Simplicity and the Stock Market

My retirement accounts are down almost $15k as of Saturday morning and it's causing me pain. I completely understand some people's desire to invest in bonds and other assets that tend to only go straight up at the risk of lower returns in the long run. I used to wonder why people panicked when any chart of the S&P 500 shows steady upward growth for almost 200 years. But what these charts minimize is how the downtrends in between are terrible to watch. I mean $15k is 1 whole years worth of 401k deductions IF you max out what you can save. I feel sorry for those my age and older who have yet to start saving or have minimal retirement savings. They will be much older than me and therefore much more panicky in these short term drops.

On the simplicity side here's a good article. I like the part where it says space is to be enjoyed not filled up. So true. My kids will spend hours playing in their rooms after a big cleanup and declutter. It's like all that space gives more room for their imagination to work in. I've been in people's houses that were literally packed wall to wall with stuff. Interestingly, these people were always the ones who feel like they don't have enough. Not to mention feeling squeezed in houses that are plenty big.