PRESS ON REGARDLESS

All of us meet situations in our lives that are formidable challenges looming large and require us to decide how we are going to move forward.  These experiences come in many forms –

• in a personal relationship at home or at work;
• a threatening illness or disease;
• the unexpected loss of a loved one;
• raising children safely into responsible adults;
• changing jobs or careers;
• establishing financial and emotional security;
• making sense out of a seriously conflicted and divided political environment;
• dealing with the larger issues of the environment, education and health care;
• how to take sides, stand up, speak up or keep silent.

We cannot go back.  We can stand still and wait. We can take time to gather some internal and external resources. If and when we become determined, we can find a way forward.

I met Jack Bogle in 1985 and had the benefit of knowing him and his family for seven years that I lived and worked in the same neighborhood of suburban Philadelphia.  Many of you know Jack as the founder of The Vanguard Group and that story is legendary. There is a link farther on with some of the details how that came about.  That piece also documents these three words, “press on regardless” that I learned from Jack, a phrase that he used in his life and his work.

Vanguard was one of the flagships of Admiral Nelson of the Royal Navy. In 1974, the year he founded The Vanguard Group, Jack came across the name Vanguard while reading about the Battle of the Nile during which Lord Horatio Nelson, aboard his flagship HMS Vanguard, led 14 British ships to victory against Napoleon’s French fleet in 1798. This battle, the leadership and heroism displayed by the British commander, inspired Bogle to name his company Vanguard after the famous ship, as well as because of its traditional meaning – “leadership of a new trend.” When Vanguard constructed its new world headquarters in Malvern, PA, in the early 1990s, the office buildings were badged with names from ships during the Battle of the Nile, including Goliath, Swiftsure, and Majestic.

In 1998, Vanguard unveiled the Morgan building in celebration of the 100^th birthday of Walter L. Morgan, founder of Wellington Fund, Vanguard’s first and oldest mutual fund. During a special ceremony in March 2019, Vanguard’s training center was renamed in honor of the late John C. Bogle. The name Neptune was chosen by the crew from a list of options derived from the Battle of Trafalgar, during which Lord Nelson achieved a historic triumph over the French and Spanish in 1805, leading the British fleet aboard the flagship HMS Victory.

https://investedwithyou.com/press-on-regardless/

Jack Bogle’s story serves up numerous lessons for us which could be summarized by “when the going gets tough, the tough get going.”  When we are able, and willing, to “press on regardless” we can learn how to adjust our sails, and ourselves, to weather the inevitable storms we encounter along the way.

Jack’s challenges, besides a heart condition detected at an early age and a transplant much later, were losing his job early in his career; helping to raise a family of six children; navigating new and uncharted territory of investing money, especially other peoples’ money; and becoming a legend in the financial world.  He managed all of these with uncommon courage and confidence, thus inspiring others along the way.

Pressing on, moving forward, especially under challenging circumstances, invites us to either find or develop the necessary skills, along with a full measure of confidence and courage.

Those characteristics, strength of character, determination and dedication, will carry us through most of the challenges we come across in our lifetimes.  We may also be blessed with those in our lives who become sources of inspiration, mentors and, if lucky enough, colleagues and friends.  Press on, my friends, regardless!

* In 2020 Vanguard decided to rebrand its image and ditch the ship.  I can hear Jack saying something akin to “press on regardless.”  Maybe not those exact words in this case but close enough to get the message.