Empowerment

When it comes to making mistakes, do you see the glass as half-empty, or half-full? Think back to the last time you were stopped out at the low tick of the day, or missed out on the big move of the week because you traded "not to lose", or bought when your indicators said sell, or spent an entire session calling the top on a market that closed on the highs -- how did you feel afterwards? Frustrated? Angry? Despondent? Does your mind keep replaying the past over and over like a tongue probing a loose tooth as you agonize over what could have been, should have been?

Now, imagine if instead of feeling distraught over your trading "mistakes", you actually felt encouraged, inspired, more determined? It's possible, once you accept the fact that every error in judgement holds a lesson to be learned, an opportunity to become better prepared for the next occasion when similar circumstances arise. Acknowledgement of an error is the first step of course, yet those that tend towards berating themselves over the past never get beyond this point, and waste not only their time and energy but also squander the chance for progress. The fact is, learning which actions result in consistent losses will simultaneously teach you which actions result in consistent profits; the lessons are one and the same, as is teacher and pupil. So don't let those mistakes go to waste, for when you become convinced that profits and losses are just opposite sides of the same coin, the reward goes far beyond just the academic possibilities. Having and maintaining a positive perspective on the mistakes that you've made, along with those you know you'll make in the future, equals nothing less than empowerment -- for what harm can the market inflict on you psychologically if you own your losses, and truly believe they can only make you stronger?