Dan At A Glance
By: Daniel D. Joss, CPF®, RLP®
The last fourteen months have been very interesting and exciting, with new challenges leading to personal growth and development that have enriched my life in ways I couldn’t have imagined.
A little over a year ago, I attended a local two-day event called The Seven Stages of Money Maturity® Workshop where I learned a great deal about many of my beliefs regarding money, both recognized and unrecognized. Although I have read a lot about money -- how to earn it, use it, save it, invest it -- this workshop gave me a bit more insight into my understanding of money. If you are interested in this subject, you can read more in the book The Seven Stages of Money Maturity: Understanding the Spirit and Value of Money in Your Life, by George Kinder.
In November, I invested a week to attend the Life Planning Advanced Training at the Kinder Institute, near Boston, MA. Because much of my wife Robin’s family lives near Boston, I take any chance to visit the area. I jumped at the opportunity to attend this seminar. I had a wonderful time visiting with Robin’s family, and I learned a great deal about using the tools I had acquired at the two-day workshop in August. This five-day seminar expanded some ideas of the earlier workshop, and introduced me to the idea of financial life planning. I teamed up with another financial planner for the week and we took turns helping each other work through the life planning process. Non-judgmental listening, facilitating motivation and enthusiasm, and working with others to identify and plan for a complete and fulfilling life were some of the topics covered. The results? I confirmed some ideas gleaned in similar work I had completed during my graduate studies, I have a renewed vigor for life, and am well on my way to living a rewarding and fulfilling life.
Since last November, I have set and accomplished goals in several areas of my life: spiritual, marriage and family, physical, personal, and professional. “Family time” with my wife Robin, our sons, and daughter has been spent in Williamsburg and at Smith Mountain Lake, where my in-laws have a home. Through diet and exercise, I have lost over 20 pounds and continue to work out at the Sport & Health and Crossfit gyms in the Tysons area. One of my sons plays baseball, and I coached his McLean Little League team last spring and again this fall. My other son is a Boy Scout, and I have enjoyed working with him on merit badges and other projects.
In July, I completed the Life Planning course, then worked with a mentor for six months, to earn the Registered Life Planner® certification (see the article announcing this designation elsewhere in the newsletter). I have held financial life planning sessions with a few FJY clients who have expressed an interest in receiving advice with this added dimension. This work is very rewarding, and I plan to further develop my skills to help people achieve their life-long goals and reach their full potential.