what past generations would have called “honor” and I’ll call “character”: knowing the difference between right and wrong, and consistently choosing right – even if it’s not trendy or easy.
In short, integrity matters.
It might not always make you the most money or gain you the most power. I can’t promise absolute success every time you put it into practice. If anything, you’ll probably see a whole lot of people achieving more than you in the beginning, since it typically takes time to get worthwhile ventures off the ground.
Even so, integrity does tend to pay off in the long run, even from a strictly financial standpoint. Those who choose to live honorably tend to invest more wisely, saving and growing their money over time instead of losing it to every new scheme that rises and falls.
They’re not taken in by immature or outright predatory ideas, no matter how pretty the packaging.
That’s part of the reason why you’ll have much more peace of mind when you live a life of integrity. You won’t need to worry whether your house of cards can last – because you won’t have built any such thing in the first place.
You’ll have a durable home to dwell in instead.
Likewise, you won’t be left looking back decades later, wishing you’d invested in what actually mattered instead of feeling good in the moment or keeping up with the Joneses.
Let the Joneses do what they’re going to do. And wish them the best in the process. But when you keep the first eight things first, their mansions, cars, and private jets just won’t look so enviable.
Honestly, you’ll be too busy living a life worth living to care.
Regards,
Brad Thomas
Editor, Wide Moat Daily
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