The Kirk Report

---

Don’t Be Like Me Posted: 21 Feb 2011 07:15 AM PST Everyone in this business will tell you how to be and what to do, but the bottom line is that you’ve got to always be yourself – flaws, emotions, stupidity, and all. There’s a saying that the stock market is an expensive place to figure how who you really are but I completely disagree. Through the many years I’ve been trading, I have learned much more about myself and the way I am both good and bad than I think I would have any other way. And, for that I’m so very grateful. It is with little doubt that my experience in the markets have in turn made me into a much better human being. For example, one who thinks before acting, one that appreciates the importance of looking at situations from different points of view, one that understands that success is never final, one that knows that you can do everything right but still be wrong, one that understands the influence that emotion has on decision-making, one that remembers that no matter what mistakes you and I make today – tomorrow we will have another opportunity to do better. I’ve learned a great deal more, but I think you get the point. Speaking of which, a number of people have asked me recently that if train people to “be more like me” in my mentorship group. The truth is that I try my darndest to never do that. My goal with those who I personally mentor is to help them become who they really are and, by extension, to take full advantage of their own personality and skills whatever they may be and at whatever level they currently are. The primary problem, however, is that many of us really believe the key to success is to be more like others whether it be Warren Buffett, David Einhorn, George Soros, Doug Kass, Jim Chanos, Whitney Tilson, Jim Cramer, or whoever you admire and respect. As you know, one of the fastest growing businesses on the Internet right now is to enable you in new and exciting ways to trade and invest just like others. However, in my view, that will only take you so far in your personal journey. In the markets, sooner or later, you must find your own way! Each of us have our own skills, strengths, weaknesses and personalities and matching those with a strategy you can use and develop over time is the closest key to your future success that I can help you with. Bottom line – don’t be like me or anyone else for that matter, but instead just be yourself. Use this time in your life to find ways to take full advantage of your own God-given talents and skills as you develop them. While it is ok and, in fact recommended, that you try to learn as much as you can from others (I know I have), at the same time you must also understand and come to really appreciate that the true key to success is to find your own path just like every trader and investor who you so admire right now has already done. * This report was originally published by The Kirk Report on October 21, 2010 at the members’ only site.

You are subscribed to email updates from The Kirk Report To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610