Objective judgement, now, at this very moment. Unselfish action, now, at this very moment. Willing acceptance - now, at this very moment - of all external events. That's all you need.
Marcus Aurelius
Don’t expect success to be painless.
Unless you were born with certain privileges, you will have to hustle and struggle to reach success.
Embrace pain.
The only way to your goals is through it.
Real pleasure comes from overcoming challenges, feeling confidence in your abilities, gaining fluency in skills, and experiencing the power this brings.
Musonius Rufus was exiled at least 3 times. His response?
- “Exile strengthens those unhealthy because of soft living and luxury.”
- “If I have been deprived of my country, I have not been deprived of my ability to endure exile."
- “Do not be irked by difficult circumstances…”
Epictetus’ instructions:
- Separate things into what you control and what you don’t
- Choose not to be complicit in getting offended
- Prep for adversity in advance
- Realize every situation has 2 handles—grab the right one
- Memento Mori—let death put everything in perspective
“Men acquire a particular quality by constantly acting a particular way... you become just by performing just actions, temperate by performing temperate actions, brave by performing brave actions.”
“Men acquire a particular quality by constantly acting a particular way... you become just by performing just actions, temperate by performing temperate actions, brave by performing brave actions.”
Accept losses as part of the process.
Cut them when they're small, keep them controlled and systematic.
Don't get too attached to what could be - it's a fool's game.
“Caretake this moment. Immerse yourself in its particulars. Respond to this person, this challenge, this deed. Quit evasions. Stop giving yourself needless trouble. It is time to really live; to fully inhabit the situation you happen to be in now.”
If you flip a coin, do you expect that you will be right?
Probably not, because you know its 50/50.
You dont feel “dumb” if you are wrong.
When trading stocks, most traders expect certain results for their trades, and therefore are emotionally vulnerable to the outcome.
Know your probabilities.
If you have a 30-40% historical win rate, don't go expecting a win with each trade.
If anything, you should be expecting a loss.
“True happiness is to understand our duties toward God and man; to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence on the future; not to amuse ourselves with either hopes or fears, but to rest satisfied with what we have, which is abundantly sufficient.”
"Difficulty shows what men are. Therefore when a difficulty falls upon you, remember that God, like a trainer of wrestlers, has matched you with a rough young man..."
Place your trade.
Maybe it'll work, maybe it won't.
You'll never know until it happens.
Be fearless in the face of uncertainty.
This is your ticket to success.
“An ignorant person is inclined to blame others for his own misfortune. To blame oneself is proof of progress. But the wise man never has to blame another or himself.”