Saturday night, I am bored and came to futures.io (formerly BMT), but there is really nothing here that I want to see. And that is not meant to be anything against the site. I love the concept of futures.io (formerly BMT), recently was willing to help lead the defense if needed. It is an incredible place. It's just that, for me, the pursuit of knowledge through a site like this has limited appeal today.

While there is a great library of webinars, every indicator I could ever want, discussion on nearly every trading topic known, I have started to lose interest in all of that. My tie today is in the social aspect. A place to find like-minded traders, try to help other traders, have traders try to help me.

I am becoming a firm believer in mentorship. Trading is thought of as such a frivolous pursuit, akin to gambling. But there are a few who make it, and having found a few, a shift occurred that is different form anything else I have experienced. Once the concept moved from being fairy tale to being real, very real, my core found a base that I have not felt before that.

I thought I was full-time ready once before. I managed to psyche myself out of it. It had nothing to do with an ability to trade profitably, even though the thing that defeated me caused me not to. It had to do with a core belief.

I am not suggesting the formula is to believe and it will be so. There is a lot of work required, a lot to learn, a lot to experience. But once a trader has all of that, there is still something missing usually. That something is a knowing, not knowledge. Believing in something is not strong enough.

Our civilization once thought the world was flat. Sounds insane today for some to think that. But until it was known, there was this dominating fear, or majority-accepted reality. Trading for a living is a similar thing. The majority say it is not possible. Deciding for yourself to prove that wrong is ballsy, but does not include knowing. Columbus did not KNOW, he believed, and was willing to prove it. But I am sure his first trip to find out was taken with far more anxiety than his last. But once he truly experienced something different, he could then laugh heartily at anyone who continued to believe the world was flat. He knew, and nothing could change that. Once you know, you know, and at that point there is little that can be done to undo that knowing.

The world is not flat, as we all know today, and it seems pointless that I am referring to that as an analogy. But to the majority of the trading world, some things remain stuck in beliefs. The reality is far from those. I have seen it with my own eyes.

very well said @GaryD!....in my other life we used to chalk it up to 'experience'....had another term which I think is a better fit... 'seasoned.' (In my eyes that covers ballsy, free thinker and confident as well.)

...the ability to not get shaken out of the tree so so speak...and the ability to follow through on the mission without waiver and having to refer to operational manuals (indicators, chat rooms, etc) for successful follow through

I sent this to someone I am hoping to help. Trading has mentors, and reaching back to grab a friend's hand is never a bad thing. It is a relationship, satisfying a need on both sides.

I shared this with someone I see as who I once was similar to;


"Listen. Keep posting, keep thinking. If I could tell you what you need to know, I would. It is deeper than that. In some ways you have to stop wanting it.

The elusiveness of the market is not much different that the concept of pursuing "enlightenment". Who has seen it? Very few. Who can give it? No one.

But it can be found."

Devil Man 

very well said @GaryD!....in my other life we used to chalk it up to 'experience'....had another term which I think is a better fit... 'seasoned.' (In my eyes that covers ballsy, free thinker and confident as well.) ...the ability to not get shaken out of the tree so so speak...and the ability to follow through on the mission without waiver and having to refer to operational manuals (indicators, chat rooms, etc) for successful follow through

I will say this. It is hard to make this shit up. ))))))))))))))))

I don't know what you do/did before trading, but if you're getting bored with it even if profitable I'm wondering if the celebration of a good week, or a signing of a big contract at the office is what you miss. You want the freedom of trading, but don't like that no one recognizes the accomplishment/profitable trade other than yourself? Please tell me if I'm off topic and I will delete my post.

or the "thrill of the chase" for your strategy (like when dating) has worn off and you've accomplished your goal.

lrfsdad 

I don't know what you do/did before trading, but if you're getting bored with it even if profitable I'm wondering if the celebration of a good week, or a signing of a big contract at the office is what you miss. You want the freedom of trading, but don't like that no one recognizes the accomplishment/profitable trade other than yourself? Please tell me if I'm off topic and I will delete my post.

I gotta jump in on this @Irfsdad...don't think @GaryD is getting bored, just that he has elevated his skills to being a 'leader' rather than a 'follower.' There comes a point in trading when you realize 'i can do that' and...'I do that better than that guy' so why should you focus your attention on a forum (no bash against Big Mikes, it's been hugely helpful to me) for your trading other than to teach of share your techniques with others. What took you countless hours of study and likely thousands of dollars in losses to get to where you are now should leave you looking in the mirror, as you pass life by and it plays out - to your PLAN!

ya gotta be able to be a winner....and a closer.

lrfsdad 

I don't know what you do/did before trading, but if you're getting bored with it even if profitable I'm wondering if the celebration of a good week, or a signing of a big contract at the office is what you miss. You want the freedom of trading, but don't like that no one recognizes the accomplishment/profitable trade other than yourself? Please tell me if I'm off topic and I will delete my post.

I was just bored that evening in general, looking for something to do. I have spent a lot of time on futures.io (formerly BMT), but I could not find anything that I wanted to do here. I think I moved on to YouTube and watched some instructional videos on paddleboarding.

I just had a long conversation with my wife last night about it, that I do not have another job lined up after today and am really not looking for anything. I look forward to every trading day and have no interest in continuing my other work. And not really for the money, more of a way of thinking.

I am doing things like getting my bike tuned up, shopping for a paddleboard, added a surf report app to my phone and texted a friend over on the coast to say when and I am there, getting out and meeting new friends, buying fresh vegetables and making juice (arugula is not a smart choice, stinks the whole house up), bought a magazine on Islands, a book on Urban Tantra...

Excellent GaryD,
I thought I wrote those thoughts when just reading them ! (Lol). I've had similar ideas also.
The mentorship is one I've never done with trading(but on other things) and noticed I improve
so much myself when helping/assisting someone else. Very exciting and hard to understand
until you do it yourself.
Trading for me has been up and down. But I've found a technique( FasterEFT.com) that
significantly helps remove the negative emotions connected with trading ( and other things in life too),
and found it is easy to do. I do not solicit any of myself here. This tech. can be done yourself
and easily.
I only suggest this here, because traders are a unique group. And sometimes do not know where
to turn when the emotions are tense and negative.
It is rewarding to see this site where one can help and suggest new ideas.
Thanks,
G.

Greatwest1 

The mentorship is one I've never done with trading(but on other things) and noticed I improve so much myself when helping/assisting someone else. Very exciting and hard to understand until you do it yourself. ................ It is rewarding to see this site where one can help and suggest new ideas. ..............

Yes, emotions are the key.

I see things about "futures.io (formerly BMT) being a scam" and just laugh. What is there here to scam? Sure they have vendors, but this site is about helping and learning and sharing. I know it has helped me to find others to learn from, and I have found myself recently more interested in logging in to see if I can find someone I can help.