In the late 1960’s, three industrious brothers started a company in Colorado known as “Jackson Brothers Investments, Ltd.” We weren’t all that knowledgeable about the fine nuances of higher finance or market domination. We did, however, possess some innate and intuitive insights regarding value for value, leverage, and creative negotiation. We were confident and eager.
My most favorite financier in the whole world was my hero, Noah: It was said that “he was able to float all of his stock, while all the rest of the world was in liquidation.” That was good enough for me!
The starting of “Jackson Brothers Investments, Ltd.” was well over 50 years ago. I have learned some valuable lessons, both personally and financially, since the early days.
One of the universal principles of investing is that I can hold on too tightly and lose everything, or become richer by being willing to relinquish assets that I have. The spirit of selfishness and hording trumps wisdom and blocks me from the subtle insights as to what and when I should let go.
The tighter I grasp on to something, the faster it squeezes right through my fingers, and suddenly it’s gone. The principle is equally true for corporations, institutions, and individuals. Good equity management simply makes good sense.
Personally, our appreciated and time-valued talents and possessions are very time-sensitive. All of our clocks are ticking – just in case you hadn’t noticed. Our personal inventories are overflowing, even if we don’t feel so wealthy today.
Here’s what I’ve learned from the investment business:
What I hoard I lose. All that is not given away is lost. What I grasp too tightly, I squeeze right through my fingers, and it’s gone. But what I give away and plant in the lives of others returns to me in multiplied measure.
Let me share with you a thought from one of my favorite writers regarding equity management:
Whenever you get a blessing from God, give it back to Him as a love-gift. Take time to meditate before God and offer the blessing back to Him in a deliberate act of worship. If you hoard a thing for yourself, it will turn into spiritual dry rot, as the manna did when it was hoarded (see Exodus 16:20). God will never allow you to keep a spiritual blessing completely for yourself. It must be given back to Him so that He can make it a blessing to others. (Oswald Chambers)