Walking the Path. Part 5: Enlightenment
As we gain wisdom throughout our lives, we travel toward Enlightenment. With each milestone, we reassess our values, goals, and purpose. We cast aside our past mistakes and misconceptions and release ourselves of the burdensome weight that accompany them.
My journey with trading and investing very much follows this progression, where the pain and shame of my past failures and the jubilation of my successes waned over time. Each step distances me from my past and closer to my destination. I’m much more lightweight and adaptable, having shed much (but not all) of my stubborn tendencies and the need to “be right”.
With each trade, I’m already resolved to worst case scenario (%0 return), and have already envisioned extremely rewarding gains. Whatever outcome manifests, it’s unlikely that it will be the first or last occurrence.
This helps me maintain a certain level of detachment and allows for more clearheaded decision making. I’m certainly no Zen Master, and I’m not fully divorced from my feelings of frustration and elation. Ultimately I have accepted that I may never fully separate my feelings from my decision making process, but I’m continually improving in that regard.
It would be misleading for me to portray my character as level-headed and serene. I feel, I sense, I have passion, I have goals. I get angry and frustrated, and I have moments of joy.
But Enlightenment remains at the peak of the mountain I climb.