Everything you do in life is an investment. The word, “investment,” is commonly referred to in the business world, yet it can also be applied to every aspect of your life. You invest in brushing your teeth to have pearly whites in the long run, you invest in college to get smart and have a job in the long run, and you invest in texting that person to date them in the long run. We invest in our lives just as businessmen invest in stocks. We seek to obtain the most optimal return possible, given the amount of expenditure we are willing to perform, meanwhile gauging the amount of risk we are willing to face.
So what investments should we as college students take in order to succeed in life, achieve our goals, and get rich? Well in order to get the most accurate answers, we spoke to John Elwaw, a businessman, who went from having nothing to having everything, claiming his college experience in Boston changed his life and made him the man he is today.
John Elwaw’s childhood was rough; he and his family of five lived in one room for ten years with his dad trying to make ends meet for several years in Venezuela. He states how, overall, he had a normal life – he just lived very simply. It was college that changed his life. He moved to Boston, a cosmopolitan city. That was a grand eyeopener for him moving his hometown. “Up until today, Boston has had a great influence in my life. I am who I am because of the experiences that I had in that city.”
In his sophomore year, his father went bankrupt. “He wasn’t able to pay for my education. In the beginning I despised my father because he couldn’t do a good job with his finances and I had to take care of myself. But in retrospect, I realized…that’s the turning point of my life and it’s why I am who I am today. It made me hungry, irrespective of the circumstance. I didn’t like doing three jobs and not being able to go out with my friends but I had to in order to survive and make myself better. If my father had continued to support me, I don’t know if I’d be as hungry as I am today.”
John Elwaw now has the highest title in field, as managing director at Morgan Stanley. He is recognized by Barron’s and The Financial Top Times as one of the top financial advisors in the United States. He has meet with George W. Bush and continues to work with high-class and world-renown clientele. How did he get to the top?
He invested in not only the right stocks, but the right mindset. He claims in order to succeed college students must “Have a positive mindset and also work really hard. Working hard is the only way to make it in life. You’ve got to be that kid who goes the extra mile.” While you may think going the extra mile is hard in college, I know I do, you at least have to try. Set up a meeting with your teacher and get to know them. Sign up for a tutoring session. Ask your teacher that question you were too embarrassed to ask during class. Sign up for a club that shares your passion and interests.
All these small investments will one day configure and represent themselves, and those small actions you took will become your life. So today, choose wisely. Think realistically about how you want to spend your day today. Do you want to do something that will make you stronger, prettier, and richer? Or do you want to scroll down Instagram just see your life scroll in the same direction: down. You’re going to struggle just like John Elwaw did; you’re gonna cry and you’re going to wish those words that slipped out of your mouth never left. You’re gonna lose loved ones and wake up alone in your bed some days. But it’s about being able to surpass the negative in your life, foresee what you want, plan ahead, and make those positive investments that will ultimately, become your life.