Every Bar is Lowered

My portfolio in blue, S&P 500 in gray

My retirement portfolio is up 11% year-to-date, which is well behind the 14% recorded by the S&P 500. Nevertheless, I'm happy with a six-month increase of 11%.

It's a good thing that I'm not a professional money manager that has to explain why he didn't buy more Nvidia to keep up with the S&P:

Nvidia’s ascent is a big reason the S&P 500 has climbed 14% this year—nearly as much as in last year’s standout first half—even as a series of hot inflation readings damped investors’ hopes that the Federal Reserve would soon begin to cut interest rates...

So far, Nvidia has contributed 30% of the S&P 500’s total return, including dividends, this year through Wednesday, according to S&P Dow Jones Indices.

If the market doesn't go up or down in the second half, I'll still be content with 11%. When one is retired, every bar is lowered.