Daphne’s Story – It’s About Lighting that Torch!

Daphne came to my office for her first meeting just about 15 years ago. She’d had a successful career and a relationship “Down South” but the failing health of her mother had brought her back to her hometown, Birmingham to act as her mother’s carer for her last couple of years. 

A Time of Change

When I met Daphne, her mother had passed away and her relationship status had changed, she and her partner had drifted apart.  Daphne was on her own and still living in Birmingham and it was a time of change for her. We had our first session together, and it was a Life Planning session (I am a certified Life Planner as well as a Financial Planner – to me, the two should always go hand-in-hand).

During our initial Life Planning session, she identified that one of her top priorities was that she did not want to be on her own for the rest of her life! At that time, she was in her mid-fifties, and she had a job which she enjoyed and kept her busy.  However, Daphne felt she had few opportunities to find a life partner.

Daphne’s Torch

I spent some time listening to her about what she wanted and how she was going to achieve it and we identified that her “Torch” (to use my “Kinder Institute” language) was to find a partner, a soul mate, someone who she could spend the rest of her life with. We talked about how she could do that, and I believe that talking it through really helped. Of the many times that I have been with clients and lit their “Torch,” it has always amazed me how well the process works and sure enough within the year she had found someone, and she is still with him today.

I could spend more time discussing Daphne’s cash flow planning, her investment planning, and her estate planning but it was our time spent on her Life Planning which has really changed her life and the rest has simply supported it.  In my job, it’s not just about healthy finances – it’s about a happy life!