12 Years a Sloth
Introducing my fortnightly newsletter (including news of my quarterly book giveaway)
Upon arriving back in Hong Kong last month (after a summer holiday back in Europe) it dawned upon Mr. Sloth that he has now spent 12 years abroad.
I arrived in Asia 12 years ago and very soon after arriving I remember reading ‘Millionaire Teacher’ by Andrew Hallam.
So, although the concept of investing like a sloth wasn’t exactly born then, it’s certainly true that the antecedents of my core bedrock principles of simplicity and time and remaining headstrong first arose shortly after reading the book.
I was fortunate to have been handed a copy of the book soon after arriving in the Far East. Indeed, the reading of this book and the words of investing wisdom provided to me by Mrs. Sloth’s father represent the chief causal factors that enabled me to commence my own investing journey.
Serendipity
I’m fascinated by the role that serendipity can play in our life. For those unfamiliar with the term, here’s a definition from the Merriam-Webster website:
The discovery of penicillin, the chance meeting of John Lennon and Paul McCartney at a school fete on 6th July 1957, serendipity has likely played a decisive role in your life, and the lives of others, in countless ways.
I like the definition of serendipity above because of its relevance to my own life. I have emboldened below several of the key words from the definition that resonate with me.
“the faculty or phenomenon of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for.”
When I first met Mrs. Sloth it certainly didn’t occur to me that one of the positive attributes of getting to know her family was that I would substantially develop my financial literacy. However, as I alluded to above this is certainly what happened.
The Sliding Doors Moment
Unlike Mrs. Sloth, I’m not really one for romantic comedy dramas, aside from perhaps ‘Love Actually’ (which Brit doesn’t love that movie?). However, I remember being impressed by ‘Sliding Doors’, a 1998 romantic comedy-drama starring Gwyneth Paltrow and John Hannah. Again, what appeals to me about that movie is the notion of seemingly inconsequential moments that nonetheless alter the trajectory of future events in our life.
Ian McEwan, my favourite fiction writer, has a line in his upcoming book ‘Lessons’ that also touches upon the dazzling, limitlessness possibilities that lay ahead of us in our lives. Roland, the lead character in the novel, is haunted by the many-worlds theory, in which ‘the world divides at every conceivable moment into an infinitude of invisible possibilities.’ Similarly, in 2017, Paul Auster, another of my favourite fiction writers, released ‘4 3 2 1’ which told the story of Archie Ferguson and four different iterations of his life.
Nurturing Serendipity
I consider myself fortunate that serendipity has played a pivotal role in my understanding of the realm of investing. Likewise, I am committed to enabling opportunities for others to benefit from the knowledge that I have acquired about investing.
Whether this is a word-of-mouth shout-out for my podcast, a recommendation to follow the Sloth Investor on Twitter, or the sharing of one of my Substack articles, there are varied ways that a beginner investor could benefit from the scope of my online output.
However, within this article, I will be outlining several other ways that beginner investors can benefit from the Sloth Investor’s initiatives.
The Spirit of Philotimo
The English language is great but the combination of a wide reading habit and my time working abroad has enabled me to acquire knowledge of a varied assortment of multicultural phrases that I love. One such phrase is ‘philotimo’. Philotimo is Greek in origin and means to be of service, to focus on assisting others.
Too many people suffer from a disease known as investment illiteracy. Of course, I jest, but in all seriousness, I never cease to be amazed by the lack of investment sense that afflicts many people.
What’s the best method of inoculation against such financial folly?
A strong dose of philotimo.
Quarterly Free Book Giveaway
On a quarterly basis, companies post their quarterly earnings results. However, rather than devoting column inches to the quarterly earnings results of company X or company Y, Mr. Sloth will, on an alternative note, be giving away a Sloth Investor mentor text to a subscriber of my new fortnightly Substack newsletter.
So….what is a Sloth Investor mentor text?
A Sloth Investor mentor text is a book that has the potential to play a transformative role in the formation of one’s financial literacy, be they young or old.
My First Book Giveaway
In my most recent podcast, I enjoyed interviewing Rob Phelan, author of the children’s book ‘M is for Money’.
This is a book that I’m planning to send to a subscriber of my Substack platform.
To all those parents out there, this is a great book that can enable your child to obtain a good initial understanding of financial vocabulary such as invest and earn and taxes.
So….how do I win a copy of this book?
In order to win a copy of ‘M is for Money’ by Rob Phelan, you have to do three things:
Make sure you’re a subscriber to my Substack platform.
Email me at mrsloth@slothinvestor.com explaining what makes you a sloth investor, i.e which of my 5 bedrock principles (Simplicity, Low Fees, Owning the World, Time, Headstrong) most resonates with you?
Agree for me to publish your response (should you be chosen at random) in an upcoming edition of my newsletter.
It’s about time that investors paid less attention to quarterly earnings results and more attention to Mr. Sloth’s quarterly book giveaway. I hope that my subscribers agree.
My New Fortnightly Newsletter - Mr. Sloth’s Blog
Okay, so in addition to my quarterly book giveaway, another new initiative from Mr. Sloth is my fortnightly newsletter, which will be entitled ‘Mr. Sloth’s Blog’.
This newsletter will typically contain:
- A Picture of Simplicity (A picture connected to investing like a sloth)
- A Timeless Quote for a Sloth Investor
- Mr. Sloth’s Musing (In which I muse on personal finance-related matters)
- A Recommended Article
- A Recommended Website
- What Mr. Sloth can do for you (containing details of my online workshop provision)
Sunlight is the Best Disinfectant
Despite being a Brit, I’ve always been more interested in the history of other countries, particularly that of the United States.
Most recently, I was attracted to a statement by former US Supreme Court Judge, Louis Brandeis in a 1913 Harper’s Weekly Article. In the article he states:
“sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants”
This statement resonates with me because it is my intention to shine a light on the very best pearls of financial literacy wisdom that can illuminate a path for others to follow. Fundamentally, I firmly believe that shining a spotlight on sound financial literacy insights can go some way to disinfecting the degree of ignorance held by those that are, through no fault of their own, ‘financially less savvy’.
Subsequently, the rationale for my new fortnightly newsletter, just like the quarterly book giveaway, is to increase opportunities for others to learn about the importance of sound financial literacy principles (remember the role that serendipity played in my understanding of investing?).
Coming Soon…
Friday, September 16th: Episode 24 of the Sloth Investor Podcast
I finally get the chance to catch up with my co-host Jay after a long summer break from the podcast.
Sunday, September 25th: The first edition of Mr. Sloth’s blog, my new fortnightly newsletter.
October (date TBC): Jay and I will be interviewing Brian Feroldi on the Sloth Investor podcast. Incidentally, Brian’s recent book ‘Why Does The Stock Market Go Up?: Everything You Should Have Been Taught About Investing In School, But Weren't’ will be the second book giveaway by Mr. Sloth (in December).
So long for now.
The Sloth Investor
