Choosing to be happy is something I try to make a daily goal of mine. That can mean taking breaks from dating apps, going out for a walk in nature, taking pictures, karaoking it up, binging on some Netflix, cudding with my dog on the couch, and viewing content from some of favorite YouTubers. It also can be coming to terms with the past, journaling how I feel about different situations and then getting it off of my mind. Or repeating the serenity prayer. “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.
There is so much going on in the world and with people who are either friends, acquaintances I care deeply about. It’s a balancing act between showing empathy, but also trying not to let their circumstances, or their trauma affect my mental health. Then being happy for once close friends who leave without saying goodbye. That’s part of life though, trying to be the best version of yourself and spending the most precious resource available (your time and energy) wisely.
| 4/30/2022 | 4/1/2022 | Difference | % Change | |
| 401k | $143,369 | $162,197 | -$12,828 | -8% |
| Roth IRA | $20,231 | $21,773 | -$1,542 | -7% |
| M1 Acct | $5,070 | $5,419 | +$349 | -6% |
| Crypto | $1,236 | $1,701 | +$465 | -27% |
| Buffer Fund | $1,250 | $1,626 | -$376 | -23% |
| HSA | $1,932 | $1,415 | +$517 | +37% |
| Total | $179,087 | $194,131 | -$15,044 | -8% |
Is it a bummer my net worth went down 8% in a month with me still contributing a total of about $2,700/mo into my investments? Yes. Do I think this will be temporary in nature? In the grand scheme of things yes, but the rest of 2022 might be a rocky year. I did receive a $228 dividend on FSKAX on 4/8. Individual stocks in my M1 account have taken such a beating. AMZN is down 49%, MSFT is down 17%, TSMC down 24%, Google down 25%, Disney down 49%. My Vanguard index fund VTI is only down 1.29%.
My go-forward strategy is to keep on going with dollar cost averaging and not lock in my losses. I think the market is overreacting. Worst case is I lower my contributions
I got Covid a little over 2 weeks ago while on vacation of all places. My Emergency Fund declined since I had a bunch of unexpected expenses on my trip. That includes 2 nights at a Best Western, super expensive food deliveries in the Boston area (one meal for 3 people was close to $85, another for myself at the hotel was $40). Having insurance is nice since my urgent care visit didn’t have any out of pocket expenses.
As far as health is concerned I still have a bit of a residual cough that comes and goes but I’m mostly back to my old self.
The vacation was a hit otherwise and aside from getting sick it was nurturing to my soul to get away from Dallas for a bit and be close to home.
No matter the obstacles we face, keep on going.
Debt Free Alpha 
2 responses to “Be Happy | May 2022 Net Worth Update – $179k”
You have the right way of thinking. We do have precious little time on this planet and need to not let stuff from the past ruin our present, or worrying about the future ruin our present at the same time. Obviously easier said than done. Definitely keep contributing to your retirement. The market is in a correction and what goes up will come down eventually and vice versa. When I had Covid, the last thing for me to get rid of as well was the cough. It will eventually go away. Just keep on eating good food and exercising and doing things like you mentioned. As the mind is healthy, so the body will follow.
I know i’ve been absent from commenting for a while and i do apologize. But I’ve been reading your posts through my email. Keep on keeping on. 🙂
I meant to reply to this weeks ago. So many examples of just letting go. A very recent one for me is a sports team I joined for the season. We went 2 weeks in a row without having enough players, and the final game of the season, a 3rd this coming weekend still didn’t have enough players. The week before I couldn’t play due to Covid. I was annoyed for a few weeks but then just left the team group chat. No explanation but a clean break if you will. I see the other players taking pictures of them on trips. Just didn’t want that kind of negative energy in my life. I still am seeing a few of them this weekend at a pool party which is going to be a lot of fun regardless especially since only half the team rsvped yes lol.
Then lots of more recent examples that have just reinforced in my mind how precious life can be. It’s a great buying opportunity if you ask me. Companies are still bringing large revenue figures. I still have the dang cough. It was good for a few days now it’s just annoying and persistent. No need to apologize, life has a way of making us prioritize on certain things and that can be a good thing sometimes. ❤