A Shady Tree

“Somebody’s sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.” – Warren Buffett
A book that I recently have been enjoying is called “Simple Wealth, Inevitable Wealth” and throughout this book the author quotes Warren Buffett. In particular, this quote stands out to me. Think about planting a tree in earth. It will inevitably take root and grow over time.

In fact, you actually don’t need to do much to support it’s growth, do you? The air, sun and water are all the nutrients it needs.

You don’t need to dig it up every quarter to check on how its progressing.

You don’t uproot the tree and store it inside over the winter to protect it from bad weather. Even though the tree stops growing and all the leaves fall off, the tree doesn’t die.

If you give it enough time and room to grow, the tree will give you back air and shade and beauty as it grows. More so, it will be there long after you’re gone for your children to enjoy. This idea explained in Nick Murray’s book is that investing can be the same way. We get so focused on what is happening within a month, week, or day in the stock market. The intraday news we all consume creates a sense of panic to “do something” but, just like the Fall and Winter Seasons, if we leave it alone there is growth right around the corner.