"we are simultaneously everything and nothing."

It is a great paradox that individually we are simultaneously everything and nothing. Through our own eyes, we are everything--e.g., when we die, the whole world disappears. So to most people (and to other species) dying is the worst thing possible, and it is of paramount importance that we have the best life possible. However, when we look down on ourselves through the eyes of nature we are of absolutely no significance. It is a reality that each one of us is only one of about seven billion of our species alive today and that our species is only one of about ten million species on our planet. Earth is just one of about 100 billion planets in our galaxy, which is just one of about two trillion galaxies in the universe. And our lifetimes are only about 1/3,000 of humanity's existence, which itself is only 1/20,000 of the Earth's existence. In other words, we are unbelievably tiny and short-lived and no matter what we accomplish, our impact will be insignificant. At the same time, we instinctually want to matter and to evolve, and we can matter a tiny bit--and it's all those tiny bits that add up to drive the evolution of the universe.

The question is how we matter and evolve. Do we matter to others (who also don't matter in the grand scope of things) or in some greater sense that we will never actually achieve? Or does it not matter if we matter so we should forget about the question and just enjoy our lives while they last?

 "To be human is to get upset, angry, scared, envious, greedy, fearful, to go on tilt and sometimes to lose your shit altogether.

To be superhuman, is to still do all to that, because you’re human, accept you did that, because your human, then give yourself a break, forgive yourself, take the lesson. Then let go, move on, reset and go again as if it hadn’t happened at all."

Maximizing positive experiences is a brilliant goal! To make the most of this, try diversifying your activities, exploring new hobbies or interests, nurturing relationships, and seeking out opportunities that bring joy and fulfillment. Staying open to new experiences often leads to unexpected moments of happiness. Remember, it's about quality over quantity; finding depth in your experiences can often bring more fulfillment than chasing sheer volume.

What a gift to have had another year on this planet.

You Belong In Your Dreams

Merry Christmas

"The American Tourist and the Mexican Fisherman."

An American tourist was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked.

Inside the small boat were several large yellowfin tuna. The tourist complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.

The Mexican replied, “Only a little while.”

The tourist then asked, “Why didn’t you stay out longer and catch more fish?”

The Mexican said, “With this I have more than enough to support my family’s needs.”

The tourist then asked, “But what do you do with the rest of your time?”

The Mexican fisherman said, “I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos, I have a full and busy life.”

The tourist scoffed, ” I can help you. You should spend more time fishing; and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat: With the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats. Eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor; eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You could leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then Los Angeles and eventually New York where you could run your ever-expanding enterprise.”

The Mexican fisherman asked, “But, how long will this all take?”

The tourist replied, “15 to 20 years.”

“But what then?” asked the Mexican.

The tourist laughed and said, “That’s the best part. When the time is right you would sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions.”

“Millions?…Then what?”

The American said, “Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos.”

Think about your Goals and what will you Become, Do, and Have when you achieve them. Enjoy the ride!

"Doing the Unsexy but Important Stuff"

In trading, numerous practices fall into the realm of being uninteresting, dull, or unappealing. Reviewing your performance and actions is one such practice. I'm not referring to a quick analysis of the day but rather delving deeply into self-examination—scrutinising yourself, your behaviour, your thoughts, and your actions and reactions. This is a fundamental aspect of 'being a student of yourself,' not solely 'a student of the markets.' Being a 'Student of Your Self' constitutes one of the hallmarks of the very best performers.

 In this matrix, there are four squares. The square at the top left is designated for all your activities that are 'urgent and important.' This is where people allocate most of their time and energy, although quite often they end up engaging in numerous tasks that belong to the bottom-left square—urgent but not important. Consider the time spent inanely 'watching every tick' or dedicated to meaningless hours on social media."

It is however the top right square which, where time spent and devoted to, is what leads to great performance. This is the square where the stuff that is ‘important but not urgent, nor exciting’ or sexy, is done. This is where growth and elite performance capabilities spring from. This is where Kobe Bryant lived!

The Unsexy but Important Stuff of Trading

Journaling, reviewing, self analysis, planning, developing, working with mentors and coaches. Also doing the equivalent of training, such as going on courses, working with a performance coach to become better, learning new techniques or skills which may benefit you. Also attending events where you can learn from others. Spending time reading about and developing areas you are weak on. Reading books, whilst also taking notes on what you are reading where it matters. The same goes for listening to podcasts.

There are also activities which are more self-state focused; doing things that remove you from the noise and help you refresh and recover to become stronger mentally. Physical activities such as going to the gym, running, swimming, yoga, meditation, mindfulness, or just recuperating breaks.

The covey matrix is a matrix for life, if you don’t do the stuff on top right, or you keep putting the stuff in that space off, you are ‘selling yourself short’. You may not see it on a daily basis, but in the future if you aren’t achieving what you dream of, you'll one day look back and say, I should have done more of that stuff, I just could not be bothered at the time.