trading strrategy for lifelong profit

sell sorrow on every rise! 

buy laughter on every dip!!

are "the rich" really happier?

why are richer people
overall less happy?

first lets agree
that being rich
is itself a relative term.

the one who has more than the other
is considered "rich".

and the group
which has more than the average people on the planet
are "the rich".

had "rich" being an absolute term
even a satisfied comfortable beggar would have qualified for the term.

-

now we turn towards the question
"why are richer people
overall less happy?"

being "rich" is being "infected with the virus of comparison"

being "rich" puts you "at the permanent risk of not being rich"

comparative "rich'ness'" is more of a punishment than a reward!

the moment anyone feels
that he is "rich"
he sub-consciously "switches on"
a pressure to stay "above" others
and stay "rich".

the fear of not remaining rich
turns real!

the "rich" counter this fear
by building the "Safety cushion"
of "reserve riches"

this leads to the next fear
"how much cushion is enough"

thus, as if the fear of not remaining rich was not enough
it gets compounded by
the fear of the cushion being not enough.

this leads to an unending chase
of the "rich" by the hounds of fear!

this breathless chase, inadvertently leads the poor "rich"
into many one-way traps they find impossible to come out!

as if this was not enough
they find unexpected threats
from the winds of change!

--

so where does this lead us to?

should we not be "rich"?
are all "rich" unhappy?
are "poor" happy?

all three questions are traps!

till you use the word "rich" or "poor"
you are in a race
driven by outside factors....

relatives instead of absolutes!

happiness by absolutes has a chance
happiness by relativity has none!

retired before 40

i once attended a seminar
where i was hypnotised and asked

"what are your big dreams in life?"

with a little effort
i listed them

big house
big car
world tour
fat bank balance
freedom to buy anything
long vacations
no need to be in a job
retirement at 40

--

i came back
and as hypnotised
wore the eye-blinders like a horse
and entered the rat race!

while i was moving forward
i met some rats
returning from where i was heading!

the look on their faces were not so inspiring.

i slowed down
and eventually stopped.

"how's the place u r returning from?"

the rat i talked to
didn't reply.

he handed me his walkman

i put on the headphones.

it was jagjit singh's voice

"patthar ke Khudaa patthar ke sanam
patthar ke hii insaaN paaye haiN
tum shahar-e-mohabbat kahate ho
ham jaan bachchaakar aaye haiN

but-khaanaa samajhate ho jisako
puuchcho na vahaaN kyaa haalat hai
ham log vahiiN se lauTe haiN
bas shukr karo lauT aaye haiN"

i quickly handed him back his walkman
and i became a runman
back!

back home
i took out that dream list
and made some changes.

house in place of big house
car in place of big car
mental balance in place of bank balance
'wisdom to buy what i need' in place of 'freedom to buy anything'
'living as if on vacations' in place of 'long vacations'
'loving and enjoying my job' instead of 'no need to be in a job'
'google earth and earthtv.com' in place of 'world tour'

i am yet to turn 40
and i am
truely retired!

no compulsion to be happy

a short while ago
i was reading
'1001 motivational quotes for success'
by Thomas J. Vilord

i had reached
page 11
when i came across a quotation
which stuck me
like an electric shock!

it was simple
rather too simple
....but piercing!

i was forced to put down the book
and let it sink deep.

it said
"happiness is the highest level of success."

nothing big on the face of it

but the moment you dive below the surface
you realize the intensity of the statement...

--

it wasn't mentioned
who had said it!

but whosoever would have uttered it
must have been a great great man indeed!

--

everyone on this planet
is running running running

after what?

majority don't care?
many don't know?
and rest say they are doing it all
to be happy!

and how are they doing it?

by collecting gadgets and assets
by building bank balance
by magnifying our ego and diminishing those of others

why?

they believe that this will make them happy?

so, does this actually make them happy?

they do get intoxicated
but do they become happy?

lets ask ourselves
are we happy?
are we relaxed?
is our race over?

why not?

the problem as well as the solution lie in the saying itself

"happiness is the highest level of success."

people think that since happiness is the highest level of success
one has to achieve all other forms and stages of success
to achieve this highest level i.e. happiness!

this is the very problem.

it is highest
not because of the place where it exists
but highest
because finally only happiness matters!

if finally only happiness matters
can we get it earlier than "finally"?
can we get it right here right now?
can't we be happy unconditionally?

can we detach our every race from happiness?

so that whatever we do, whatever is the outcome, we are always happy?

can't it happen that we do things because we need to do them

and not because we seek happiness!

can't we grow happiness under our feet?

can't we take happiness with us wherever we go?

--

there is no compulsion to say yes to the above question

just like there is no compulsion to be happy

actually.

--

if you are not successful

but still happy

please consider yourself

more successful than the most successful.

and if you are not happy

even after a piles of success

you are less successful than the least successful.

--

success without happiness is hollow

happiness irrespective of success is heavenly!

bicycle of freedom!

have you ever rode a bicycle?
did you enjoy paddling it?
was it easy to balance it?
how hard was it to paddle it?
--
and
have you ever rode a motorcycle?
was it easy to balance it?
--
now i ask you
an out-of-syllabus question
"would you prefer riding a bicycle with paddle
or riding a motorcycle with paddle!!!"
you would, obviously, be puzzled.
you would say that a motorcycle is moved by a motor
there are no paddles with it
and there is no need for it to have paddles!!
--
agreed.
but my question is still the same.
"if there were a motorcyle sized bicycle
would you prefere paddle riding it
or paddle riding a normal bicycle?"
--
you will
without doubt
prefer
paddling a cycle.....
it would be easy
much easier than paddling the heavy motorcycle!
--
well,
what's the entire fuss about?
simple.
if what we ride,eat,wear,use,buy,drink,see,consume,show-off is our status, our lifestyle
then we maintain the balance for that lifestyle-ride
by paddling it with money.
it is much easier to paddle
a lighter lifestyle, a lighter status
than paddling a heavier one
especially
during the uphills of life!

nip that pain in the bud!

pain of loss
is greater than
the pleasure of gain.
--
so when a trade goes wrong
which is often
especially for newcomers
and
loss appears on the screen
the new-bees are left with
only one way
to overcome
and avoid
the pain of loss
???
by not booking the loss
by not honouring the stop loss
....wishing the price
to turn
somehow
into the green
and become
a pleasure of gain!
--
obviously
this doesn't happen.
as a psychological miracle
the pain of loss
gradually turns into
the PLEASURE OF PAIN
and
the pleasure of pain
gradually turns into
the teasing
PAIN OF GAIN.