A Different Way To Pray
"Try praying differently, and see what happens: Instead of asking for 'a way to sleep with her,' try asking for 'a way to stop desiring to sleep with her.' Instead of 'a way to get rid of him,' try asking for 'a way to not crave his demise.' Instead of 'a way to not lose my child,' try asking for 'a way to lose my fear of it.'"
— Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
I really like this meditation today and it certainly made me think.
When we compare this to trading, it takes me back to my early days. I would be stuck in a trade and praying for a change in fortune to turn a trade back in my favour, which was usually like asking for a minor miracle! My own fault of course, because I had stubbornly stayed in a trade too long and not heeded the warning signs.
Then I was praying and hoping, but generally it would be to no avail of course!
A few sentences from today's meditation gives us some clear guidance on what we should be looking for and I quote; "We want divine intervention so that our lives will magically be easier. But what about asking for fortitude and strength so you can do what you need to do? What if you sought clarity on what you do control, what is already within your power?"
When I do my pre-trading walk, it always goes through my mind at some point, of the need to remind myself to do what I need to do every time that I enter a trade. I can control what I do, because this is in my power of course. I find it really beneficial to reinforce to myself on a daily basis, of the need to manage every trade that I enter, fully to completion.
Making the right decisions when trading, becomes easier when you know exactly what you need to do, regardless of what the market throws at you! This comes from knowing your strategies inside out and back to front, through repetitive continuous practising, time and time again. Become addicted to the process!
So instead of praying for a helping hand when a trade has gone against you and it's too late, pray for the strength to make the right call, BEFORE it gets to a situation where you are in the land of hope. It is in your power to control your decision making during a trade; but you must pull the trigger and exit a trade that is going against you, to avoid an unmanageable loss and the damage that this can cause to your trading bank too of course!
Find "A different way to pray" and like it says in the last line of today's meditation; "You might find your prayers have already been answered"