Fear. Fear often prevents us from doing things large (and small) that will help us live more satisfied lives. At the extreme fear (and anxiety) can be downright debilitating.

For whatever reason some people have a knack for writing their own life story. Others of us need some time to figure it out. Some never do. This may be due to our need to get permission. As J.D. Roth writes:

• You don’t need permission. When we’re young, we wait for our parents and teachers to say it’s okay to do the things we want to do. As an adult, you don’t need permission from anybody else. Do you want to quit your job and travel the world? Do it. Do you want to learn how to ride a motorcycle? Do it. Don’t wait for somebody else to give you the go-ahead. You are the only one who needs to give yourself permission to do these things.

You don’t need some one else’s permission to live your life the way you want, i.e. write your own story, but it can be nice to have. There is an ongoing debate about how much value a financial advisor can add to a client’s portfolio. While laudable, this approach doesn’t (and can’t) measure the things that a trusted advisor can do because they are wholly intangible.

I can’t recommend enough this post by Anthony Isola at A Teachable Moment. I can’t summarize it in a way that does it justice. However one takeaway from the piece is that fear drives much our behavior. Overcoming that fear of not having enough is a service that advisors can provide. Isola writes:

I want our clients to ring their own bell. Conquering their fears and overcoming any obstacles that will prevent them from living life to the fullest…We never know when life’s train ride will come to an abrupt end.

You don’t need permission to live your own life but it sure does help to have someone on your side. A good financial advisor helps put you in a position to live life on your own terms. A great financial advisor gives you to confidence to do it.