There are some people who do not think about their future…and there are some who think too much about their future. Normally advisers wish and hope that people think about the future..and do a lot of those ‘right’ kind of things.

However some people expect the planner to be too accurate about the future! Imagine somebody wanted a cash flow of the family (projected) 10 years later, and assuming that the ‘bread winner’ is dead. This is a noble exercise, but believe me, it is useless. Well almost useless.

It is always useful to remember this story:

Two friends were sitting and talking ..for convenience let us call them Ram and Krishna.

Ram said: “I am planning to buy land, a garden.”

K said:  “Don’t buy the garden!”

R was surprised. He asked “why”?

K replied, “I am planning to buy a buffalo. Then, my buffalo will enter your garden and we will fight, have misunderstandings and lose our friendship. I do not want to lose our friendship.”

R said, “Then, you drop your plan of buying a buffalo. I will own a garden.

K said, “No, no, no. I have already decided to buy a buffalo.”

R said, “How will your buffalo enter my garden? I will fence it thoroughly.”

K said, “No, you see that may not help – a buffalo is a buffalo. It can do anything.”

They started fighting. The fight went to such an extent that they broke their limbs! Neither has bought buffalo nor any land.

Nothing has happened. Just the mind’s race and both of them broke their limbs over it! It may sound funny, but we keep doing such things regularly! It may not be so apparent and visible to us – so we do not realize it, that is all!

Our fears are also like that. The future has not yet come. But you just sit there and think, “Oh! What will happen? This will happen. That will happen.” It is of course necessary to prepare for the future, but there is no need to panic. Remember how much money you need as life insurance or as a pension is a dynamic figure. YOU, YOU AND YOU alone can determine how much life insurance and how much pension you need. Learn how to do it…

Many times our minds are filled with anxiety about the future! In this run, the mind gets into such a mess. This messy mind may not be in a great position to decide..so be careful when you are taking a decision….