On Wednesday (the day mother nature reminded us that winter isn’t over) I had the privilege of speaking at a Company of Women event on the topic of perspective. It’s a speech I love making, entitled “Life Happens When You Least Expect It” which I correlate to significant numbers – because I work with numbers on a daily basis.

Here is the condensed version…

06.07.07

The date I was booked to write the LSAT to move ahead with my plan of becoming a corporate lawyer on Wall street (I thought I had everything planned out)…

05.26.07

The weekend I went away to a cottage with friends for a study break to decompress and mentally prepare before the final week of cramming.

6’7

Mark is this tall. I got up on his shoulders because I thought it would be fun. I lost my balance and awkwardly fell.

C6

The vertebrae I shattered when I landed on my head and broke my neck. Everything changed that weekend.

7

The seven hour surgery that put me back together again (if your stomach can handle it, check out the coolest x-ray here) – shout out to surgeons for being so awesome.

19 days in the hospital … 0 days alone without support from family & friends.

3

The three wooden steps I conquered going up and down after learning how to walk again.

6

The number of months I was supposed to wear a neck brace for … I had that thing off within 10 weeks. It was mind over matter at that point.

Hey now, stop it. Don’t feel badly for me – not for a second. I’m lucky to have gained such an incredible perspective on the truly important things in life. I start everyday by walking to work – a constant reminder that no matter what the stock market does or no matter what stress happens to comes my way, life is good when you have your health, your family and your friends.

I’ll take this opportunity to remind you that none of us are invincible and that your entire plan and world can change in one awkward tumble. Planning for the unexpected is an essential aspect of your overall “risk management” plan, aka insurance. If you’re unsure about your insurance coverage (more specifically your living benefits coverage) it’s certainly a conversation worth having before it’s too late…you’re more likely to become disabled than you are to pass away and take it from me, when I broke my neck, I didn’t think twice about my income, my expenses or my portfolio.

Enjoy the weekend.

D.

Dian Chaaban

Investment & Wealth Advisor

Chaaban Wealth Management Group

416.842.4234