How Snoopy Changed My Life

by Jeffery A. Keill CFP, CIM, FMA,FCSI

The Wisdom of Snoopy: Living a Balanced Life

If you have ever visited our office you may well have seen the picture of a dancing Snoopy. This picture has been in my life since high school when a girlfriend at the time gave it to me as a gift along with a key chain that read" keep smiling". The key chain is long gone but the Snoopy picture remains, at least in copy form. At the time it was a cute teenie -bopper expression of affection but it quickly grew into one of my long-term life ideals. On the poster, along with a dancing Snoopy were the poignant words: 'Live for Today, Plan for Tomorrow, and Party Tonight". It was a poster about living a balanced and planned life. Sure in my younger years 'party tonight" was the main theme that stood out like it would have for so many of us at that stage of life but the other words kept playing out louder and louder over time.

The Art of Balancing Today and Tomorrow

It is important to appreciate the fact we are all going to die. I know dead sounds so, well, terminal but guess what? It is. We have two unavoidable points in life: our birthdate and our death date. The distance between these two is special and unique to each of us and can vary dramatically in both experiences and length. For those who live a long life of experiences, congratulations. Not everyone gets this privilege. you will probably or have come to appreciate the words on the Snoopy picture. Happiness is not about mastering only one of these aspects. Doing so will lead to misery. Constructed happiness is the delicate Snoopy dance between all three. Balancing the certainty of life today and the promise of tomorrow. This encompasses all our personal relationships, friends, and experiences with them or alone.

Want to learn more- stop by our office and lets talk about the Snoopy poster or you can read our Serious Money Brief Discussion Paper on the Personal Life Cycle.

Last Edit Jan 29, 2025