Louis' Look: The Importance of Passion and Fun

Earlier this week, I gave a pitch to my University investment club. I came roaring in with charts, bubbles, and a fine collection of puns to accompany them.

As a group of value investors, they'd never been so confused to see me excitedly jump up and start discussing my custom index. To be clear, while I didn’t treat the pitch lightly and put together a detailed presentation of the company's fundamentals, a little fun and humor every now and again doesn't hurt, right?

I think when we stop taking ourselves too seriously and genuinely start enjoying what we do every day, it's a no-brainer to think that becomes a competitive advantage. The depth of insight in someone's content is likely a reflection of the enthusiasm they have for the subject.

In other words, using financial jargon, the point is simply that there is a very strong correlation between the quality of one's work and the passion they have for what they do.

Steve Jobs eloquently laid out this formula for success at his infamous Stanford commencement speech:

Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle.

The guys at All Star Charts always lighten up their analysis and have some fun every now and then. In other words, on any given day, you can expect references ranging from the infamous Schnauzer Formation to how the (terrible) sport of college football relates to the stock market.

So adding to the Schnauzer formation, what do you think of the new John Cena pattern I've come across in the chart of World Wrestling Entertainment $WWE?

Is it a potential sign that sellers still remain in control? It does look more like a frown than a smiley face after all...

And on the other side of things, whether I'm stressed about an upcoming assignment or a bad trade I took, I remind myself that I'm doing all I can with the limited resources I have and move forward. None of us are infallible. I think when we become too serious, our willingness to learn lessons from our mistakes diminishes.

In New Zealand, we have this iconic "she'll be right attitude" to most things.

Your car's broken down? She'll be right. Broke your arm? It'll be right. Your stock's whipsawing around your stop? No worries. It ain't the end of the world, mate.

If I'm going to take one lesson away from this week, it's while treating your work with the seriousness it requires is fundamental and crucial, it doesn't hurt to throw in a little humor and fun into the mix. If you love what you do, this should come naturally.

I'm keeping it short and sweet this week, so thanks for reading and get in touch to let me know what lessons you're taking on too.

Louis