~ Chapter Two: The Beach and the Map ~ The beach is a metaphor for your life representing the people you will meet, your life experiences and your financial undertakings. As time progresses, your life changes, your family grows, your relationships change and there are usually more people to include in your plan.
The sand on the beach represents your money. Over the course of your life, with the help of the shovels (your advisors) you fill the various buckets with sand and eventually the shovels will help you move sand from one bucket to another when it is appropriate to do so.
As we explained earlier, on a regular basis, the beach is very consistent but gradually changes over a long period of time. Often there are minor storms that come in and upset the beach a little, but Mother Nature quickly adapts
and within a short period of time the beach returns to normal. Every once in a while, there is a major storm and the beach is changed forever. The map will help protect you from the minor storms and provide you with a plan of action in the event of a major storm.
We have all thought about finding that special treasure map that would lead us to a “pot of gold” that would solve
all of our financial concerns. Other than winning a large lottery or hitting a major home run with an investment, the
“pot of gold” is seldom found. However, I believe that with the right map and the right shovels filling your buckets, achieving financial security is possible for anyone. Even if you do win the lottery, you will still need shovels and buckets to manage your winnings.
Five Buckets, Four Shovels, a Beach and a Map | 19
