It was a windy afternoon in Holywood, Northern Ireland, where a young boy named Rory stood at a golf driving range, gripping his tiny club with a determined focus.
He couldn’t have been older than seven. His father Gerry McIlroy was watching nearby, having finished his afternoon shift tending bar at the local golf club. Rory was just about to empty his latest bucket of balls and asked for another token to keep practicing. But Gerry had to tell him to make those last few balls count. There wouldn’t be another bucket for a little while.
They were down to their final coins, and the next paycheck was days away.
Jim Nantz shared this story during the broadcast of the 2025 Masters Tournament, as a grown Rory McIlroy battled for the green jacket.
The moment, decades ago on the range, was no small scene. It was an act of hope and belief. Rory’s parents couldn’t have known if their sacrifices would one day produce a golf champion. What they did know was that their son had a gift. And they were willing to invest everything they had to nurture it. Over the next ten years, they poured everything – time, money, dreams, and more – into tournaments and coaching, while forgoing holidays and comforts. They weren’t betting on a financial return. They were investing in future possibility. That is what real investing is all about.
Investing Isn’t Just About Money
Turn to any financial news magazine, broadcast, or website, and you’ll find the usual suspects: stock-picking advice, interest rate forecasts, tips on risk and diversification, and more. But it takes more than bits of information and maxims to become a successful investor.
Charles Ellis once wrote that “We all make investments whenever we decide to forgo current consumption or pleasure in order to enjoy more (or something better) … in the future.” But what defines “better?” It’s not always a bigger bank balance. Sometimes, it’s contribution over consumption, impact over income.
A friend recently reframed this idea for me. He sees investing not as a means to accumulate more, but as a way to contribute more. To family. To community. To the future. It’s a mindset shift with enormous power.
Truly successful investing – whether in the market, your children, your community, or yourself – demands deeper, often less quantifiable considerations:
- Pursuit of satisfaction, not just profit
- Educated optimism
- Courage to embrace uncertainty
- Patience to let time compound the results
What Brings You Real Satisfaction?
While economic models talk about incentives and returns, human lives are driven by something richer than quarterly gains.
Mark Kritzman summed it up well: “People don’t necessarily seek to maximize returns or minimize losses. They seek to maximize satisfaction.”
So, What Satisfies You?
Would you trade a new gadget today for peace of mind in retirement? Would you give up an hour or two of scrolling or shopping to invest in a conversation or activity with your child or an aging parent?
What if we view investing not as a means to accumulate more, but as a way to contribute more? To family. To community. To the future.
These are the real trades we make every day, often without realizing they are investments. And as with any investment, the benefits of these trades grow over time. Relationships built today can grow into stronger bonds tomorrow. Energy put into community work today can result in safer, more vibrant neighborhoods tomorrow. The beauty of these investments is that they often can bring greater satisfaction to others as well as ourselves.
Economists have a technical term for what gives us satisfaction. They call it “utility.” Utility in action can be a wonderful thing to behold.
Why is Optimism Essential?
Investing, in any form, is an act of belief. You buy stocks because you believe companies will grow. You teach your children values because you believe they’ll carry them into the world. You volunteer in your community because you believe it can be better.
History reminds us that human beings solve problems; we continue to find ways to improve our quality of life. If you were pessimistic, if you truly believed things couldn’t improve, why would you bother investing at all?
My friend didn’t just talk about this, he lived it. He ran for city council – not to make a name, but to make a difference. Years earlier, I did something similar, serving in the Iowa legislature. Neither of us had guarantees.
But we had a shared vision: to invest in communities we believed in. These aren’t just civic duties. They’re investments driven by educated optimism, belief that our actions matter and that the future is still ours to shape.
But What if it Doesn’t Work?
Here’s the hardest truth about investing: there are no guarantees. Gerry and Rosie McIlroy had no assurance that Rory would grow into a Masters champion. They didn’t even know if he’d get a scholarship. But they kept investing. Not because they were sure, but because what they saw in their son gave them optimism in spite of the uncertainty.
When Kim and I were raising our four daughters, we read a parenting book that changed how we saw the journey. It said raising kids is less like building a house (clear blueprint, measurable progress) and more like farming. You till the soil, plant the seeds, and water the crops. But the harvest depends on sun, storms, and seasons you can’t control.
You invest and you wait. Sometimes the return is immense. Sometimes it surprises you. And sometimes, it doesn’t show up in the way you imagined.
The stock market works the same way. You can study company fundamentals, economic data, and trends. But no matter how much data you gather, the future remains uncertain. There can be economic storms, global pandemics, technological shifts, and other unforeseen challenges.
Still, you invest, embracing the uncertainty. Like the McIlroys, you invest because you believe the potential return, the future satisfaction, is worth the risk.
Time Changes Everything.
Warren Buffett didn’t become the world’s most celebrated investor because he outsmarted the market every year. He became who he is because he stayed in the game for over 75 years. Morgan Housel notes that more than 95 percent of Buffett’s wealth was generated after his 65th birthday. “His skill is investing, but his secret is time.”
Buffett calls it The Methuselah Technique. Live long, invest well, and let compounding do the rest. But compounding doesn’t only apply to money. It applies to relationships, skills, community impact, and nearly anything else you can imagine.
The happiest older adults, according to studies, aren’t the richest, they’re the most connected. Decades of investment in friendships, marriages, and mentorships pay off with deep, sustained satisfaction and the personal wealth of community.
Is it time to adjust your portfolio of priorities? And in a world increasingly plagued by loneliness, investing in others and building relationships may be more important than ever. Make friends. And let time work its magic.
The Future Needs You.
“The world needs better investors.” My friend’s words are lodged in my memory. He didn’t mean better stock pickers. He meant people who invest widely, wisely, and with heart. People who see their time, talent, and attention as capital. People who build futures, not just portfolios.
People who understand that great returns come from believing in something bigger than themselves – whether that’s a child on a driving range, a neighbor in need, or a community worth building up.
So, what or who are you investing in? Not just with your dollars – but with your life?
