Dear Alla,

I have been awake all night with red and green bars flashing through my head.
During that time, I have had an epiphany about trading.

There is no “Secret” to “Successful Trading”.
There is no Secret that a Teacher can just “Tell” you or just “Show” you.
That Teacher can Expose you to a Method.
That Teacher can Guide through a Method.
That Teacher can Correct your mistakes about the Method.
That Teacher can encourage you to practice the Method.
That Teacher can offer you life experiences about their Path along the way to Learning the
Method.But it is Ultimately up to the Student to Learn.

  1. The Phases I have just been through.
  2. Be exposed to the Method(s)
  3. Assume that Exposure is a Simple Secret to Success.
  4. Disregard all words of Wisdom about Practice, Patience, and Discipline (First)
  5. Charge right into Battle (with the Market) Unprepared
  6. Fail while you think you knew the Secret (but you didn’t, Yet)
  7. Be Lucky enough to not quit, but to Regroup and Reassess
  8. Start over and Begin the Learning
  9. Let go of that Reckless Endangerment urge to Just Charge In!

And Realize that Discipline, Practice, and Patience are the Beginning of a Lifetime of
Learning…

That IS the EPIPHANY and the Secret to Success!
I have lost count how many times I have heard you say “Back test the method 500 times”.
Those words were meaningless to me and a little bit annoying too.

I just wanted the Secret and I wanted GOOOOO!!!!
Now I have started thinking “I want to back test it a 1000 times” just to Marvel at It’s Success.
Seeing Success during back testing is Almost more rewarding than the thought of Winning on
Sim Trading or real Money.
I laid awake All Night thinking about Red and Green Bars; Dying to get up and Back test;
Knowing I needed to close my eyes and Sleep.
I did neither . . .

I finally got up at 5est and had to arrange my thought and put them down in writing.
I don’t think ANY body else would understand my words.
You might, you might not, but I had to share them, just to release them from my head.
The Biggest Fear I have, right now, is losing my momentum and motivation.

Thank you for being my Teacher.

Your Student,
Mark