At 3 AM on $BTC , my eyes staring at the K-line felt sore again.

Just as I wanted to close the software, suddenly a big bearish candle slammed down, instantly taking back half of what I had painstakingly earned last week. In the group, some started cursing the market manipulators, some shared their trades saying 'I held on', and others sent 'Don't panic, long-termism' memes, but who doesn't know that those saying this might be more panicked than anyone else.

A few days ago, I saw someone sharing a screenshot of their contract doubling, I got itchy and opened a 10x leverage position, thinking I would make a quick profit and run. As a result, the market had a small correction, and the margin warning went off; at the moment I closed the position, my heart felt like it was being squeezed — that was my rent for the month.

I come across news saying 'Some coin skyrocketed by 10 times', and I can't help but think: What if I had held on… If you really held on until now, could you dare to average down when it dropped by 30%? Could you sleep when it dropped by 50%?

Some say the crypto world tests your skills, but I think it really tests your mindset. When it rises, you're afraid of missing out; when it falls, you're afraid of being trapped; when it consolidates, you're anxious like an ant on a hot pan. Clearly knowing 'when others are fearful, I am greedy', but when fear actually hits, my legs go softer than anyone else's.

Today I realized something: every penny earned from this thing has to be exchanged for mindset. Can you accept losing all your capital? Can you accept others making a fortune while you miss out? Can you quietly do what you need to do when everyone is cursing?

If not, it's better to stop early than to do anything else.

After all, money can be earned again, but when the mindset collapses, life becomes unbearable.