Appreciate what you have, and love life - because you never know when your time will be up...

I’ve not been very active on LinkedIn over the last year for a reason. I share the following in the hope that it might be a wake-up call (or at least a reminder) to you - or to someone you know - about the crazy mistake we all make - living as if we have forever.

We don't.

I’ve mentioned a few times in my books and in my Inspiring Advisers training about Life NOT being a rehearsal. In fact, those who know me would say I’ve consistently hit them over the head with this message. I make no apologies.

This is serious.

On the 12th March 2022, my world fell apart - or so it seemed.

I was home alone on that Saturday morning. Lynn was away looking after her daughter’s dogs one hundred miles away.

I was waking up slowly, still exhausted and suffering with quite a hangover from BACK2Y - my event which I had held the two days before. (BACK2Y - The Lifestyle Financial Planning Conference).

That’s when my phone rang.

It was Harriet, Lynn’s daughter. She was in Spain, and in tears.?

She had just received a disturbing call from a paramedic.

Lynn had just suffered a serious fall whilst out walking the dogs.

She had fallen down sixteen concrete steps of a railway bridge and had been found by another walker lying unconscious in a pool of blood.

She was being rushed to hospital.

By the time I arrived in A&E, they had found she had a fractured skull, fractured cheekbone and far worse, severe bleeds on the brain. In fact, we were later to find that the impact from the fall had ruptured the left temporal lobe of her brain. She was in a critical condition.?

Late that evening she was taken 60 miles to a specialist Neurosurgery ward in Oxford. I followed in my car as the ambulance drove slowly through the dark of the Oxfordshire countryside. They were trying to keep the ride as smooth as possible for Lynn.

To my horror, upon arriving at the hospital I was refused entry - due to COVID restrictions. I was told to go home. They assured me they would do all they could.

I was now all alone and fearing the worst.

Lynn spent two weeks in a critical condition in Intensive Care, then later transferred to a Neurorehabilitation hospital where she spent a further ten weeks.

Her doctors continue to remind me that it was a really close call.

Lynn is home now. She’s left with brain damage. But she survived!

She was once a feisty, confident and dynamic woman, but no more. She is now tackling the daily challenges of memory loss and working hard on her speech and language difficulties.?

She is absolutely determined to make a good recovery.?

So, there you have it. I now have a new Lynn, and I shall endeavour to love this one as much, if not more, than the old one. I know - someway, somehow - we WILL get back to our adventures onboard our beloved?Spellbound.

Why am I telling you this?

You know why. Because life is precious. Things can change in an instant.

We all know this to be true, but we ignore it, and we live our life like we have forever.

That is until it happens to us.

I mention in my book how I had vowed to live my life differently - how I had committed to do the opposite to my Dad and never make the mistake of saying "One day, we'll...." Instead, I committed to spending precious time with Lynn and doing stuff together while we were still young enough and fit enough to do so.

My goodness. I’m so glad I did.

It’s NOT a rehearsal!

I have TWO important messages...

Firstly, to my Financial Advisor friends...

Please, please, please! Commit to reminding your clients of this undeniable fact often. Then, make sure you help them to get the best life possible with the money they have by delivering PROPER financial planning. Make sure you inspire, motivate and encourage them to ‘do stuff’ - before it’s too late.?

They’ll thank you for it, I promise.

Oh, and promise me that you will do the same for you and your family.

You can thank me later.

So, if you ARE a Financial Advisor... this might be of interest.

The above is an excerpt from the (rather unexpected) final chapter of my latest book - ‘The Financial Advisor’s Guide to REAL Success in 2023 and beyond - how to become a Super Hero in the lives of your clients.’

I’m giving it away for free. Actually, that’s not entirely true. I’m asking for a donation to Headway - the brain injury association.

If you’re a financial advisor you can order it here as a paperback or if you prefer as an eBook download. A small donation is required. (You can get it wherever you are in the world).

All I ask is you read it!

It’s a quick read intended to inspire you to take action and change the conversation - for your sake, for your clients' sake - and for the sake of the financial planning profession.

It’s about finding, understanding and communicating your true purpose. As an advisor, you’ll either get the message - or you won’t.

Now...

If you’re reading this and you’re NOT a financial advisor...

...can I urge you to think about your money and your life in a new way?

Why?

Because it's NOT a rehearsal!

You only get one chance, so make sure you work with an enlightened financial advice professional who focuses on you and your life more than they do your money.

You may not be aware, but there is now a growing community of Inspiring Advisers (globally) who are gradually breaking the shackles of the financial services industry - in fact, they do the opposite to what the Industry wants them to do. They focus on YOU the person, not your portfolio. Their goal is to help you to plan your finances to get a better life, not just a better return. That's PROPER financial planning with an end in mind - the 'end' is a life well lived.

So, if your existing financial advisor only seems interested in your money (i.e. always talking about investments and always product pushing), it's time for you to run a mile!

Always remember, until an advisor demonstrates genuine interest in you and your life they have no right to talk about your money or advise you what to do with it. Period.

If you would like access to a life-centred financial planning professional, please DM me.