The Most Important Investment with the Best Return

"There are admirable potentialities in every human being. Believe in your strength and your youth. Learn to repeat endlessly to yourself, 'It all depends on me.'" -Andre Gide (1869 - 1951)

While there are many people getting rich by playing the stock market, there are also many who are losing it all. Many analysts are looking for the "Next Big Thing" in the stock market. I constantly read online articles that ask about the "Next Google" as if being rich is the only way that is going to define happiness in life.

The ironic thing about this is that even if you did happen to stumble across the "Next Google", it would not necessarily make life happier. Sure, you would have more money, but what about all of the new "family" members you would get begging for a dollar, or how about all of the taxes you would have to pay on the capital gains? Isn't there a better investment that would not carry the same burden when it is time to cash out?

Well, I have a secret for you, there is an investment that carries a GREAT return that you do not have to pay taxes on and that you probably would not mind sharing with others. Ok, you ready...the investment is...

YOURSELF

Yes, we are our best investment. Whether we realize it or not, our "stock" affects the overall population just as a regular stock affects the economy. In our current economy, when big mortgage companies like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac suffer, many other stocks share the same fate.

In everyday life, you can simply meet someone (with high stock) who lets your jump in front of them while in the line at a store because they have noticed that you had one or two items and they had twenty. This in turn may motivate you to let someone in front of you while driving home from the store, continuing the cycle of raising the population economy. This principle is commonly referred to as "Paying it forward". (Link to Pay It Forward from wikipedia)

In short, our stock is contagious and affects our environment and the people around us. When you smile at someone, there first reflex is to smile back. So give yourself a new reason to smile by increasing your "stock" price. To increase this price, I recommend investing in the following things:

1. Investing in your health
2. Investing in your knowledge
3. Investing in your experience
4. Investing in your future

It is very important to learn that we must take care of ourselves. By investing in in these key parts of our lives, we will see our self-worth grow exponentially. In turn, we can "pay it forward" to someone else and help them increase their self-worth also.

With this situation being a win-win for everyone, what is holding you back?

Stay Disciplined!

P.S. - This is going to be the beginning of a multi-part series in regards to "Investing in Yourself", stayed tuned for more articles going into more detail about how to invest in yourself.