Qiman

There certainly are those of such personality who are attracted towards trading, but I believe most of them just add to the statistics of how many people lose money in trading! The only people who are going to succeed longer-term in this brutal game eventually have a great deal of character in several critical areas,(quite the opposite of addicts) for the game requires one to have extreme self-honesty and discipline, something rare in the general populace. Where I live there are reservation casinos all over the place. I can't even stand the energy of them from a distance, and have never been tempted to go into one. I hate gambling, and never particularly liked games where it is basically chance, always preferred that the outcome was largely dependent on skill, like chess, which I adored. Strategy, looking ahead, anticipating the moves of the other, calm yet alert focus.

A person's emotional/mental state has a huge impact on what information they are actually able to perceive on all levels, including gthrough one's "gut.". This mental state includes various biases, i.e., the market "should" go down, or the market is "undervalued." When I speak of emotional states I am of course also speaking about FEAR, which is an integral part of the trading arena. In addition, we all have our various awareness skills. Have 10 different traders following the same futures contract, and you have 10 different viewpoints upon the information at hand. And if these 10 people witnessed an accident, they likely would all have slightly different stories to tell as well. When I take individuals out into the wilderness, what they do and do not notice is a source of constant fascination for me. And for most modern individuals, there is so much FEAR about being in deep, rugged wilderness, that their perceptions are greatly limited by these fears. I once had a student fly many thousands of miles to come study, she was in an area which was absolutely teeming with opportunites for life-altering positive experiences, and yet she was so afraid of the possibility of bears being about that I had to backpack her out after only two days! And all these amazing opportunities never came to fruition in her life... The more calm and centered one is in both the wilderness and the "market wilderness," the more likely one is capable of noticing opportunity contained within market information, and taking effective advantage of it!

For me trading is an integrated part of my overall path and plan, a path which for decades has been about better understanding and Mastering energy in many of its various forms. I trade the Futures market exclusively, which amplifies the energetic waves due to leverage. And in understanding these energetic waves (or sometimes just noise) I utilize my physics understanding, qigong, wilderness survival skills (which is all about using energy wisely), martial arts, etc., etc. So there is much lateral thinking and skills going on in my perceptions and awareness of the market. And though ultimately it is an exceptional way to add sigficant financial energy to my life over time, an energy which synergizes all else that I do, trading is also a fascinating tool towards further self-mastery. For in this trading realm where it is just you and the market, you simply cannot hide from any weaknesses in your psychology, including hidden and/or unresolved issues. It actually is a bit like when I am alone in deep wilderness facing constant uncertainty, and having to make quick decisions about how to use my energy to deal effectively with a dynamic and often hazardous environment. Every day and every moment has its unique opportunities and lessons!

As with other professions, there can be a wide variety of motivations for trading. Some are indeed just gamblers or seeking entertainment, etc. But many people enter into trading that have already shown vast competence in various professional fields; intead they yearn for freedom from an imposed schedule, and they also might be hopeful of earning more money than in their current profession, since theoretically the sky is the limit within this realm of uncertainty and probability. And as most of us know, it also looks much, much easier than it really is, which is another (deceptive) source of attraction. With me, I was day trading stocks in the 96-98 period, part time. Loved the independance, being my own boss. Did quite well. But I was also concurrently developing other skills in the health care arena and wilderness survival instruction, which eventually crowded out the trading. Now I am back full circle working part-time at trading, this time exclusively in the futures market, with an aim of over time greatly supplementing the income that I make teaching wilderness survival, qigong, and helping people with their health. A main goal with trading is that eventually I will be able to afford to take on only those students and clients who are highly motivated and work hard at learning the material or improving their health. Tired of being a baby sitter. Eventually I will free up my time to spend more time in the wilderness, playing music, travelling the world. Futures trading is on its way to becoming a vehicle for improving the overall quality of my life, including eventually being able to live anywhere in the world which have decent internet connections. A greater level of FREEDOM in many realms of life is the over-arching goal for me. Some days I passionately yell this word at the top of my lungs, like at the end of Braveheart, to remind me of my destiny...