"There are always flowers for those who want to see them." — Henri Matisse.

Once bitten… twice shy. After a series of global and local events that have shaken our social, economic and political scaffolding, it’s easy to see only the weeds, thorns and brambles around us. But, as the iconic French visual artist, known for his use of colour and his fluid and original draughtsmanship, reminds us that there are always flowers for those who want to see them.

But even despite recent events, evolution has programmed us to focus on what’s wrong. We’ve learnt to survive by spotting dangers, dwelling on our blunders, and offering more time to our fears than our hopes and dreams.

However, at SFP, we genuinely believe that meaningful living comes from focusing on the positives – acknowledging what is good in the past and present, and being optimistic for the future. We strive to look for colour and fluidity in life.

Sometimes we may be wholly unaware of our negative biases. Like a frog in the kettle that is slowly working to a boil, we allow negativity to creep in. We all need to be reminded that our positive emotions, such as hope, awe, curiosity, and gratitude, can help us see the flowers and develop a more resilient and optimistic outlook.

We often ask questions like: "How has the experience made you more ready and better equipped for similar challenges in the future?"

This is because even the most trying times can lead to positive outcomes. In this way, we can move from always seeing wrong to starting to seeing right. Or, we can change the words that we use for right and wrong to healthy and unhealthy. We can assess risk healthily and plan for the future from a position of power, not fear.

Whether it’s several years of poor markets, bad health, or unhappy relationships, we can choose to see the flowers, and we can decide that today. No matter how untended the garden may seem, there will always be flowers, beauty and life. Starting to see this is a helpful step in beginning to live a healthier life and change the habits that are leading to dis-ease.

As financial planners, we work with people in all stages of life and very often, we have to work with them when they’re unhealthy (seeing wrong everywhere) and gradually support them on a journey to being healthy and happy again (seeing right). If you need a chat, please feel free to get in touch and let’s see how we can work together.