More philosophy

I've recently given up on CNBC. I really think it sucks the life out of me. You sit there and watch the same news over and over. They are slow to give you the important news and that's all that really matters. When the market is up, they tell and when it is down they tell you, and I already can get that on my computer screen.

Today I came into the trading floor, fired up my IPod, rockin out to The Prodigy or something blisteringly too wild for 9:00 in the morning. Numbers had come out, but didn't seem to be really moving the market, but the market was creeping lower and lower, so I thought, heck I'll put in a couple contracts.

Pretty soon following my strategy that you can read below I was maxed out short, deeeeeep in the money. I set my stops all the way up to my average price so the worst I could do was hit 0 for my P/L and let the winners run. Ended up $20,015.25 at the end of the day. That and a nickel might buy me a cup of coffee in 1969, but alas it is still a simulator, and I'm getting to the point now where trading is not about the money. It's about being good at the game.

Back to my Kung Fu argument. If an awesome martial artist never fights in a war was his skill wasted? He will fight in many tournaments and occasionally will lose. He will feel bad about that loss, not because he lost the war...but because he lost the game. He will practice and keep trying to win because he likes the feeling he gets when he wins. Not because he wins, but because he is good at what he does. If winning was all that made the martial artist feel good he would do something easier than martial arts...but it's the fact that he's good at something that not many other people are good at that makes him happy.

A trader is similar. Yes, trading is pure capitalism. But, when can a trader say, that's enough money, I can stop now? It's similar to, when can a martial artist say, I've won enough and I can stop now.? When can a sprinter say, that's enough, I'm as fast as I'll ever want to be? It's not about the money, the wins, or the speed...It's about the game. 2 out of 3 traders don't ever become successful, and if you lose enough you can really get hurt...That's what makes the game so enticing.

So in the end, play money or not, I'm happy with today because I won. I practiced and I won. I might not win tomorrow, but I'll try and I'll try everyday so I can get better and better. I don't know when I'll stop. But I love this game.