How Brain Cancer Taught Me to NOT Live a Life of Comfortable Complacency with Chris Gathers

How Brain Cancer Taught Me to NOT Live a Life of Comfortable Complacency with Chris Gathers Guidance Point Advisors, LLC. 1:03:31

Ep 082: We all know that life can change in an instant. Picture yourself sitting through an MRI for 30-45 minutes, and as you’re being wheeled out, you catch a glimpse of the screen and you see a mass, a white mass, and the doctor comes in and says, “We’re really glad you came in today.” Your heart sinks. The radiologist has confirmed that you have a tumor on your brain and it’s a 4-centimeter tumor. The sound of that diagnosis doesn’t come lightly to anyone’s ears. You start thinking about how would this news change how you spend your days. What would you say to your spouse, kids, or other loved ones? Would you think differently about your past experiences and relationships? How would you plan your life to maximize your time alive? This is exactly what happened to our next guest. In this episode we’ll talk to him about his current health, how he was able to live focused on an optimistic future instead of dwelling in the past, and how to NOT live a life of comfortable complacency!

Our guest started an Instagram page @culminationpoint in which he posts regular messages about surviving brain cancer, trauma, and lessons learned about healing and growth. As a Regional Vice President for Nationwide Insurance, he understands the value of planning and is doing all he can as a husband and father of two girls to make every day count. Please welcome Chris Gathers to The Retirement Success in Maine Podcast!

Chapters:

Welcome, Chris Gathers and hear his story! [2:07]

What is comfortable complacency? [23:31]

How can we reconcile pain in the past? [34:30]

Where do we all need to improve so that we don’t settle into being comfortably complacent? [49:02]

How will Chris find his personal Retirement Success? [57:02]

Episode Conclusion [1:00:41]

Benjamin Smith Host, Retirement Success in Maine Podcast & Financial Advisor

Ben's focus with our clients is to direct the investments of their investable portfolios. In teaming with Curtis Worcester and Austin Minor, Ben combines his investment expertise from attaining the CFA Charter with Curtis & Austin's financial planning expertise to provide clients with the tools, confidence, and education to make informed decisions about their retirement. As Ben, Curtis, and Austin have a number of clients that are Northern Light Health employees, they've developed a specialty in serving clients in the healthcare field. You can read their "Employee Guide to the Northern Light Health Retirement Plans" here.

He has spent his entire career devoted to serving individual clients and institutions by developing and implementing investment strategies, setting portfolio structure, and providing the highest level of client service. He's passionate about helping clients maximize their savings and retirement income using the many financial planning and portfolio management tools available to Guidance Point consultants. Prior to working for Guidance Point Advisors, Ben worked for Acadia Trust, N.A., a subsidiary of Camden National Corporation, as Vice President, Portfolio Manager based in Bangor, Maine. Ben assumed responsibility for and oversight of over $300 million in client portfolios, including individuals, families, retirement plans, endowments, foundations, businesses, and trusts; and he served on the Company’s Investment Committee.