Loving parents of teens might secretly enjoy power outages. For once, we don’t have to say, “Take a break from the iPad, iPhone, or TV.” Nature does it for us.

Ours was out for 36 hours this past weekend. Instead of negotiating screen time, we leaned into what we could do—reading by the fire, telling stories, laughing over desserts by candlelight, with the dog and cat curled up nearby. The experience kept reminding me of an old investing adage:

"You make the most money in a bear market—you just don’t know it at the time."

The best memories, like the best investments, are made when you least expect them.

This weekend also brought an incredible high. Our youngest, Kai, battled through 50+ teams and over 20+ girls in her weight class (155 lbs) to win the District One Championship at William Tennent High School in the inaugural Strath Haven (Kai’s high school) girls’ wrestling season.

A freshman, fighting her way to the top under the bright lights, surrounded by cheering fans… And then, just hours later, we were home in the dark, sitting by the fire with headlamps and books, humbled by nature’s windy fury.

It reminded me of something I learned long ago on the running trails—and see all the time in the stock market:

Enjoy the good moments. They are just moments. Don’t dwell on the bad ones, because they, too, will pass.

All the power outages also got Dad (me) a little rare fictional reading time. My three rocks—Kai, Sam, and Katie—fully convinced me that Fredrik Backman’s Beartown was an awesome book. They were right. I’m loving it. And it perfectly captured my week and weekend in one line:

“The only thing the sport gives us are moments. But what the hell is life, Peter, apart from moments.”

Life, like sports, is a series of fleeting moments—wins and losses, highs and lows, victories and setbacks. They all pass, but what stays with us are the moments we choose to fully experience, appreciate, and remember.

The positive takeaway? If life is just a series of moments, make them count. Lean into the joy of a victory, the connection of a deep conversation, the warmth of a fire during a power outage, or even the resilience required to push through challenges.

Just like an athlete steps onto the mat, the court, or the ice without knowing the outcome, we step into each day with the same uncertainty. But if we show up, give our best, and remain present, we create a life rich in meaningful moments—because, in the end, those moments define us.

As I prep for another week in the markets and reflect on last week’s headlines, I’m reminded that the stock market, too, is just moments—flashes of highs and lows that, in the grand scheme, are only part of the bigger picture.

Last week, through Thursday, the S&P 500 rose 1% to 6,115.07, coming within 0.1% of its all-time high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average increased by 0.8% to 44,711.43, and the Nasdaq Composite gained 1.5% to 19,945.64¹.

But just as quickly as optimism builds, doubt creeps in. Bearish sentiment among individual investors hit its highest level since November 2023, with 47.3% expecting stock prices to fall over the next six months. Trade-war threats, regulatory changes, and persistent inflation fueled this uncertainty².

Markets go up, markets go down. One day, you’re riding high. The next, you’re stuck in the dark. But the key—whether in sports, life, or investing—is knowing that the dark moments don’t last. Neither do the highs. What does last is the discipline to keep showing up, embracing the process, and making the most of each moment.

That’s what champions do.

And that’s what great investors do, too.

Sources:

¹ AP News: Stock Market Performance Overview – https://apnews.com/article/ff18b8edfac979d4caad7a84c2e7ea29
² The Wall Street Journal: Investor Sentiment and Market Outlook – https://www.wsj.com/finance/stocks/investor-sentiment-outlook-aaii-survey-725a24bb

Investment advisory services offered through Member's Wealth, LLC, a registered investment advisor. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) is a stock market index of 30 prominent companies listed on stock exchanges in the United States. The S&P 500 index is designed to be a broad based unmanaged leading indicator of U.S. equities and is meant to reflect the risk/return characteristics of the large cap universe or representative of the equity market in general. The National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (NASDAQ) is an American stock market that handles electronic securities trading around the world. The Russell 2000 index is an index measuring the performance of approximately 2,000 small-cap companies in the Russell 3000 Index, which is made up of 3,000 of the biggest U.S. stocks. The Russell 2000 serves as a benchmark for small-cap stocks in the United States. Visit www.russell.com/indexes/ for more information regarding Russell indices. The MSCI EAFE Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of developed markets, excluding the US & Canada. The MSCI Emerging Markets Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization index that is designed to measure equity market performance in the global emerging markets. The Bloomberg US Aggregate Bond Index, is a broad base, market capitalization-weighted bond market index representing intermediate term investment grade bonds traded in the United States.

About the Author – Dane Czaplicki, CFA®

Dane Czaplicki is CEO of Members’ Wealth, a boutique wealth management firm that offers a comprehensive approach to serving individuals, families, business owners, and institutions. The firm’s goal is to preserve and grow its clients’ wealth to endure over time, while thoughtfully evolving its strategy to suit an ever-changing world. With over 20 years of wealth management experience, Dane and the Members' Wealth team thrive on bringing clarity and confidence to clients' unique situations. He believes everyone needs sound financial advice from someone whose interests are aligned with theirs, and is determined to put service before all else.

Dane received his MBA from The Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania and his bachelor’s degree from Bloomsburg University. Outside work, he enjoys spending time with his wife and kids, hiking and camping, reading, running, and playing with his dog. To learn more about Dane, connect with him on LinkedIn.

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