Flowing with Destiny

"For the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: 'If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?' And whenever the answer has been 'No' for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something." - Steve Jobs

This quote from Steve Jobs has always been the most profound for me. It provides a clear metric to measure your life and each activity within. If the answer is no for a single day, it could simply have been a tough day. However, if the answer is no for a series of days, it’s a clear indication of misalignment with your destiny.

Plenty of people live a life of quiet desperation, not realizing that the unease they feel is a sign from the universe that they’re not living in alignment with their spiritual goal. You can see the contrast when a person leaves their past life and takes a leap of faith to pursue their dreams. There will still be tough days and bumps along the road, but the natural ease of that journey is quite different from the frustration of a life chosen out of fear.

Think of your destiny as a stream and your feelings as a compass to navigate this stream. When you flow with your destiny, there is a feeling of ease. You take the tough periods as a challenge and overcome them, compared to the fear and frustration such challenges induce when you’re working on things misaligned with your destiny. That frustration is your signal that you’re flowing counterstream. If you’re lost, however, you feel neither ease nor frustration. You’ve simply lost touch with the current of the stream.

The idea applies just as well to trading. There can be a perfect trading strategy that is profitable. However, you’re never at ease using it. That’s your sign from the universe that the strategy is misaligned with your personality and that your destiny is to find a different way to navigate the markets. At the same time, if you’re uncomfortable with a certain timeframe of trading, regardless of strategy, then your destiny doesn’t involve that timeframe and that style of trading at all. Find one that works for you. And be honest about it. If no style of trading allows you that sense of peace and purpose, then find a vocation that does. Be honest with yourself, and sooner or later you shall find yourself aligned with your soul's purpose, resulting in a meaningful and happy life.