The Columbia Press
May 13, 2022
Senior Moments
Financial Focus
with Adam Miller
with Emma Edwards
Too much me on my mind
“Lord, help me get myself
off my mind” was how a
speaker opened his speech
at a gathering not so long
ago.
If you’ve ever been at a po-
dium and heard the micro-
phone echo your own voice
back to you, then you will
identify with that speaker’s
simple but profound re-
quest.
Yet one does not need to
have a microphone to think
of one’s self all too much.
Some of us (like me) lay in
bed in the quiet of the night
doing a rerun of the day be-
hind us.
“If only I would have said
or done this or that” is a
thought all too often for us.
And yes, it can bring out
negative thoughts that can
be self-condemning.
Author Criss Jami, in his
book Killosophy, wrote
“Whenever I think of some-
thing but can’t think of
what it was I was thinking
of, I can’t stop thinking un-
til I think I’m thinking of
it again. I think I think too
much.”
I think I will stay with
cartoon character Maxine’s
thoughts about thinking:
“Twinkies and Ho-Ho’s may
be a thing of the past, but
the world will always have
plenty of Ding Dongs.”
I’m sure I’ve been referred
to as a ding-dong often over
the years and, consequently,
even by my very own self.
The other day, I was
playing Pinochle and I got
through it, but not without
mentally kicking myself a
few times (for being such
a ding-dong) and not lis-
tening to an earlier action
when bidding or even when
not bidding!
Guess what I was think-
ing about in the quiet of my
bedroom that night?
Maybe what I’m trying to
express is that thinking can
be both good and bad and
even self-denigrating.
But let’s not be too hard
on ourselves! There is a
Bible verse that instructs
us to not let our hearts be
troubled.
I have found in my long
life that I am my toughest
critic. How do I know that?
I think a lot, as do many of
us.
I may even think of a nice
thing I could do as outreach
to a neighbor or a greeting
card I need to send. But
sometimes it doesn’t get
past the “think stage” of my
thoughts and I don’t follow
through with action.
I have found a good way to
get my mind off of me is to
help or do something nice
for someone else. Somehow,
I receive a blessing while
blessing others!
---
I keep a Bible on my bed-
side table and I often read
Philippians 4:8 to erase any
negative thoughts before
falling asleep:
“Finally, brethren, what-
soever things are true,
whatsoever things are hon-
est, whatsoever things are
just, whatsoever things are
pure, whatsoever things
are lovely, whatsoever
things are of good report --
if there be any virtue and if
there be any praise -- think
on these things.”
7
What investors can – and can’t -- control
As an investor, you might
feel frustrated to see short-
term drops in your invest-
ment statements.
Many forces affect the finan-
cial markets, including geopo-
litical events, corporate profits
and interest rate movements.
But, while you cannot con-
trol the market, you may find
it helpful to review the factors
you can control:
• Your ability to define your
goals – One area in which you
have total control is your abil-
ity to define your goals. Like
most people, you probably
have short-term goals – such
as saving for a new car or a
dream vacation – and long-
term ones, such as a comfort-
able retirement.
Once you identify your goals
and estimate how much they
will cost, you can create an
investment strategy to help
achieve them.
Over time, some of your per-
sonal circumstances are likely
to change, so you’ll want to
review your time horizon and
risk tolerance on a regular
basis, adjusting your strategy
when appropriate.
Senior meals
Thursday, May 19
• Split pea soup
• Garlic shrimp
• Rice
• Green beans
• Chef’s choice dessert
Warrenton’s eat-in senior
meal program organized by
Warrenton Senior Citizens
Inc. is at noon on Thursdays
at Warrenton Community
Center, 170 S.W. Third St.
Suggested donation is $6.
Doors open at 10:30 a.m. for
socializing and coffee.
And the same is true for your
goals – they may evolve over
time, requiring new responses
from you in how you invest.
• Your response to mar-
ket downturns – When the
market drops and the value
of your investments decline,
you might be tempted to take
immediate action in an effort
to stop the losses. This is un-
derstandable – after all, your
investment results can have a
big impact on your future.
However, acting hastily
could work against you – for
example, you could sell in-
vestments that still have sol-
id fundamentals and are still
appropriate for your needs. If
you can avoid decisions based
on short-term events, you
may help yourself in the long
run.
• Your commitment to in-
vesting – The financial mar-
kets are almost always in flux,
and their movements are hard
to predict. If you can contin-
ue investing in all markets –
good, bad or sideways – you
will likely make much better
progress toward your goals
than if you periodically take a
“time out.”
Many people head to the in-
vestment sidelines when the
market tumbles, only to miss
out on the beginnings of the
next rally. And by steadily
investing, you’ll increase the
number of shares you own in
your investments – and the
larger your ownership stake,
the greater your opportunities
for building wealth.
• Your portfolio’s level of di-
versification – While diversi-
fication itself can’t guarantee
profits or protect against all
loss, it can greatly help reduce
the impact of market volatility
on your portfolio.
Just how you diversify your
investments depends on sev-
eral factors, but the general
principle of maintaining a
diversified portfolio should
govern your approach to in-
vesting. It’s a good idea to pe-
riodically review your portfo-
lio to ensure it’s still properly
diversified.
The world will always be
filled with unpredictable, un-
controllable events, and many
of them will affect the finan-
cial markets to one degree or
another.
But within your own invest-
ment world, you always have
a great deal of control – and
with it, you have the power to
keep moving toward all your
important financial objectives.
This article was written by
Edward Jones and submit-
ted by Adam Miller, financial
adviser at the Astoria office,
632A W. Marine Drive. To
reach him, call 503-325-7991.
Special columns in The Columbia Press
Every week: Senior Moments with Emma Edwards
Week 1: Mayor’s Message by Henry Balensifer
Week 2: Financial Focus with Adam Miller
Week 3: Spotlight on the City
Week 4: Here’s to Your Health from CMH