What a fine rainy Saturday morning in the Carolina's. Hope the Gamecocks can at least show up for the game against Georgia. Now, about this post from Mr. Secco: It would seem to me that secco might be onto something. I can't derive that secco is not happy or that he loses money in the markets either, by reading this post. I really think that Secco is trying to help Gordon. Can we call it tough love and let it go at that. (hey anything is possible) Now let me make it perfectly clear that I am not secco and I have no other name that I post under. I have been scared shitless before and most likely secco has too. The old axiom, "it takes one to know one", comes to mind. The advice given about "go get douglas's book, read it until it sinks into your skull....do the exercise in the last chapter" is very good advice indeed. So I ditto this and say, please Gordon, do this. Now secco's post may not be taken as "kind" However, secco has tried to give you a gem here Gordon. The "ZONE" may very well be one of the 52 cards that will give you a full deck. plumlazy
Commisso, I noticed you like to philosophize about this and that. How about giving some practical advice? For example, How does one achieve positive expectation?
but that's not how it is. secco does not know more about me than i do. he has no clue what i know about trading or what my specific weaknesses are. anybody who is successful at anything had to learn from their mistakes. they didn't just quit whenever they made one. so yeah, let's congratulate secco for telling people to quit..way to go. and while we're at it, let's criticise me for asking questions too. i try to be somewhat fair around here, but f#ck anyone who would suggest QUITTING to someone. YOU GET WHAT YOU SETTLE FOR. IF YOU ACCEPT BEING A LOSER, THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE. the people who sincerely help around here are the ones that should be congratulated, not the negative ones.
Gordon, I don't think Secco was being negative. I think he was, in his own unique way, telling you that you are afraid and need to just go in and find a system for yourself. We are in the same situation. I am starting ES and a journal in two weeks -- when I should have my check by then. I will be able to trade perhaps 2 or 3 days out of the week. If you are looking for a riskless way to make money in the markets, you won't find one. The only things you are going to find are unique ways that work for Gordon and Gordon alone. You can spend the rest of your life on this board but you will never ever see a post from anyone telling you a fool-proof method exists that YOU can trade with YOUR personality. The markets are right there in front of you. Sign up with esignal or some other datafeed and start doing research. I spend about an hour a day doing this -- it helps. Things will start jumping out at you. I do agree that you are fearful but you can't let that fear grip you and prevent you from succeeding. I hate public speaking and I had to give a speech in front of over a hundred people recently. Once you get into the "groove," you'll find out that it isn't so bad. However, you can't get to that point without learning. You also need to be honest with yourself and ask yourself if trading is really cut out for you. Perhaps we'll both find that it is not -- but that's why I'm getting a Masters degree so I have something to fall back on if I decide trading isn't for me. Good luck Gordon!
Only 2 or 3 days a week. Thank God! (no offense Darkhorse) If you and Sarasota actually traded 5 days a week, all the riches in the world would soon be yours.
aphie, believe me, i know there are no sure bets, riskless trades, or fool-proof methods. i am way past that stage. as for being afraid, that is just not the case. i would liken my pause in trading to being WISE. if after 3 years, what i do doesn't work, why would i keep throwing money at it? to each their own, but for me, this is a great time for me to stop and reflect on what i know. as i've said before, i believe the knowledge is already within me. as for looking at charts, etc. i am no newb. i have stared at countless charts over the years. if there's one mistake i've made, it's that i've looked at too many. i should have put more time into the other aspects of trading. you said when you look at charts things will jump out at you.. yes they will! but the KEY is that they don't jump out at you until AFTER they have occurred! sure, you can show me a pattern that works, but i could also show you times when it didn't. how you will deal with this is what is important imo. anyway, i hope the best for you as well.