Some reflections on losing 7 figures (on paper) in a stock in 6 months.
First off, I haven't sold and still hold. So no losses have been realized. My average price is around 14 cents.
1. People constantly remind you that companies that aren't making money are highly speculative. This advice seems like complete "hating" when a stock is flying. Contrarian opinions are a complete buzzkill. When these same stocks come crashing down, you start to absorb this lesson.
2. You can do all your research. Feel that a company is in an amazing position. And still lose. As Jean Luc Picard said in Star Trek, "It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not a weakness; that is life.”
3. It is ALWAYS important to consider the advice from Warren Buffett that, "If you are right about the "why" of a stock, the "when" doesn't matter. In other words, you could never in a million years guess every possible thing that can influence a stoick, but if you are truly confident in your research, then realize the "when" might sometimes take a lot longer than you originally thought.
4. It f*ing HURTS to watch this kind of money disappear from your portfolio. Sometimes every fiber of your being is screaming to sell and salvage what little you can. That's emotional reasoning and has killed many a man's portfolio.
5. It's not good to check a portfolio every 5 minutes. As Warren also says, " "If you aren't willing to own a stock for 10 years, don't even think about owning it for 10 minutes."
6, From "The Wolf of Wall Street, “Number one rule of Wall Street: Nobody - I don't care if you're Warren Buffett or Jimmy Buffett - Nobody knows if the stock's going to go up, down, sideways, or in f*ing circles, least of all stockbrokers. AS the Dawgfather has astutely pointed out, EVERYONE has been wrong about this stock. All the experts. Everyone.
7. Going through this with a stock is like the stage of grief, which are
Denial
Anger.
Bargaining.
Depression.
Acceptance.
I've currently reached acceptance. I don't need the money right this second, so will continue to hold while (drastically) adjusting my timeline for retirement. I was there at .42. But you know what I learned? Not working is not all it's cracked up to be. People need to have a sense of purpose. I still travel the world all the time and life will go on.
8. Final takeaways from, "Ten Rules for Living"
1. YOU WILL LEARN LESSONS
You are enrolled in a full-time informal school called life. Each day in thisschool you will have the opportunity to learn lessons. You may not like thelessons, or think them irrelevant and stupid.
2. THERE ARE NO MISTAKES, ONLY LESSONS
Growth is a process of trial and error: Experimentation. The "failed"experiments are as much a part of the process as the experiment that ultimatelyworks.
3. A LESSON IS REPEATED UNTIL LEARNED
A lesson will be presented to you in various forms until you have leaned it.When you have learned it, you can go on to the next lesson.
4. LEARNING LESSONS DOES NOT END
There is no part of life that does not contain it's lessons. If you are alive,there are lessons to be learned.
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