Success can often be a matter of sticking to the principles of basic human nature. Humans are often eternal optimists, but they can get dragged down occasionally. At times like these, it's often necessary to use thinking strategies to pick themselves up and get motivated. One of the most effective ways is to read through a set of motivating quotations searched a few websites and picked out several quotes that were apt to trading but not about trading. You can pick up a number of trading psychology books and read sage advice from trading gurus, but it's also valuable to review what experts and over-achievers outside of the trading realm say about life. Again, people are successful in many walks of life, and at a very basic level, success is success, regardless of the endeavor you pursue.
First, let's look at what a couple "pop" psychologists have to say. Dr. Wayne W. Dyer notes, "Being relaxed, at peace with yourself, confident, emotionally neutral, loose, and free-floating - these are the keys to successful performance in almost everything." Sound familiar? Such observations are found in many trading books, such as "Trading in the zone," by Mark Douglas.
Dr. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi observes, "...even without success, creative persons find joy in a job well done. Learning for its own sake is rewarding..." This is a great quote to remember when you are spending countless hours searching for new strategies, planning your trades or stuck in a drawdown. It's not the profits that matter, but the fun you have thinking of new ways to make the profits, right? These guys may know what they are talking about, but they are in the business of giving out advice, so you may want to take their perspective with a grain of salt.
The quotes by people who have achieved great success in the world and have overcome obstacles are particularly informative, since they are talking about how they personally achieved success
Take Helen Keller, for instance, who said, "I seldom think about my limitations, and they never make me sad. Perhaps there is just a touch of yearning at times; but it is vague, like a breeze among flowers." Helen Keller overcame many obstacles to achieve success. It's useful to notice how she took her limitations in stride. She didn't focus on what she did not have or could not do. Instead, she focused on what she could do with what she had
I also found a quote from Sigmund Freud very interesting. I'm not much of a fan of Freud's theories, and neither are most mainstream American psychologists, but I've always admired how he persisted in the face of prejudice and adversity to write volumes of insightful, extraordinary books that were largely ignored by mainstream academics for years. Freud once said, "When inspiration does not come to me, I go halfway to meet it." I think this quote was coming out of personal experience rather than a reflection of his psychodynamic theories. The point is that you have to take action to get someplace.
You can't expect success to come to you. You have to go after it. You have to take initiative. Industrialist Henry Ford similarly noted, "You can't build a reputation on what you're going to do." Many times we get stuck dreaming of the success we want to achieve rather than making realistic plans and taking substantive steps to achieve our goals. In some ways success is really quite simple. As Frank Lloyd Wright observed, "I know the price of success: dedication, hard work and an unremitting devotion to the things you want to see happen."
Did you find these quotations useful? You might want to search books of quotations and websites to find quotations that you find personally meaningful and motivating to you. Personally, I've found writing down my favorite sayings useful. When I feel stuck, I just read over my list of quotes and feel better. There are times when you need to renew your enthusiasm and spirit and reading through a list of quotes can do wonders. Just remember to pick out the quotes that are inspiring to you, and to keep them handy when you are feeling stuck
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I believe you are probably the best out of the literal hundreds of traders that I have witnessed.
