What goes around comes around

Words KATH ORMAN

How wonderful is it when you pass a stranger and you give them a smile, and it is returned? The simple art of giving and receiving. I taught my children a simple mantra when they were young. If you see someone without a smile, give them one of yours. The simple delight they would share with me, telling me that it really works; saying “I smiled at that lady Mummy, and she smiled back!”

Quite often, we are also very good at giving compliments to people, which can often make their day. However, how comfortable are you when you receive a compliment? It’s quite an art to be able to graciously accept a compliment, smile and say thank you. It is a beautiful exchange of energy between two people.

This same energy works with your money as well. Sometimes money is tight, and the budget just does not stretch far enough to be able to help others. Yet how often have we been confronted with a very worthy cause to help children or animals, or those less fortunate than ourselves? Somehow, we find a few dollars to be able to assist. I have been a supporter of the Children First Foundation for many years. The foundation helps children from all over the world with life-saving and lifechanging operations, bringing them to Australia for the operations and ongoing care. I feel so blessed to have been able to contribute to this worthwhile cause. Over the years, I have met with many of the children, and seen in person, the amazing changes which have given them new direction and confidence in life. I feel honoured to have spent time helping at the farm in Victoria, where the children stay to prepare and recover.

I also feel very blessed that over the past 19 years in business, I have been gifted the trust of my clients to look after their financial wellbeing. It’s a mutual relationship of giving and receiving. I assist clients to take ownership of the direction of their lives and with new skills and knowledge they can achieve their goals and dreams. We work on how much they need to live on to comfortably pay the bills when they arrive. We structure long-term savings and investment plans and help them transition from working so hard all their lives, to enjoying the next chapter in retirement. In reward, I have formed many life-long friendships and love to receive clients’ postcards from amazing places all over the world. During the Coronavirus lock-down, one of my clients took the time to send a postcard from Bribie Island where she lives, as she knew I would be missing the cards as nobody was able to travel.

Goals & Dreams Financial Planning Pty Ltd is an authorised representative of Charter Financial Planning Limited AFSL 234665. If you would like to know more email: kath.orman@goalsanddreams.com.au or phone: (07) 3350 9595