Category Archives: Formula

Focused Diversification : Mantra for all Times

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I’m more into focus.

One can focus on one thing at a time.

Agreed.

What if after that one thing starts running, it doesn’t require any more focus?

Wow.

Then I focus on another thing.

Get it running.

Then another.

Till my focus window is full.

Let me tell you about my focus window.

I focus on cash, debt, equity, forex, gold, real-estate, arbitrage, and options.

With that, my professional focus in finance is full full full.

I get something running.

That’s it.

Then I don’t need to be with it. Mostly.

Let me run you through.

1). Cash – Bind it in a worry-free and accessible manner. Done.

2). Debt – Study the underlying very thoroughly. Reject 10 underlyings. Take up the 11th which passes all criteria. Be happy with a slightly better than FD-return. Done.

3). Equity – Invest for life. Study till you drop the stock or take it up. Only invest in what meets all criteria and offers margin of safety at time of investing. On top of that – SIP (systematic investment plan). Done.

4). Forex – Get a software robot to trade it for you. Or some human-capital. All available online. Requires a bit of fine-tuning. Keep tuning till you start making a return. Done.

5). Gold – Buy physical gold. Research your source. Needs to be impeccable. Bullion. Coins. SIP. Accessible. No jewellery. Done.

6). Real-estate – Make your real-estate yield you an income. Regular income? Done.

7). Arbitrage – Understand what this is, and why it gives you a tax benefit. Get an online MF account going with Kotak MF or DWS. Divert some funds into their arbitrage MF, either or. I prefer Kotak. Monthly dividend payout option. Done.

8). Options – Get the option-strategy going. You don’t require a desktop. Mobile is sufficient. All you now need to do is take care of square-off. On mobile. This means a slightly higher level of engagement than the above avenues. Only slightly. Are you ok with that? Fine. Done.

In a flow, it’s all doable.

And, you remain focused.

Why all this?

Times demand it. You never know what might come in handy, and when.

Yeah, times are tough.

However, you are tougher.

To use Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s terminology, you are antifragile.

Let it come, then we’ll see…

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Looking around for an opportunity?

Or letting one come?

Does it matter?

Is there a difference?

You bet!

When you’re looking around, you could be in a hurry. You want to get it over and done with.

Big mistake.

You are vulnerable.

Entry price will be expensive.

Your adversary feels your anxiety and jacks up entry level.

Quality? What quality? You’re in a hurry, right?

Don’t be.

Hurry spoils the curry.

Let the investment come to you.

It will.

Brokers are restless. They want to sell. They’ll knock at your doorstep once they know your funds situation. And, believe me, they won’t ask you about your funds situation. They’ll ask your banker. In fact, your banker could well be on retainer. He’ll make sure that high quality info ups his retainer fee. That’s how it works today. Don’t believe me? How come so many people have your cell number? Did you give it to them? No? Information is a commodity. It can be bought for a price.

So, wait.

Block your surplus funds as fixed deposits.

Get an overdraft going for one fixed deposit.

Delve into your normal activities.

Now you’re sitting pretty.

An opportunity comes.

It’s cr*p. Broker’s hoping you’ll bite into the nonsense being sold.

You tell the broker to buzz off. Lack of hurry gives you the clarity required to act like this.

Something lucrative comes along. Price is right. You overdraft on your FD. Yeah, it’s ok to pay the price for quality with margin of safety.

You can always fill in the overdrafted amount as new funds accumulate. The nominal interest paid for ODing is called opportunity fees. It’s chicken-feed. Just forget about it.

The best investments in life are worth waiting for.

Yes, Jack Ma is a Champion

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I only know one thing about Jack Ma.

He didn’t give up.

That’s enough for me.

Jack Ma is a champion.

Champions fight till it works.

They’re somehow able to extract extra energy from somewhere, and stand up again, that umpteenth time.

That is what separates champions from others.

Look at Abraham Lincoln’s example.

Steve Jobs.

Cassius Clay.

Recently, West Indies cricket.

List is big.

What do champions have in common?

They don’t give up.

They keep at it.

They keep throwing potentially knockout punches… till something gives.

Sure, champions cry.

They too are human.

It’s ok to cry.

One’s system cleanses.

Tears only make them fight harder.

So what’s the champion gene?

Meaning, what makes a champion keep going at it, despite disappointments, tapping extra energy out of nowhere to keep landing potentially knockout punches?

Yes, what are the dynamics?

Body and mind are functioning at full-stretch. Perhaps beyond. What is this beyond? We are a continuum, remember. We flow. The Bell-curve of our energy, at full-stretch, actually flows to a certain extent into 4th, 5th, 6th or nth dimensions. You’ll either have to take my word for it, or experience it for yourself.

Mind over matter, ever heard that one?

Describes the above phenomenon.

Resonance.

You vibrate at a common frequency with something, and are able to tap energy from that something.

That’s what happens.

For it to happen, full-stretch needs to be there.

Bell-curve needs to go over and beyond.

Feel the energy coming in.

Feel that tiredness go away.

Land the knockout punch, you champion.

The Art of Addressing

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Address your goals.

Daily.

Make that part of your basics.

It’s easy to sit back, when a few fundamentals are sorted.

There could be bread and butter on the table.

Family could be in their groove.

Are you quite there yet?

No.

Don’t rest on the laurels of the few fundamentals you might have achieved.

An RJ might light a cigar and open a bottle of single in the evening, but only after his goals have been addressed for the day.

A WB might invite his poker buddies and kick off a game after a round of hamburgers… after his goals for the day have been addressed.

When does BG nip into his chocolates? At bedtime. After you know what. After addressing his goals for the day.

Yeah.

Now it’s your turn.

Have a few simple goals.

What?

Don’t have such goals?

Well, make them.

Then address them.

Break down your goals to their prime number form. For example :

– Research a stock

– Trade some forex.

– Write a piece.

– Learn something new.

See. As simple as possible.

It’s convenient to address simplicity.

Laziness and complacency are enemies, though.

Fight them.

🙂

How and Where to Look for Outperformance

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Is it surprising, that the kind of outperformance we look for crops up in unexpected places?

Not really.

Yeah, it’s not surprising. 

I mean, if we found a certain brand of outperformance in an expected place, well, everyone would make a beeline for it, and soon, it would be over-valued. 

There’s only one way we want to be in something that’s over-valued – when we’ve bought it under-valued. We’ll then keep it for as long as the ride continues. 

Otherwise, we don’t want to touch anything that’s over-valued, even though it might appear to be outperformance. 

Getting into outperformance at an undervalued level gives us a huge margin of safety. That’s exactly what we want. That’s our bread and butter. 

So let’s start outlining areas to look in. 

Task gets difficult. 

I mean, how will you define areas literally?

Button-clicks. 

Algorithms. 

No, you don’t need to know how to programme, to put together an algorithm. 

Just do it online. 

Put in it what you’re looking for. 

Hit and try. 

Ultimately, you’ll hit the right combo, Stay with it, as long as it’s working. 

What do you put in your algorithm?

Value. 

Good ability to allocate capital. 

Efficiency.

Frugality.

Humility.

Etc. etc.

You ask how?

Well, this is not a spoon-feeding session. 

You’ll need to use your imaginations a bit. 

It’s all possible, let me assure you. 

Meaning, it’s possible to incorporate traits like humility into your mother-algorithm. 

Do the math. 

Ok, so you’ve translated what you’re looking for into computer language without knowing how to programme. 

You run it. 

Where?

All over the place, online. Any finance site. Yahoo Finance, for that matter. 

You get some results. 

In these you look to confirm. 

Is the outperformance you were seeking there or not?

No?

Look further. 

Yes?

Has this outperformance been discovered by the general market?

Yes?

Look further. 

No.

Bingo. 

Look for an entry strategy, provided your other parameters, if any, are being met. 

What to do in the Age of Shocks?

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Wait for a shock.

That’s it.

Then go in… a bit.

Sound simple?

Ain’t.

Why?

Firstly, patience.

Who has patience, today?

Few.

Secondly, psychology.

Shock brings pessimism.

You don’t want to go in, not even a bit.

That is the whole thing.

Punchline. Understand it, and you’ve won already.

Thirdly, funds.

Who has funds, when the shock arrives?

Few.

Why?

Barely anyone knows how to SIT on funds.

I didn’t either.

Self-taught.

Through mistakes and pain.

By putting money on the line… losing it.

Took eleven years.

Now I know.

So don’t tell me that one is only born with the ability to sit.

Don’t waste your funds. Save them. They are your soldiers.

Fourthly, energy reserves.

Who has energy reserves when the shock arrives?

Few.

Why?

We’re too busy doing this doing that, always, forever. We don’t know how to conserve energy and build up reserves. Those who do then use their reserves to carry forward their strategies upon the arrival of a shock.

Fifthly, focus.

The hallmark of a big winner is focus.

Who has focus?

Few.

We’re too busy diversifying. It’s safer. Investing in the wake of shocks requires pinpointed focus.

Sixthly, courage.

Who has courage?

Few.

Why?

We’ve been taught to avoid, and move on. Life’s too full of BS that needs to be avoided. However, coming out during shocks needs courage. Face the enemy, and fight.

Seventhly, and perhaps this should have been on the top of the list, common-sense.

Who has common-sense?

Almost no one.

Why?

We’re too busy being complicated and sophisticated. We want to portray falsehood. We miss the forest for the trees. However, shocks are tackled with common-sense. Simplicity in thinking is paramount. The simplest ideas making the most sense are also the most successful ones.

Eighthly, long-term vision.

Who has vision?

Handful of people.

Why?

We’re too near-sighted. We want instant gratification. However, a shock presents excellent ground to root yourself in for the long-term. Understand this, and you’ll have understood a lot.

I could go on.

That’s quite enough though.

Above are eight points to think about,  to be seen as eight weapons that need sharpening, to come out fighting in the age of shocks.

Be patient, optimistic, fund-heavy, energy-heavy, focused and brave. Use your common-sense. Have long-term vision. BASICS.

Wishing you successful investing, in an age riddled with shocks.

🙂

Constant Activity doesn’t necessarily mean Progress

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Beware…

…of the urge to…

…constantly remain active.

The times preach it.

Maybe it was valid for different times.

Today, sitting still is an asset.

Many things happen while one sits still.

Systems cleanse.

Systems rest.

Space is created.

Recuperation is paramount.

Strength is built up, to come out firing on all cylinders another day.

Lack of activity thus becomes a secret weapon.

Weapons are double-edged.

If you’re not careful, they cut your skin from their other side.

We guard…

…against unnecessary food…

… and drink…

…laziness, sloth, mental over-zealousness, gossip and / or any kind of evil…

… while we’re inactive.

If we let such cracks seep in, it’ll have been all for a waste.

We’re not going to be inactive and be called a waste, because that’s a double-whammy.

We’re going to be pinpointedly inactive, and still be more productive than the 24×7 active ones.

We’re going to lead a good, full life with activity amidst productive periods of inactivity.

Yeah.

Core-System Maintenance

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First up, one needs to discover one’s core-system.

That’s a big chunk.

We’ve spoken about it. Again and again.

Why?

Meaning, why was it required to speak about this again and again?

We have problems putting our core-system together, that’s why.

Why do we have these problems?

We fail to sort properly. What belongs in? What needs to be kicked out? We’re not able to answer these questions properly.

People, what is working? While this thing is working, are we comfortable? Yes? Lastly, is this thing looking lucrative? Yes? Keep it.

Is something not working? Kick it out.

Look for the next thing that works.

Find three or four things things that work.

Intertwine them into a core-system.

That’s it.

It’s that simple.

Maintain your core-system. Tweak it upon requirement. If something stops working, replace it.

Yeah, even maintenance is that simple.

When will we acknowledge that…

… the best things in life are not complicated or sophisticated, but…

… simple?

WoC

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I think I found something. 

It’s very possible someone chanced upon my discovery before me. 

Doesn’t bother me. 

Reason?

I’m happy that I found something…myself. 

Struggle in finding…taught…me. 

I’m richer in implementational knowledge. 

Oh, I forgot to mention that I’m sharing the essence of my discovery…with you. 

Why?

I like to share. 

I won’t be spoon-feeding you…believe me. 

However, I won’t fall short of inserting the seed in your mind. 

Spare me the BS. 

I’ve heard it a million times before.

I have enough, and beyond that, I’m not commercially minded. 

In sharing are the riches. Hoarding leads to blockage…which leads to disease.

Sharing is flow. 

Flow leads to health…and happiness. 

Anyways, I’ve just established the WoC. 

Stands for Window of Confidence. 

You make it. 

How?

With your System. 

How?

Any which way you can mould your System to make it. 

Why do you make it?

It’s your basket…, your fishing net, actually. 

What do you catch in it?

That, which you wish to investigate further…for the purpose of investment. 

Whatever you delve into needs to meet certain standards, right?

There, you have it. 

Oh, one last thing…

…you ONLY look in your WoC…

…for that which needs to be investigated. 

You don’t look anywhere else.

Period. 

Happy Investing!

🙂

System Addict

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System. 

Make. 

Now. 

Life in the markets requires a plan.

No plan…no life…in the markets. 

Many don’t know this. 

Some are finding out…the hard way. 

Others are looking for free lunches…and not finding any. 

Few…have found out. 

They’re perfecting their plan…chiseling away. 

When they have something substantial…it’s called a system. 

Have system…will move. 

It’s as simple as that. 

That’s another master-word. 

What?

Simple. 

The most powerful systems in the world…are simple. 

They consist of a few basic elements, woven into a mother element. 

They have an on-off switch which even a donkey can operate. 

But that’s about it. The donkey can operate the on-off switch. Only the maker can operate his or her system properly.

Why?

Because the maker knows the nitty-gritty. 

Nitty-grittiness shows itself while making. 

No one else knows it. 

Only you do, as a system-maker. 

Also, no one else needs to be bothered about your system, because your system only applies to you, and to no one else. Unfortunately, it ain’t so in real life. Many don’t want the hard work involved in developing a system. They just want the system. That’s dangerous. 

Why?

You see, those who have a system falling into their lap, well, they don’t know its pitfalls. They can’t know. They haven’t had that alone time, when the system showed its limitations. That’s why, they’re in for a big surprise if things get ugly. They risk losing everything. 

Don’t bother about anyone else’s system. 

Develop your own. Know how to work it. Know when to work it. Know when to stop. Know when to find remedies. Know when to pull the plug and develop a new system. 

This game is about you. Not about the markets. Not about the money. Not about anyone else. Not about anything else. 

It’s about you. 

Realise that. Now. Please.

Moment Enhancement

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How do you enhance your situation at any given moment?

What are we talking about?

You.

Time.

Activity.

Betterment of your situation.

As compared to previous moment. 

What kind of betterment?

Any.

What kind of situation?

Any.

How?

You tell me. 

Yeah, it’s a bit of a personal sphere. 

Everybody’s idea of betterment is different. 

I write, for example. 

Clears my mind. 

I organize. 

My stuff. 

Gears me up to approach the next moment, more organized. 

I clear useless stuff. As in give it away. Frees up more space. 

Are you getting my drift?

What do you do?

To make your next moment more enhanced?

I plan my next three activities – what are they going to be?

I ask my one main question. 

What is the next step?

Yeah people, brick by brick. 

What for?

Yeah, exactly?

Why would one do this?

To lead a fuller and more meaningful life. 

To give of oneself fully. 

To make more of one’s existence. 

Again, reasons are personal, and will differ. 

What would your reasons be, to enhance your next moment?

This is a baby-step strategy. You’re living in the moment with it. You’re not looking far ahead, only actually till your next defined moment. 

Big targets are approachable one baby step at a time. 

One enhances moment upon moment, and suddenly, one hits a big target. 

Not too bad. Was well worth it. 

Try it out. 🙂

Patience and Nerves Anyone?

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As someone I look up to put it recently – “It’s a game of patience and nerves!”

What is?

The stock-market. 

For whom?

The long-term investor. 

Do you have any?

What?

Patience, or nerves, or both?

You do?

Well, then you’ll do well in the markets, over the long-term. 

We look for complication. Meanwhile, we forget the basics. 

These are basics. 

If you’re not patient, you’ll for example jump into a stock at the wrong time, or you’ll jump out of it too early, or what have you. 

If you don’t have patience, well, develop it. 

If you can’t, do something else instead. Trade. Don’t long-term-invest then. 

If you cannot develop patience, you are not cut out to be a long-term holder. 

One method to cause the tree of patience to grow in you is to create the correct environment. 

Just don’t do anything that will make you jump. 

Invest your sur-sur-plus, money that is then pickled away, money that you won’t miss, yearn for or require over the very long-term. 

Go in with margin of safety. 

Stay in a stock you’ve singled out and entered until there’s a glaring reason to exit. Try to exit upon a high. This is the market. Highs are its nature. So are lows. That means that highs come. Wait for them to come, to exit from anything you need to exit from. 

Nervers, well, they come into play if you’ve not invested with margin of safety. 

I do remember two instances though, where everyone’s nerves were tested. October 2008, and March 2009. At these times, stocks sold for a song. Good ones and bad ones alike. Fear did the rounds, extreme fear. That’s what fear does. It creates once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. Take them. Maintain a clear head. Your nerves of steel will do that for you. Create an environment for your nerves to become strong. Or, perhaps expressed another way, create an environment where any weakness in your nerves is not required to show itself, and gets subdued into extinction. 

How?

Again, just go in with your sur-sur-plus. You’re not going to miss this money even if the sky is falling upon your head. And you’ve gone in with margin of safety. Your nerves will stay intact. 

Ensure your basics. Allow them to shine. 

The rest will take care of itself. 

Good investing. 🙂

Do You Know What the Most Underrated Activity is?

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C’mon, try guessing at least… 🙂

Yeah…

… doing nothing is the answer, in my opinion. 

We want to move. Be active. Do this. Do that. We’re a “doodat” society. 

For us, activity has become synonymous with achievement. 

How wrong is that?

Completely. 

One can be active…

…and be achieving zilch. Nix. Nadda.

The moment we realize this, the value of doing nothing dawns upon us. 

What are we achieving by doing nothing?

A lot. 

Believe me. 

A lot a lot a lot. 

For starters, we are not taxing our eyes with media. That’s one of the greatest side-effects of doing nothing. Our eyes take a hit in today’s media-packed world. Doing nothing gives them a very valuable break. 

Furthermore, while doing nothing, we are perhaps watching our thoughts and not reacting to them. Or, we are listening to our breathing pattern. These two activities fall under the category of “meditation while doing nothing”. 

So now, doing nothing is a form of meditation…wow! Already we are moving in higher circles. 

While doing nothing, we are refraining from most or all activities, and these include all negative activities, so we’ve got our Karma-usage pretty much on hold. That’s already very big. 

Meanwhile, our thoughts drain. We are getting empty. Positive energy flows in to fill the vacuum. We are getting healthy by doing nothing, and are filling ourselves up with goodness by default. 

Our focus turns to our breath. Wow, we breathe. We are a wonder. There’s metabolism happening. We realise that our existence is already something big. All this while doing nothing. 

We rest. Our senses get a break. Our heart needs to beat less. Poor heart, it never gets a full break, until the very end. In the interim, it has to make do with beating less per unit time. It is grateful for such small mercies. 

Resting makes us gear up for forthcoming activity. Our bodies and minds refresh themselves for new endeavours…by doing nothing. 

Try it out. 

Do nothing. 

Perhaps it was lacking in your repertoire. 

It won’t be lacking now. 

Use it like a secret weapon!

‘Sup Mr. Laptop

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Yeah, where are you, Mr. Laptop?

Is this goodbye?

Singing your swan-song?

What’s happening?

You were heavy. 

Competition got lighter. 

You reduced. 

Did you reduce enough? Dunno. 

Along came apps. 

Most didn’t have a version for you. 

They did for your competition. 

People loved apps. 

One button-touch, and one was in the midst of everything. No hassles. You lacked that extra comfort. 

Along came the Cloud. 

Took away your storage-advantage. 

Along came tablets, smartphones, connectivity, and internet speed. 

Have these taken whatever remained?

Are you going to survive?

Where do you fit in?

The mouse, you say?

Technical work?

Complexities?

Proprietary software?

You’ve got a long list which you’ve prepared, I can see that. 

Okay. 

Stop. 

Put that list in your pocket. 

Close your eyes. 

Smell the coffee. 

What kind of a world do we live in?

Who succeeds?

What lives on?

Inclusion?

Or exclusion?

Inclusion. Decisively. Inclusive ventures scale mountains. Ventures that exclude, well, masses don’t care for them eventually. 

So, firsly, swallow all that proprietary talk. It’s not going to work. 

Then up, are you increasing convenience? Or, is your competition increasing it more? Vital question. It’s answer will decide who shall survive and become undisputed king.

Now comes the last question. 

It’s also a little heavy.

You might not like it. 

Nevertheless, here goes. 

Is there use for you anymore?

There. I said it. 

Hmmmm. 

In some areas, I guess, but we’ll again be going down the proprietary lane, which actually doesn’t cut it anymore. Not going down that lane. I think that might also answer your question. 

What remains?

Reinvention. 

Merge with your competition. 

Become a staunch part of the tablet, to save yourself from extinction. 

I think you’ve already started gong down that road. Yeah, only way out. And it’s a good one. It is highly successful. The lightness, portability and convenience of a tablet, coupled with storage and keyboard-ability with only 10-15% size and weight increase. Sounds amazing. 

Go for it!

Things To Hold On To

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There are some up days…

…and there are some down days. 

Could be because of anything. 

On down days you need to hold on to something(s). 

These provide anchor. 

You wedge yourself into something, and are not swept away. 

There’s right diet. Leads to good health. You make sure your diet doesn’t stray on a down day. It is likely to if you don’t watch out for its deviation attempt. 

Exercise. Get moving. Alone the hormones secreted during exercise should make you feel better. 

If your down day is not because of professional issues, get professional (baby)! Meaning, use your profession as an anchor. Dive into it. Deeply. Forget about time. 

Look after the well-being of someone you care about. 

Pursue something extra-curricular. Again, dive into it. 

Travel, if you can. 

You can fill in the blanks. 

I’ve set up a very basic list. 

We’re very basic here. 

We don’t believe in sophistication. 

We break life down to basics. 

We keep things simple. 

So, what does the anchor do?

Yes, it stops you from being swept away. Your anchor gives you stability and solidity. 

Then, your anchor consumes you. You lose track of time. 

What was time, – oh ya – a healer. As time passes, you forget the issue, or the issue dissolves, or dilutes. 

You wake up on another day, refreshed, and join the battle where you left off. Issue seems smaller. Your forces are replenished. You fight. You win. 

Never forget your anchors. Have them ready. Anytime. Any place. 

Walking on the Moon?

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giant steps are what you take
walking on the moon
i hope my legs don’t break
walking on the moon

Don’t know how old this song is.

There was the version from Sting, or perhaps The Police.

Heard another jazz version of the song on internet radio the other day.

Got me thinking.

We all do. Walk on the Moon, that is.

The Moon stands for something undiscovered.

Each human is unique.

Our next moments are undiscovered, yet.

We live them in our own way.

Yeah, we walk on the Moon, each day, every new moment.

Even in uncharted territory, one wants a smooth walk, doesn’t one?

There are three steps that ensure this.

1). Proper due diligence.

2). Smelling liability from a distance.

3). Walking the other way, away from liability.

Even a donkey understands what’s written above.

Enjoy your walk, on your Moon, on your own personal journey.

The lyricist has penned it aptly. He or she knows about giant steps, so due diligence has been done. He or she hopes that his or her “legs don’t break”,  so he or she is alert that liability could be lurking.

Yeah, above three steps, people.

Let It Come To You

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Don’t run after the investment.

Let it come to you.

Let it breathe down your neck.

You’re not hungry for it…

…but, if it’s that good…

… you might take it.

Let it reveal its hidden goodness.

Let it ignite your curiosity to look for even more than basic goodness in the investment.

Play a passive-then-active role.

Some call this the sweet spot.

I call it the sweetest spot…

… which you really want to be in, in the world of investing.

Yeah, don’t be in a hurry.

Hurry spoils the curry.

Take your time, to the extent that…

… take time out of the equation.

Give your money the best possible chance…

… to make loads more.

Did You Hear About the Last Mile?

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Yawn.

So you did, huh?

In investing?

No?

Yeah, I just thought about it.

Sharing it with you.

Churning, churning, churning…

… inside.

As you do your due diligence, information churns inside of you.

What is it that says yes, I’m investing?

Where does that go-ahead moment happen?

In the last mile.

Inside of you.

This is not to take away anything from your due diligence.

DD is central.

Very important.

However, last mile is important too.

One needs to respect it.

First, one needs to know about it.

Knowing about it will stop you from pushing an investment.

Don’t push… …in the markets.

Just be.

Take the shape of the container. Your container is your system.

Wait for your last mile to respond. Learn to understand its style of expression.

It’s a feeling…

… of well-being, …

… or something suffocating, nausea-like.

Embrace the former. Dump what’s causing the latter.

It’s as simple as that.

The most meaningful things in life are…

… exactly…

… SIMPLE.

Manipulation / Fraud / Ponzi – I Reject You

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I detest manipulation, and manipulators. 

I like people who are straight-forward, without hidden agendas. Simplicity is gold. Simplicity breeds success. Simplicity gives satisfaction from within. 

All the twisting and turning, wheeling and dealing, wangling and dangling of manipulation makes me want to puke. 

Therefore, manipulators, frauds, Ponzis, I reject you. Manipulation doesn’t make the manipulator happy. Try it and see. I’m 100% sure your story won’t have a happy end.

Rejection is a simple process. When you reject something, you stay away from it. You get out of its way when it is in the vicinity. You head off elsewhere when that something is headed in your direction. Everyone’s probably been rejected sometime or someplace, so everyone probably understands rejection. 

Well, rejection is one thing, but how does one recognise a manipulator, fraud, or Ponzi?

Recognition is key. 

This breed of people talk sweet. They appear harmless. They don’t lose arguments. Quick, witty, sharp. Fast thinkers. They keep you hanging. Give ambiguous answers. Mostly, they like to not answer at all, so as to keep you dancing around them, making you more vulnerable to their schemes or ulterior motives. If you’re interested in their something, they use silence as a weapon. You’re hot, you’re interested, they’re silent, makes you hotter, makes you more interested. The idea is that ultimately, when the manipulator breaks the silence, you lap up whatever you’re getting. Also, they keep you hungry for more. Manipulators are vicious, vile people. 

Where manipulators push you to act, slowly, but steadily, by twisting and turning your world in the manner they consider appropriate (since you’ve given them that power), frauds outright present a reality which sucks you in to sign the dotted line. Frauds sell a dream. It’s a great dream. You want to be a part of it. It overwhelms you. It’s almost too good to be true.

Ponzis are frauds. They sell the dream of unrealistically large returns. They count on greed to cloud your vision. They lure new sets of investors by distributing investorial proceeds from one set of investors as dividends to slightly older investors, and so on and so forth, till the bandwagon is overloaded with thousands of investors paying full-throttle only to see the Ponzi vanish next day, with everything, never to be heard of again. 

When someone doesn’t give you a straight-forward answer, walk the other way. Don’t bother with benefit of doubt, just walk the other way. With very high probability, you’ll have avoided a manipulator. When someone uses silence as a weapon, walk away ten miles. Warn everyone of a mega-manipulator in the neighbourhood. Analyze sweet- and smooth-talk ten times. Is there any truth in what’s being said, or are the words an eye-wash, hiding a fraud behind themselves? If you’re not greedy, you won’t fall for a Ponzi. Don’t be greedy. Period. 

You’ve hit full cycle. 

You’ve understood the existence of the breed we speak about. It has dawned upon you. Let’s call this “internal realization”.

Then comes “external recognition”, of the breed being in your vicinity, and trying to exercise its powers upon you. 

Lastly, comes “complete rejection”. 

Well done. 

You’ve saved yourself from lots of emotional and or monetary trouble. 

Spread the word. 

How Will I Know?

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What?

How will I know what?

Well, what do you think?

How will I know if I’m on the right track…? !!

I’m sure you have asked this question…many times. 

If not, you need to.

Why?

You’ve realised that you’re your most reliable source.

You know you.

Therefore, you need to ask this question… to yourself.

This is the marketplace, not some low-stakes video-game parlour.

Lives and futures hang on your decisions.

Make these the right decisions.

How will you know you are on the right track?

It’s quite simple, really. 

Once you’ve heard the answer, you’ll probably go in denial. 

You’ll probably say, naehhhh, this can’t be it.

Believe me please, it is. What’s totally simple need not be worthless. In fact, the best ideas in the world are…simple. 

You’ll know. 

You’ll feel right. 

There’ll be a sense of satisfaction. You’ll feel comfortable. 

Your mind will be sorted. It will make the body feel at ease with an endorphin burst. 

That’s how you’ll know. 

It’s that simple. 

Take the wrong decision, and the opposite things will be happening. Try it out. Trust your reflexes. 

Learn to rely on yourself. 

This is the marketplace we’re talking about…

…where…

…you’re on your own.