Image via Wikipedia
In Which Rogue Traderette Puts Her Hands On her Ears, and Sings.
As I’ve been catching up on some financial blog reading this morning, I’m struck by all the doom and gloom and whingy-pants’s out there.
Life’s not fair, and people are complaining. They’re blaming High Frequency Trading for ruining the markets. They’re blaming the government for destroying the country. They’re blaming the financial institutions for paying out massive bonuses when just a couple of years ago the people of the United States’s piggy banks were being raided to keep those institutions afloat.
There really is a whole lot of stuff to whinge about. There is! The world sucks right about now.
The only problem with complaining is that, in the immortal words of T. Harv. Eker, “Every time you complain, you become a living, breathing crap-magnet”.
I love Mr. Eker. What a way with words.
So, rather than complaining and whingeing about all the injustices in the world, it’s time to shut it for a bit. Really. Just be quiet.
There.
That’s better, isn’t it?
The problem with whingeing and complaining is that you’re so focused on your problems, you can’t focus on the solutions.
So while you’re being quiet, I have some solutions to the common whinges I’ve been hearing recently.
Complaint – “HFT is ruining the Markets, I’ll never make a profit again!”
Fine – quit. Stop throwing your money down the tube and quit. Or, if that suggestion offends you, step out of the market and spend some time developing a new strategy. The markets will always have new things to throw you off your game, so get used to it. Innovate around your problems.
Complaint – “My retirement money is being whittled away to nothing by these crazy markets! They will be nothing left if it keeps going this way!”
Okay here’s what to do. Actually ring the people who manage your retirement money, and find out if you have the option to change your plan. Just because someone else manages those funds doesn’t mean you have to be entirely hands off. If you have the option, move your funds out of the markets and into cash. If you don’t have the option, move your money to a new fund where you do.
Complaint – “But if I do that, the government will depreciate all my savings to nothing with their policy of Quantitive Easing.”
Fine then. Do some research and figure out how to short the US Dollar so you’re hedged.
Complaint – “The government is corrupt and the Financial institutions make me want to bomb down Wall St for what they’ve done.”
Okay, let’s not get hasty. I admit haven’t thought of an answer to this one yet this morning – but let’s face it, it’s early. But think – is complaining about it making it better?
Complaining achieves nothing. And not only does it not help, it makes you feel worse because you’re passively absorbing all that crap. So stand up, shake it off and figure out a solution.
Please, in the interests of everyone – I’ve got my hands on my ears. Don’t make me start singing.
