Matthew Lekushoff |   http://matthewlekushoff.ca
Travelling for life | Saying goodbye to The Hip
 
As if mirroring the slower time of year, economic news and markets have been somewhat in a holding pattern lately-meaning, I don't have much to report in terms of new developments. Although things can always change in a moment's notice, I'm going to go out on a limb and predict they will stay this way until after Labour Day. But let's not put any money on it.
However, we continue to rebalance portfolios in order to be prepared for anything interesting the markets may send our way over the next few months.
If you are looking to change things up, or if you just want to blue sky for a bit, the fourth and fifth blogs  of Travel Life Experiences are up. My clients, Troy and Dorene, have been writing a blog series about their relationship with money and how they used it to achieve their goal of meaningful travel. Their final two posts discuss their decision to sell their home and how they continue to afford long-term travel.
 
 
In the review queue
 
 by Philip Ball: My interest in interdisciplinary knowledge led me to read Critical Mass. Although I'm glad I read it, it was a long, dense slog given the amount of physics, chemistry, and political science the author leaned on to discuss his thesis of the sciences being able to improve the social sciences. That being said, after reading it, I have a clearer sense of where the sciences can provide guidance, where they might not be able to, and where more research needs to be done. As an added bonus, I now understand which situations make seemingly random traffic jams occur and which ones don't. Perhaps that stress-reducing knowledge alone will be worth the effort of reading the book.
 
The Obstacle is the Way  by Ryan Holiday: I listened to this book months ago, but have been meaning to read it for a while. It was even better the second time around! The book highlights important principles, such as: choosing your response to an event, understanding life's challenges can be one of the best things to happen to you, realizing the importance of taking action, and discovering how power can often be the difference between success and failure. The Obstacle is the Way is also probably the best summary of Stoicism you will find. Besides providing guidance during a chaotic time, Stoicism is really one of the most practical philosophies, designed to help people live better lives.
 
How to Disrupt Your Brain's Distraction Habit  by Art Markman: If you are like me, you struggle with the hundreds of distractions our modern world provides. I've found reducing and filtering my exposure to news and social media very helpful. This article provides another strategy on how to keep improving in this area.
 
You May Think the World is Falling Apart  by Julia Belluz: If you pay attention to media headlines, your Twitter or Facebook feeds, or just participate in random conversations, you'd have reason to believe the world has never been in a worse place. Between news of wars, terrorism, or unsavoury politicians, there is plenty to lead you to that conclusion. This article, based on Steven Pinker's work, shows that when you take a step back to look at the data, nothing could be further from the truth. If you are worried about the state of the world, do yourself a favour and read this article.
 
Why GDP  by Philipp Lepenies:  Although this article has a subtle political message, I found it interesting in how GDP has become such a popular and widespread measure of economic success or failure.

Paying homage
 
  

 

 

 

Matthew Lekushoff, CIMA

Financial Advisor 

Raymond James Ltd.

 

T: 416-777-6368 | F: 416-777-7020

www.Matthewlekushoff.ca


 

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