Sea Turtles Are Excellent Role Models
September 11, 2015I was looking at some photos recently and one that made me smile was a big group photo taken on a snorkeling trip. Along with the laughter, stories and bonding time with friends, the thing I remember the most about that particular day is swimming next to two incredibly large sea turtles. These things were HUGE. I’m sure they wondered why some doofus was swimming behind them for a rather long time, but they were gracious hosts. They were remarkable beautiful creatures and it looked like they owned the sea while they were swimming.
We actually have similar life spans. Sea turtles can live to be 80-100 years old, just like us. Let’s take a look at some things they have going for them as a species who have been around since the dinosaur days and see if we can learn a thing or two from them:
They swim all day long! If you look at the longest living people on the planet, staying active is usually a vital component of their lives. Walking, gardening, yoga and yes…swimming – any activity that is low impact and can be done for an extended period of time are some of the habits of octogenarians, nonagenarians & centenarians.
What can we do? Put down the remote control (which I absolutely WILL NOT do this Sunday when the NFL season opens) and take a long walk. (Not off a short pier. That’s been known to shorten life spans.)
You can set an exercise goal at http://www.stickk.com/, which I’ve used for a fitness challenge with some old high school friends. (The friends are old. I refuse to admit that I am). While you’re at Stickk, check out some of the financial goals you can set for yourself too. You may be on your way to becoming healthier AND wealthier.
They live all over the world in all climates and they don’t pay a whole lot for housing. From warm Caribbean climates to frosty Pacific Ocean waters, you’ll find giant sea turtles all over the world, and they pay $0 in rent or mortgage. What can we learn from that? Find a climate that makes you happy (for me, that would mean NO WINTERS) and minimize the cost of your housing. Far too many people pay so much for housing that they become almost trapped or “house rich and cash poor” and have trouble saving enough to build sufficient emergency funds and comfortable retirement savings.
Be like a sea turtle and find the lowest cost housing option that you can handle. Most real estate experts will tell you that you can afford a mortgage that is up to 36% of your GROSS (before tax) income. It’s an absolute home run if you can find housing at 25% or less of your NET (after tax) income. If you can do that, you are setting yourself up for long term financial success.
Sea turtles have a very diverse diet. They eat squid, barnacles, algae, sea grass, seaweed, jellyfish and a host of other things. Our takeaway – a healthy diet, when combined with being active can reduce our overall costs of healthcare during our lifetime. Behavioral changes that help us stay healthy can be very good for our bottom lines.
Sea turtles face a lot of adversity in their lifetimes. So do we. They get caught in fishing lines, are hunted by humans and have some natural predators. Yet, through it all, they have managed to endure for centuries just like us.
We all face adversity in our financial lives – job loss, divorce, stock market crashes, Ponzi schemes, large medical bills, natural disasters, etc. All these things can devastate a person’s financial life in a rather fast fashion. Like a turtle freed from a net, we can all bounce back from calamity if we are focused. Every single one of us has faced some sort of adversity in our lives and has recovered.
The next time you face it, focus on your goals and fight like a trapped turtle to reach your goals in the face of your obstacles. First, identify the obstacle. Then try to envision two or three solutions and ask for help if you reach a stalling point. From there, take decisive action toward your goal.
In an old ad campaign, Nike wanted you to “Be Like Mike.” I’m asking you to be something different. Be more like a giant sea turtle!