A few of the many lessons to be learned from this story:
The market is always right–except at significant tops and significant bottoms.
Keep and open and flexible mind. When in doubt, get out.
If you must have a guru, take him or her with many grains of salt
Do not add to losing positions.
Try every day to make yourself stronger, better and more integrated as a person.
Stay true to yourself. Lying to yourself and others, and trading on hope and prayer do not work
Most importantly, accept and recognize that you are not perfect. You are human and are going to make mistakes. Trading is the only profession where losing is actually winning. BUT— unless you accept mistakes as mistakes and learn from them, you will not progress and be upside down. Unless you are able to get your trading brain out of the cave you will not accumulate regret. It is only through the true acceptance of a mistake as a mistake that we accumulate regret. This is how we learn and grow as traders and human beings.
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A few of the many lessons to be learned from this story:10 Trading Thoughts
1. You only have three choices when you are in a bad position, and it is not hard to figure out what to do:
(1) Get out
(2) Double up, or
(3) Spread it off.
I have always found getting out to be the best of all three choices.
- No opinion on the market or you are doubtful about market direction? Then stay out. Remember, when in doubt, stay out.
- Don’t ever let anyone know how big your wallet is, and don’t ever let anyone know how small it is either.
- If you snooze, you lose. Know your markets, when they trade, and what reports will affect the market price.
- The markets will always let you in on the losers; the market’s job is to keep you out of winners. Dump the dogs and ride the winning tide.
- Stops are not for sissies.
- Plan your trade, then trade your plan. He who fails to plan, plans to fail.
- Buy the rumor and sell the fact. Watch for volatility in these situations; it usually marks tops or bottoms in the markets.
- Buy low, sell high. Or buy it when nobody wants it, and sell it when everybody has to have it!
- It’s okay to lose your shirt, just don’t lose your pants; that is where your wallet is.
One last thought to leave with you. It applies not only to every-day life but to trading the markets as well:
Success is measured not so much by the wealth or position you have gained, but rather by the obstacles you have overcome to succeed!