This week I want to speak to the young people. Many of them are so concerned about the future. I have had the privilege of working with some wonderful people in my life. It has been an honor to sit at the kitchen tables of men and women who have contributed so much to our nation. Much of that time has been spent reviewing their lives from an economic perspective. In the process, I have learned many of the great lessons that guide my thinking today. Though age does not always make one smart, there is a certain wisdom that comes from having a longer-term perspective. The younger generation, full of life, ambition and energy, while also plagued by fear and uncertainty, would do well to sit down with Grandma and Grandpa and listen once in a while.

One of these great people was a certain grandfather who had grown up, as many did in his generation, without any formal education. From his youth, he was destined to make his living by the work of his hands. As he worked various jobs, his only desire was to earn an honest living and care for his family. Eventually his journey led him to a job on the railroad doing menial labor, which was far from glamorous. From outside appearances, one would have only seen a man destined to seek out a scanty living and die as broke as he began.

What an outsider would not see, but what I was intimately familiar with, was this grandfather's financial situation. While working more than 30 years for the railroad, this wise man had quietly, and with great discipline, invested a few extra dollars each week into the stocks of various companies. He could never afford to buy much, but he always bought something. Avoiding aggressive or risky investments, he focused instead on solid energy companies, manufacturing firms and bonds. His investments were then, and would still be today, what many would simply call boring.

In his old age, as I would visit with him in his modest home, we would discuss what few people knew, and that was how such a humble man with such small income had managed to assemble a portfolio that was valued in the millions. I learned from him and from so many of his generation that being wealthy has very little to do with how much you make, and everything to do with how well you spend, save and manage what you have.

To my young friends who are so concerned about the future; notice all the foreclosure signs that have dotted the fanciest neighborhoods in our country and you will learn that making and spending a lot of money does not make one rich. Recognize while you are young that time and discipline in money management can be your best friends. Learn to use them both. And go visit Grandma and Grandpa for a little advice. Though they may struggle with texting and Facebook, they are much wiser than you think.

Dan Wyson, CFP® is author of the book "21 Financial Myths" and owner of Wyson Financial. 1173 South 250 W., No. 505 St. George, 986-9525 РSecurities and Advisory services offered through LPL Financial member FINRA/SIPC.