hey sandpiper,
as much as my water pipes are frozen, prohibiting bathing, which makes me smell like an overheated rhinocerous on a REALLY bad day, the world remains a wonderful place to grow up in --- it could be that i have enough of a past to have a past, and see that it was MORE marvelous than i could ever have imagined.
in high school i was the class "loser", a loner in a school famous for its party spirits (yeah, those also) and i did NOT fit in at all --- my yearbook had a single entry -- "life is just a bowl of cherries !"
not for thousands of years later was i to realize just how prophetic that quote was to turn out to be and what effects it was to have in guiding and altering my life !
failing high school i wandered into the auto repair business based on tghe only thing i really knew -- British sports cars, after giving the marine corp some consideration (NICE uniform) but everyday situations contrived to force me out of simple "mechanic" and into upper management somehow.
racing cars for a few years only proved once again my "loner" status, as TEAM sports were anathema to me --- once on a job interview i was asked about myself and responded that i was NOT a team player, but rather a superstar ! (well, we know that was insecurity speaking, but that was to drive me forward for the rest of my life, and in the most POSITIVE of manner)
around the age of 30 i was divorced from my first wife (she got the Nikon and i got the E Jag --- no other "children" or property for these hippies) and set adrift in "nowhere land" once again --- without a thought on my part there appeared a government program that applied to me (my father was killed in WW2 and somehow i was eligible for some magnificent government aid) if i wanted to go to college, and with nothing else on my alleged mind, i placed my X on the dotted line !
so i went to college and studied psychology and dabbled in the liberal arts until i found a snap course called "film appreciation" --- what could be easier for a man who wanted to get thru college as quickly as possible than watching some dumb movie and writing a BS paper and grabbing a few credits ??????
THAT course changed the way i saw "movies" and there was absolutely no turning back ---- i registered in NYU's school of the arts, film and tv (i had the choice of UCLA also, but enough with the moving around and changes in my life -- i divorced a brunette so why should i now go looking for a blonde ?)
once again, since "life was just a bowl of cherries" I NEVER knew i was entering into one of the most difficult industries to move ahead in, with the possible exceptions of finance and advertising !
many years later, having risen to the number 2 -3 spot in the USA for photographing women (you gots to wait for all the others to retire or die off to become number 1), I retired due to a rapidly encroaching heart problem and also went thru the gut wrenching process of a second divorce, this time with all the accoutriments including children, property and a women who i had never met before ! Oh yeah, THIS one was a real blonde --- talk about funny !
during the 28 years of filming, i traveled the globe 3 or 4 times, got sick and tired of "what, another white beach and blue water ?" or "its tuesday, so this must be Argentina" and met, photographed and associated with what the press might refer to as "interesting people" --- from "wannabees" to presidents of many a country (the Pope was kinda fun, but pizza in Rome aint what it is here !) Serendipity had struck with a vengence, and life was "just a bowl of cherries !"
during THIS second divorce, confusion reigned supreme and naturally NOTHING made a lick of sense, BUT along came that wonderful serendipity that had been with me all my life(and electronic trading was breaking out for real) and i hopped on trading like mad, NEVER turning back !
i would love to say i took to trading like a duck to water --- that i was the penultimate "natural", but I made MANY a mistake and lots of money (mine and others, im sad to say) were intertwined until things fell into place.
ONCE the "click" of the lightbulb hit, and i could SEE what was happening (im a right brained, "artsy" person after all, which is why i use VISUALS for my trading), the rest is serendipitous history, as they might say !
If a wandering high school semi drop out failure with not enough guts for the Marines and with no mind for detail or planning and a career path that stumbled over me in show business can interest doctors into handing over their money, then ANYONE who DESIRES it should easily be able to make it over time and even, does one DARE think it . . . . . . . . . become a success !
just take each day as a step, and keep walking forward --- when the time is right, it will be the right time (kinda had to throw some faux zen in there !) and there will be many a "teacher" in your life, some coming from the strangest places, so listen well, practice what you hear but most importantly LEARN to SEE what the banks are doing and where they are heading (news creates the "speed bumps" in the road, but its a rare news item that doesnt allow the price to come right back to its "norm" or "mean" --- over time, you will SEE that and then you can form your OWN particular method, which could be a state of mind or the cross of moving averages or any of a thousand other correct ways of trading.
me -- i use support and resistance and the midpoint of the LRC as an exit point and I WAIT for confirmation of any moves PAST those lines, which, in the case of the OUTSIDE lines USUALLY do not last long --- like the bolls, when the price moves OUTSIDE the channel, it USUALLY will come right back in a day or two unless there is some earthshaking news to have moved it permanently.
other uses for that neato LRC is to use it on your weekly, monthly and yearly charts BECAUSE THEY SET TRENDS, highs and lows, ALSO and theres NOTHING like the bragging rights you shall achieve by telling everyone else the day this or that currency reverses for a year long move !
i engage in whats sometimes called "tops down analysis" so i look at the yearly charts to see whats going on there, and move down to the chart i desire to trade in (using even lower timeframes for entries, of course !)
Running a business is hard work, which you fully understand, and is one reason why so many people WORK for others, but the satisfaction of being your own boss are very decent rewards and builds a "character" that will serve you well as you accumulate money AND learn forex, you will be preparing for the day you go completely SOLO with forex --- its exciting, stomach turning, aspirin and scotch laden and i wouldnt want to do anything else in this world, and ive done a lot !
Trading is the "ultimate" form of "freelance" job there is --- just you, your tools and your mind AGAINST the dungeons and dragons of the financial world, and its truly amazing to see how well you can do against those mighty adversaries !
"slow and steady wins the race", and what a WONDERFUL and REWARDING race it is !
enjoy and trade long and well
mp
Quote:
Originally Posted by sandpipper
To be honest I really didn't think it was possible to find a job which met all 3 criteria so I shelved the idea. 6 months ago or so somehow I stumbled across babypips and I started reading skeptically. For the sake of brevity, lets just say that after much reflection and quite a bit of time I decided that why not go for it. I'm here with the mentality that I'm going to grab FX trading by the horns and not let go until I subdue the beastie (i.e.figure it out) taking my bumps and bruises along the way. The big problem as a newb is that its tough to even find the horns to grab. Fortunately on this here forum people such as mp and others who have tamed the beast step in and offer to help, and it is for this reason I'm thankful. So let my thrashing commence!
My little quote at the bottom of my screen says.
"Nothing happens unless first a dream."
Carl Sandburg
Appropriate way to close this little post.
Thanks for the encouragement!
|
I can't imagine trying learn this stuff by just staring at my MT4 Platform and its host of confusing indicators and mysterious overlays, it would take more years than I have left in my life to figure out and I'm still fairly young.
) and on the right-and never sickened any point of view, sentimentality, mentality etc etc etc etc. I could go on and on-but the crux of the matter is that yeah all love (and sentimentality) was pointed at MP, in a fashion that you have when you are awed, terrified, stupefied, glorified when you encounter something, someone who is greater than what you can or are able to comprehend 
Linear Mode
