I found this really funny cartoon while I was searching MonyNing.com’s website.  While looking at MoneyNing.com blog archive, I came across this article “Not Caring About the Wild Stock Market Swings” and I would like to point out the importance of the article, especially how I was affected.

I hope the stock I just bought doesn’t do this!

MoneyNing posted the article last year during October (2008), right after the DOW index at one point was down 800 points.  Although, I’m sure she wasn’t happy about it, she goes on to say that she wasn’t depressed about it either.  This is the perfect way to approach it!  This means that the stock market movements has lost control over her.  You might think how can an abstract concept like the DOW index control us?  Sadly, too much…  I was depressed as I saw the value in the market practically cut in half.

How depressed was I about it?

Very, 🙁 “nuff said”… but today it’s different.  As I sprint into the next few months, I’ll be running towards becoming debt free.  After I’m debt free, I’ll be able to relax much much more.  In fact, I’ve already started to do so.  I’m also starting to diversify my investment allocations, so that I don’t have as much money in just risky (high beta) stocks.

If you are only in risky stocks as I was (not counting my 401k), perhaps you should try asset diversification too.  First pay off your debt (Credit cars, car, house, etc), next check out the options that are available for money to be diversified into (Stock, Mutual funds, Foreign mutual fund, ETFs, Bonds, etc…).  Next check out some of the investment blogs out there.  There is some excellent advice out there.

Don