def-i understand your opinion because most of my college friends think the same way. I think it all depends on your personality type. 2 of my best freinds are Ibankers for bear stearns and lehman bros and they hate it. Their qaulity of life blows and they arent happy....but regardless they stick with it. $$$$ is nice but there are better and funner ways to make money. i guess i am an entrepeneur at heart and cant buy into banking banking banking consulting consulting consulting. jc
After trading for a while, I am now exploring several of the lucrative and rewarding offers that have been pouring in. At this point, having considered both the pros and cons of many of these offers, I have narrowed it down to either develop a business plan for a new career in the exciting world of rodeo clowning, or possibly suiting up for an adventure as a crash test dummy. Of course, I realize that I won't be able to start at the top, but if I can spend as much time and effort as it took to hone my trading skills,--I'll be raking in the big cheese in no time--"Guar-ron-teed!"
I guess every private trader is an entrepreneur in his heart. JC you pointed out something that is very important to me. To know what I really want. I might have to give here some input that will not be liked by most of you: We live in the capitalistic world... we know that. All we do is try to understand the core of this capitalistic world and try to make money out of that. Did you hear.. make money. What for do we have to make money: First to be able to survive because the things we need to survive are being bought with money. And second and most importantly to be discussed here the desire for things we want to have. Now it is interesting to put some analyzing on this. What do we want? We want things that we think that make us happy! But there is a huge problem.. we don't know what makes us happy! We just think we do. why? Because the advertisement gives us a picture on how we become happy.... mostly they show us by buying this new care life is much more beautiful. advertisements fade our sense for the real things we want. They make us want something that we don't want. First they give us the impression the materialistic things make us happy. But the problem is - is that materialistic things don't make us happy and peaceful. It's not what we really need as human beings! We just think that we want them... because we don't know! Now to face the problem little more in detail. The materialism is the core of the capitalistic world. People have to buy products that it all works. Otherwise the capitalism would collapse. Now companies create desire, we get blurred and think those are our real desires for happiness and what do we do as a conclusion? We work over 100 hours a week to earn enough money to pay those illusions of desires to keep the capitalistic world alive. With not knowing that we will never get any closer to our personal happiness.. we stay at the same point year after year. Maybe you drive a Mercedes SL500, have a nice house, a rolex etc.. but you are even more unhappy than before. Why, because you start figuring out that this doesn't help you at all! A famous advertising guy from Paris once said.. you have to keep the people constantly unhappy because if they would get happy they would not buy products. The question is now.. what is life? Do you really know what you want and what you are doing? Some of you might because you have spend a lot of time with trading... and the beauty on trading is that you get to know yourself very well. Who of you spends at least two hours a day out in the nature? Who cares for his family everyday? Plays with his kids? Enjoys friends? Goes on vacation for an adventure.. not boring relaxing! And it goes much further than that... this is just somewhat the top of the ice-berg. do you know what you are and what you want. I could go on forever.. but to close this with a conclusion: In my opinion trading gives you a way to find a door to free yourself of this. You get to know yourself. Sometimes it's scarry but over the years you will know very well who you are! IBankers working 100hours a week over 10 years or more... what do they know? Just imagine how beatiful it is for example to creat something out of wood... look for flowers.... communicate with people (not business)... work outside.. not behind this Computer screen. These were just some thoughts from me on the topic of the meaning of money! Alain
alain I couldn't agree more. For me making money as fast and as much as I can has basically only one reason. To be free and independent in order to live my life without having to think about money any more. I consider myself a very spiritual person and I just cannnot see at the moment, how I could make it in an "ordinary" job in a reasonable time frame. I think time is the most precious thing we have. Working as an ibanker (i am currently still working as a technical analyst) will possibly leave not enough time to evolve as a spiritual being and allow me to some day work with people without any need to make money with my work. I like trading and the emotional challenge it represents, but in the end I feel it is just not my destiny. Altough I like the idea of having nice cars and a big house etc. I am already aware that this will only give you a temporary high, which will soon fade away, leaving only your inner self behind. And it is your self that is solely responsible for making you happy and fullfilled. External circumstances have no direct correlation to your state of mind. Sadly, most people do not really realize this and they strive and work (or trade) to accomplish their material goals, and if they do, well, it is not what they hoped for. The irony is, that the more detached you become from money and the corresponding emotions, you will become a better trader.... In this way, I also see trading as a kind of spiritual exercise, which teaches me a lot about myself and clearly shows my level of emotional mastery. Gruà in die Schweiz, Florian
Since you've already have some "entrepreneur" skills...you can start a business in the following careers: 1. Find a nice office space...setup about 7-10 trader workstations and rent the place out to traders... of course you'll offer no training. All you do is supply the equipment and they pay a nice fee to use such equipment. Get some TV's with cable connections for CNBC and CNN. A exercise room and relation room would be a nice feature Also...I always wanted one of those disco balls for the ceiling. Crank that sucker up for 1 min when ever a trader nails a big winner. This will keep the place from getting too boring. 2. Computer Repair (home visit) 3. Book Author about trading 4. Financial Market Analyst/writer...journalist...for local hometown newspaper. 5. Receptionist at local brokerage firm or proprietary firm. Hey!!! there are guy receptionist to. 6. Paid stock hypster or basher. Hey...I heard this is good pay. 7. Sex Slave for some rich old woman if your a guy or for a rich old man if your a woman or either one if you bi-sexual... then borrow a lot of money and start trading again
The best things in life have nothing to do with with money. A walk in the evening, watching the gulls glide over the ocean waves, a good family meal, holding hands. The simple things seem to be where the most contentment is. These are the good things. Money can't buy these things but the way things ARE the lack of money can deprive one of them. The way I look at it the goal is not to make money but to avoid the lack of it.
I joined a prop firm straight out of college 8 months ago. So I went to school in NY and took a job here in San Diego. I figured all i would have to do is find a sugar mama out here and i'd be all set. I thought I would have the keys for the beamer and the mansion within a couple of months,,,hmm, i think I'm a little behind schedule. Maybe I need to get out of the damn office and go meet some ladies. I'm going to LaJolla for happy hour. Later all.
In a way, being a good trader makes you better at so many things. You won't (shouldn't) be taken advantage of by others, you learn to evaluate alternatives quickly, decision making takes on a whole new meaning....and you quickly become bored with most other "jobs." Traders are a breed of their own, and even a so-so trading day is better than a great day working virtually anywhere, especially for someone else. Trading is like any business venture, and should be treated with the same respect.
LOL - This is no doubt THE best route to take if you can't hack it trading, provided you're a decent writer, or know one who can help you. Besides making a living, you'll enjoy the benefit of most people thinking that you are a successful trader, when in reality, you're not! Bonus!!!