Thanksgiving: A Time to Reflect on Purpose and What Truly Matters
As we gather around the table this Thanksgiving, there’s a natural pull toward reflection. The gratitude we express for family, health, and opportunities often opens a door to deeper questions about the way we live our lives.
What truly matters to you? Are your days, decisions, and plans—both personal and financial—aligned with your core values and purpose?
At TAMMA Capital, I’ve had the privilege of working with families to create financial strategies that don’t just prepare for the future but also support what’s most meaningful to them right now. This Thanksgiving, let’s take a moment to explore how our purpose shapes our lives, careers, and legacies—and how we can structure our resources to serve that purpose.
The Pursuit of Meaning and Purpose
Purpose can often feel like a lofty concept, but at its heart, it’s simple. It’s the “why” behind your choices.
For one family I worked with (we’ll call them the Conners), this meant stepping back to reassess the priorities they had been chasing. Both parents were successful professionals, but their schedules left them with little time for their two kids. During one of our conversations, the father admitted, “I’ve been so focused on providing for the future that I’ve been missing out on today.”
The Conners made changes—not drastic ones, but deliberate ones. They adjusted their work schedules, reassessed their spending, and redirected resources toward shared experiences like travel and weekly family time. It was a shift rooted in their values of connection and togetherness.
Their story is a reminder: meaning and purpose don’t emerge from abstract ideals. They come alive in the way we live our daily lives.
Are Your Finances Supporting Your Values?
One of the most valuable exercises I walk clients through is examining how their financial choices align with what they say they value most. It’s common for people to discover a gap.
You might deeply value family but find that your budget prioritizes things over experiences. You might talk about wanting to leave a legacy but realize you’ve put off estate planning. Or, like the Conners, you may be working so hard to secure the future that you’re not fully living in the present.
This Thanksgiving, I encourage you to take a hard look at your financial life through the lens of your values. Ask yourself:
What are my top three priorities in life?
Does my spending reflect those priorities?
Am I investing my time in a way that aligns with my values?
Is my financial plan designed to support not just my future goals but also my purpose today?
The Role of Family in Shaping Legacy
Legacy is more than what you leave behind - it’s the impact you have while you’re here. Thanksgiving is an ideal time to talk with loved ones about the kind of legacy you want to create together.
For some families, this might mean making philanthropy a shared value by contributing time or resources to causes that matter to them. For others, it could involve having honest conversations about succession plans for a family business or preparing children to be wise stewards of inherited wealth.
I’ve seen families transformed by these discussions. One client, a business owner, shared that talking about legacy with his kids sparked a new connection. His teenage daughter expressed interest in joining the family business someday, something he hadn’t considered before. That single conversation not only strengthened their bond but also gave him clarity about the future of his company.
Actionable Steps for Purpose-Driven Living
To help you reflect on your own purpose and ensure your life is aligned with your values, here are a few practical steps:
Take a Personal Inventory: Dedicate an hour this holiday season to write down your core values and how you’re living them out.
Have a Family Conversation: Use Thanksgiving as an opportunity to talk about shared goals, dreams, and even concerns. What does a meaningful life look like for your family?
Revisit Your Financial Plan: Work with an advisor to ensure your plan isn’t just about numbers but also about supporting the things that matter most to you.
Prioritize Experiences Over Things: Research consistently shows that experiences bring more long-term happiness than material purchases. Consider how you can redirect resources toward creating memories.
Document Your Legacy: Whether it’s through a will, trust, or simply a letter to loved ones, take steps to solidify the impact you want to leave.
The Gift of Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving offers a rare chance to pause and focus on what’s right in front of us: the people we love, the lives we’ve built, and the opportunities ahead. It’s a time to appreciate not just what we have but also who we are—and to ask ourselves if we’re living a life that truly reflects that.
At TAMMA Capital, my goal is to help you make that alignment possible. If you’ve been feeling the pull to recalibrate your life, finances, or priorities, let’s start a conversation. Together, we can build a plan that honors your purpose and supports the legacy you want to create.
Here’s to a Thanksgiving filled with gratitude, reflection, and clarity for the future.