Timeless Life Lessons to Carry Into the New Year

This month, I wanted to share some life lessons I’ve gathered over the years—not technical knowledge or detailed regulations, but the kinds of insights that shape how we approach life, relationships, and the decisions we make. 

I’ve learned that most people don’t care about the intricate details of selecting investments or the fine print of tax laws. While I’m always happy to give technical answers, I understand that what really matters is how these things affect your unique situation. The “what” is just information; the “why” is what makes a difference. People want to know they’re cared for and that their interests are at the heart of the work we do. That’s what we strive to embody at Stein Financial Group. 

This note is about the lessons I’ve absorbed and made part of who we are as a team. It’s reinforced by a note I read online, paired with Dorothy’s famous words in The Wizard of Oz: “I won’t look any further than my own backyard. Because if it isn’t there, I never really lost it to begin with.” These lessons are things we all instinctively know but may lose sight of amidst the busyness of life, doom scrolling, or our own self-imposed hurdles. 

Here’s my reminder to us all: 

• It is better to be nice than right. 
  • It almost never matters. More kindness is a resolution we can all embrace for 2025. 
• People aren’t thinking about you as much as you think. 
  • Humbling but true. 
• If you don’t let some things go, they’ll always anchor you down. 
  • The only one I want controlling my life is me. Don’t give that power away. 
• We can’t control everything. 
  • Focus on the things we can control. Trying to control everything often leaves us with control of nothing. 
• Life is about the memories we make, not the things we accumulate. 
  • I still find myself gazing at the electronic frame in our home as it flips through pictures of places we’ve been, things we’ve done, and the people we’ve shared those experiences with. 
• Choose your own path, or someone else will choose it for you. 
  • Life is a one-way trip. Don’t let others dictate how you live it. 

I originally learned these lessons through one of my alma maters, The School of Hard Knocks. The lessons learned there tend to stick, and I hope you find them just as meaningful as I did. Some ideas may challenge you to rethink or reframe certain aspects of your life. I encourage you to try. Since we are more alike than different, I believe you’ll find, as I have, that embracing these ideas can set your life on a more fulfilling path. 

One final thought for this month: 

• We only change when we decide to. 
  • See my earlier reference to The School of Hard Knocks. 

Wishing you the absolute best, 

Jeff