Two weekends ago, I embarked on a journey inward by attending a men’s silent retreat at a monastery outside Calgary. For three days we lived like Franciscan monks, starting each morning with bells ringing to signal transitions between prayers, chanting and talks given by the friars. In between, we were encouraged to reflect in silence, either within the monastery or walking in nature, surrounded by spectacular mountain views.

The theme of the weekend was anchoring. In the Bible, in Isaiah 26:3-4, it says: “The steady mind/firm intention, you keep in peace.” A steady mind means not losing sight of the destination and firm intention means remaining focused and true. This doesn’t imply rigidity but rather a moving anchor, one set within our values, because real values drive our decisions.

When we set the foundation of our actions upon these values, it frees us from the anxieties of this world. That brings us to a question: In this very moment, what obstacles prevent peace in our lives?

The first step is acceptance, seeing and accepting things as they are, which leads to detachment from outcomes and surrender of selfish desire to change the things we simply cannot change. True change comes from within, not externally, through being self-aware of our thoughts and then anchoring ourselves to acceptance by releasing the grip of the past and worries about the future. Surrendering to the present moment means no longer letting stirred-up feelings and emotions drive us towards constant reactive behaviour.

It helps to remember that you only judge what you don’t understand. So look at things with a new perspective and be patient. Otherwise, we remain in a constant state of envy, prisoners of desire by wanting to be someone else, thinking that’s where happiness lies. True peace comes from the courage to be our authentic selves, which is often found in silence.

What does this have to do with investing?

It has more to do with investing than you might think.

Markets

, like life, are full of noise. Headlines scream about

recessions

, bubbles and crashes. Social media amplifies fear and greed. Without an anchor encompassing clear principles and values, investors risk reacting emotionally, chasing trends or abandoning long-term goals. Just as silence revealed clarity for me, stepping back from market chatter can help investors rediscover their anchor.

A steady mind in investing means resisting short-term distractions. Markets will fluctuate; that’s their nature. Anchoring to a long-term destination via goals-based investing that focuses on objectives such as

retirement security

,

wealth preservation

or funding a legacy keeps us from being tossed around by every wave that hits us in the present moment and prepares us for the storms on the horizon.

Like the monk’s daily routine, discipline is the investor’s compass. It’s sticking to an asset allocation, rebalancing when required and not letting fear or euphoria dictate decisions. It’s saying, “I will remain true to my path,” even when others panic or boast about quick wins.

Anchoring also doesn’t mean rigidity. Life changes, so do markets. Interest rates rise, inflation falls, new technologies emerge to disrupt the status quo. A moving anchor allows adjustments without losing sight of what you are ultimately trying to achieve with your wealth.

  • Investors may be shocked at Canada’s debt. Will this scare them off our bonds?
  • The pain underlying U.S. GDP numbers goes beyond potential stock market effects

The power of detachment

Detachment from benchmarking yourself to others is liberating. You can’t control market cycles, central bank policy or geopolitical shocks. However, you can protect against these risks by focusing on what you can control: yourself.

This is where your ego can be a silent saboteur in investing. It whispers: “Beat the market. Time the bottom. Prove you’re smarter.” This illusion of self-performance often leads to overconfidence and costly mistakes. Comparing portfolios to others’ breeds envy — the same trap we discussed earlier. True peace in investing comes from aligning decisions with your own values, not someone else’s benchmark.

To help, here are some practical anchors for investors:

  1. Define your values. Is your priority capital preservation, growth or impact investing? Write it down. Values-driven investing creates clarity.
  2. Accept what you can’t control. Markets will rise and fall; that is what I call the cost of entry. Don’t fight reality; adapt to it by understanding that to manage the downside risk you have to be willing to forgo an amount of upside participation.
  3. Focus on what you can control. Asset allocation, fees and your own reactions matter more than predicting the next headline.
  4. Practice patience. Compounding rewards those who wait. Silence the noise and trust the process.

Closing reflection

At the monastery, silence wasn’t empty, it was full of meaning. It stripped away distractions and revealed what matters most. Investing is similar. When we quiet the noise of markets and media, we rediscover our anchor: values, discipline and perspective. In the end, peace, whether in life or investing, comes from the courage to stay true to what matters most.

Martin Pelletier, CFA, is a senior portfolio manager at Wellington-Altus Private Counsel Inc., operating as TriVest Wealth Counsel, a private client and institutional investment firm specializing in discretionary risk-managed portfolios, investment audit/oversight and advanced tax, estate and wealth planning. The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of Wellington-Altus.

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