He isn't some newbie. With 14 years of experience, I think this piece of advice should be pretty obvious to him. The only way to to overcome fear is to become a man who has no fear. Hehe.
This statement is irrelevant because there is not enough information: what do you do in these15 minutes (get in and out and never watch your position?) what are you trading (options, forex, stocks, futures) in what timeframe are you trading (daytrading, scalping, LT) what is your objective in terms of return (take a small move or take the whole move of the day/week/month) ...
In response to @jinxu at post #80 Am I not 14 years closer to death no matter how I have spent my time. In my passion there IS something special about trying to figure out trading. Every day I trade I am like the 16th seed trying to knock off the Number 1 seed. (NCAA basketball for those not familiar with US March Madness). In trading ES, CL, and GC, I am going up against the world's best traders (and manipulators). Where else can an amateur go against the Major League's best of the best. Baseball Hall of Fame member, Ernie Banks for the Cubs, never played in a World Series and played on a consistently bad team but everyday he said "Lets play two". He just loved the game. He loved the challenge. At 73, I am enjoying my my last remaining years. Trading is a passion and my wife and kids have given me the same advice that you just did "Give it up, you can't do this" Giving up trading is not an option as I will learn to be profitable and I think 2018 is the year. But even if it is not, trading does not define my life and who I am and the death that you speak of is not something to fear. "Oh Death, where is thy sting, Oh Grave,where is thy victory" 1st Corn 15:55.
Being honest here, I suspect anyone who think trading is a "passion" is still in the learning stages. An analogical reason being that after over 10,000 hours of driving experience, I can reasonable conclude that I am at a mastery level with driving skills. That I have never gotten into an auto accident is proof. That I have avoided accidents in mere seconds is more proof. I am a good driver. But do you know what I feel about that? Nothing. I have no passion for driving. I could drive with my eyes close. Driving is a mean to get from point A to point B. That is how driving feels to me. I expect anyone who achieve mastery of any subject feels the exact same way. There are much more interesting hobby to have then trading. Hehe.
It's a dog eat dog world. Not the employee's responsibility to make the supervisor happy. Me thinks. If it was me, now that I am more wiser, I would gather evidence from day 1 to sue employer when the time comes.
You are quite obviously correct about that. Otherwise I would be beyond the "learning stages" and be consistently profitable. After more thought I would be imagine that every profitable trader at ET considers learning something every day an important aspect of their trading.
You're 73 years old, and you've been attempting this trading game thing for roughly 14 years or more...? Jesus, just call the game over already...and open a small seaside cafe or something peaceful and romantic and slow like that, People like you are just like habitual Vegas casino travelers...convinced God will grant them their divine big luck break any day, Not to sound grim, but your trading chapter of your life is virtually over. -- Start a new chapter, or adventure or passion,
When I hear discouraging words like this I am reminded of the poem "Don't Quit". I copy it below. I would love to give credit to the author but I know not who it is. A dear friend who lost his 11 year battle with cancer 6 months ago had this engraved on his Cribbage Board. He made it many many years beyond what his Doctors thought possible simple because he did not quit. He was actually beginning to win his battle until a brain hemorrhage took him quickly. I know you mean well so I take no offense. Don't Quit When things go wrong as they sometimes will, When the road you're trudging seems all uphill, When the funds are low and the debts are high, when care is pressing you down a bit, Rest, if you must, but don't you quit. Life is queer with its twists and turns, As every one of us sometimes learns, And many a failure turns about, When he might have won had he stuck it out, Don't give up through the pace seems slow, You may succeed with another blow.. Often the goal is nearer than, It seems to a faint and faltering man, Often the struggler has given up, When he might have captured the victors cup And he learned too late when the night slipped down, How close he was to the golden crown. Success is failure turned inside out, The silver tint of the clouds of doubt, You never can tell how close you are, It may be near when it seems so far, So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit, It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.
Here's an example. We had an ET member with a day job as a sales rep for a mortgage firm. He had a private office. Instead of doing sales...he would retreat to his private office and day trade stocks on company time. He got caught not doing the job he was hired to do and then he was fired...rightfully so. Like you, he thought too that it was not his responsibility to make the supervisor happy. P.S. He filed a lawsuit for wrongful termination. He lost his case in the courts...rightfully so. I bet if you hired someone to do a job and you paid that person 80k per year, plus medical insurance, paid vacation and instead he/she comes to work and day trades instead of doing the job you hired him/her to do... I'm confident you'll fire him and then hire someone that needs a job and capable to performing the job. I know I would have fired him too instead of keeping someone stealing money & time from the firm. Its simple, don't trade at work. Do your job and trade when you're not at work. wrbtrader