It was the 1970's. It was an overcast day at Hazel Park Race course near Detroit. It was a muddy track. AIMLESSLADY my favorite horse was running that day. I was just a teenager. Quiet..shy..unassuming. As a groom and stablehand at Hazel Park I took care of 5 thoroughbred racing horses. Of the 5 horses Aimlesslady was my favorite. A likeable horse but not one who was considered by many to be a contender. That day Aimlesslady ran her heart out. As she made that last turn on a sloppy muddy track (in extreme adverse track conditions) she began to pull away from the rest. In the stretch she poured on the juice crossed the finished line in first place. It was thrilling to me as a young teenager. It felt good to win. At one time I had a picture of Aimlesslady in the winners circle. Alas over the years I have lost that picture (I suppose in my travels) but I have never forgotten the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. In Hazel Park I learned winning is better than losing. I still have my old groom license for Hazel Park (which has long ago closed up) me with my long hair teenage look. Great memories of a formative time in life when my outlook on life was being formed and developed. I can't help it. Those who love losses in the trading world make no sense to me and never will. Those who think an unknown unexpected trader will never win are wrong. Trading skills gives the little unknown trader a chance. What is important is what we do in adversity. Do we transcend it? Or do we fade away? AIMLESSLADY transcended a muddy sloppy track and the unthinkable happened. Her journey...her effort....her skill...her tenacity...her heart...her spirit... took her to the winners circles and into all the glory that comes with that accomplishment. YES there are similarities between horse racing and trading. Nurture...psychological support...as a groom I took care of her. Her will to overcome adversity. Her skill to run in very adverse conditions. She overcame the odds. When things were in her favor she put her all into it. That is like pressing the trade and there are times to do so. When things were against her (like early in the race) she endured the mud slung in her face and persisted moving forward. She never gave up. At first she was enduring a wide SL so to speak to "keep" engaged and in the race. Too many times traders use a tight SL that knocks them out of the running before the race gets off to a good start so to speak. They come out of the gates wide open and fade before the end. When another horse passes them they refuse to double down by putting in more effort aka as averaging down. But has to be done in and under the right conditions. Aimlesslady was in the right context. A muddy sloppy track. So much effort is invested in making a potential winner. In a separate post I will post a picture of that effort for producing a winning race horse. It is funny how life's experience form our perspectives: 1) I will never embrace and love losing but I will learn from it. If the market takes from me it is my responsibility to learn how to get it back and more. I cannot blame anyone or anything. Institutions...the Fed...algos...volatility...tariffs..Trump...or any other political adversity. It is my duty to figure out how to profit from the many circumstances that hit the markets. I and I alone am responsible for my account. 2) I will always believe that even the underdog has a chance at winning. 3) trading is much more than just throwing a monkey's dart and hoping it hits the bullseye. It involves practice even at different distances (read time frames). 4) overcoming adversity develops character 5) without persistence in life one will simply be a loser. 6) Nothing comes easy. Look at my next post as to what goes into having a race horse and producing a winner. 7) Do the work; reap the rewards. 8) Never give up. 9) learn to enjoy the challenge.Trading has to be passionate. 10) Assume the risks necessary to securing the profit. 11) Pay attention to the bigger context. 12) Position yourself to be a winner. AIMLESSLADY did not lead the pack the entire race but bid her time from instructions from the jockey. Those were the days of my youth. I was young. Hopeful. Took the chance. Placed the bet got on a Greyhound bus and went Michigan to work at Hazel Park. Just a country boy heading for the city to the unknown. I have wonderful memories of those times. Those were the days of Secretariat an uncommon horse that ran like no other in what seemed like insurmountable odds and WON! He was born to win. Are you? But it took a lot of effort. Big Red. A HORSE with a big heart! THE GREATEST RACE HORSE OF ALL TIMES. Still holds the records! What a winner!! IN trading winning IS everything. ARE YOU A WINNER? If not can you be a winner? The answer to that is up to you.
It's a f'n 2bit trading journal...it will only take you less than a minute every weekday to update your account growth or decline trade by trade. You don't need to be paid or complain it's taking too much of your time. I'm guessing you're part of the 95% of failed traders out there too proud to admit defeat.
Here is behind the scenes of what happens to produce a winning race horse. It is a lot more than the gambler who shows up on race day to place a bet. Why should we expect trading to simply be a visit to the race track when the market opens. We should not and must not for apart from just pure luck we will most certainly become a loser. Trading takes knowledge, work, practice, observation, persistence, $$$, time, effort, adaptation, and belief. We should expect nothing less. Here us what goes into making a winning race horse. Apart from the horse itself. Click the "show more" in the link. https://www.google.com/search?q=wha...HBzAuNC4yLjG4B-gK&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-serp
Day trade options on the SPX. 0 days to expiration. At the money strike. Yes, it's Gambling. But with better odds, controls and understanding and process. Sure beats any other forms of gambling out there to realistically reasonably make money.