How will you be spending your Christmas?

Eating? Socialising? Reminiscing?

I will be spending mine at a family barbecue — where we will savour a variety of fine cuts. Beef, lamb, turkey. The very best of what New Zealand has to offer.

This year will be extra-special for us. My niece is the latest addition to our family. She was born in January. So this will be her first ever Christmas.

I believe she’s old enough to understand what a festive occasion is. And when she sees a smiling face, her instinct is to smile back and wave.

She’s blissfully happy. She doesn’t care about economics. She doesn’t care about politics. She lives solely in the moment.

I enjoy that innocence, and I envy her.

 

Japan has chosen a kanji character to represent the mood of 2022. Source: The Guardian

 

There’s no hiding it: 2022 has been a challenging year for all of us.

By popular vote, the people of Japan have chosen the kanji character of ‘sen’ — which means ‘war’ — as the symbol to sum up the year.

This is both literal and figurative. There’s the real war raging in Ukraine, of course. But there’s also the financial war being fought against inflation. And lest we forget: there’s a culture war simmering.

Stephen King, America’s most astute observer of human nature, has this to say:

‘As a species we’re fundamentally insane. Put more than two of us in a room, we pick sides and start dreaming up reasons to kill one another. Why do you think we invented politics and religion?’

Indeed, how true. We human beings have an inbuilt negativity bias. And we have this habit of imagining the worst in each other. We argue. We bicker. We clash.

Still, despite it all, I remain optimistic. Because, over the long run, we human beings have also proven ourselves to be incredibly resilient and communal. We can rebuild. We can reconcile. We can overcome.

What history has shown us is that no challenge — no disaster — will set us back for too long. Ultimately, there’s always rejuvenation. Rebirth.

I take heart in Abraham Lincoln’s first inaugural address as president. His words are as relevant in 1861 as they are today:

‘We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.’

In that spirit of hope, I want to wish you and yours a Merry Christmas. Good tidings. May the better angels of our nature prevail.

As we reflect on the journey that we’ve travelled this past year, we can still find reasons to count our blessings. Remember: we are a resilient people. And rejuvenation and rebirth are part of the cycle.

On that note, I want to close this by giving you a holiday flashback. Here are eight of our most popular articles, published in 2022. These stories have received the biggest emotional reaction from our readers — and this is as good a time as any to revisit them…

 

 

1) Here’s What Wealthy Kiwis Are Investing In Now

Wealth and courage go hand-in-hand. Despite the raw emotional jitters, this could be the ideal time to optimistically capture value.

 

2) From Boom to Decline: Japan’s Lost Economy

Japan is a culture of diligence. But it is also a culture of loss. Here’s how this continues to shape and define the world’s third-largest economy.

 

3) ESG Investing: Woke Agenda or World Saving?

Once upon a time, ESG investing was hip and cool. Everyone wanted to sign up. But now the cracks are showing. What should smart investors do?

 

4) Be Like Water: The Bruce Lee Story

Bruce Lee was the first Asian-American martial artist to transcend cultural barriers. What’s the secret of his success?

 

5) Fast Bullies or Slow Bullies? New Zealand’s Political Choice

Politics and power are intertwined. But has the bully pulpit gone too far? Here’s why the left and the right are treating us like sheep.

 

6) The Next World War: What You Need to Know

Are you afraid of the next global conflict? Well, here’s the good news. Total war has now evolved into limited war. Here’s the upside for investors.

 

7) Red Alert: Is New Zealand’s Democracy in Danger?

Freedom is never completely won. But it can be lost. If you’re worried about the state of democracy today, here’s the most important step you can take.

 

8) Stop Whining: The World Is Safer and Happier Today

War. Disruption. Disaster. The headlines are all doom and gloom. But look past the negativity. We’re actually living in a time of unprecedented prosperity and opportunity.

 

Merry Christmas,

John Ling

Analyst, Wealth Morning