Veteran experts in the trading field often coincidentally embark on the path of 'mind cultivation' at a certain stage.
Behind this lies a simple truth: to master more wealth, one must first cultivate a powerful inner self that matches it, just as the ancients said, 'Virtue is the foundation for bearing things.'
There are countless pathways to mind cultivation; everything in the world can serve as a vehicle for cultivating one's character, especially the profound power of cultural arts.
For instance, the Confucian, Buddhist, and Taoist classic thoughts that have influenced China for thousands of years, such as Confucianism (The Analects), Buddhism (Diamond Sutra), and Taoism (Tao Te Ching), are hailed as three great books, containing wisdom that transcends time and space.
I personally have a fondness for Taoist thought; today I want to share with you an ancient saying from the Tao Te Ching — 'The great way is very simple, yet the people prefer shortcuts.'
This statement bluntly reveals the weaknesses of human nature: even when a wide and smooth road is right before them, people often overlook it and focus on finding shortcuts.
Take weight loss, for example; everyone knows that 'controlling the mouth and moving the legs' is the fundamental principle of healthy weight loss, yet very few are truly willing to persist in exercising day after day.
Most people fantasize about finding some magical remedy that allows them to lose weight effortlessly without sweating or suffering.
It is this kind of opportunistic mentality that leads to the endless emergence of various weight loss products; ironically, many weight loss drugs state in their usage instructions 'to be used in conjunction with a diet.'
This kind of weight loss achieved by starving oneself is not the effect of drugs but can actually harm one's health.
People resist exercising to lose weight because, ultimately, daily exercise is too painful, and human nature tends to avoid pain and seek benefits.
In fact, many things that are correct in the long term require arduous efforts in the short term, and learning is no exception.
The hardships of studying hard far exceed those of physical exercise, which is why many people find it difficult to persist in completing their studies.
Warren Buffett, the stock god, proposed a famous theory of 'delayed gratification,' which, in Chinese terms, means 'suffer first, then enjoy.'
If you want to have a fit body, you must grit your teeth and endure the soreness of exercise; if you want to get into your ideal school, you must endure the loneliness of studying textbook after textbook.
Only by being willing to endure hardships that others cannot bear can one achieve successes that others cannot obtain.
Trading also follows this rule: to achieve stable profits in the market, one must undergo a large amount of tedious learning and practice.
The essence of trading is not complicated, but the process of learning and practicing is full of pain, which is also the reason why the vast majority of people give up halfway.
Some people lack the patience to even finish reading a complete trading book; how can they expect to make money in the fast-changing market?
Reflecting on my own journey of learning to trade, I have read at least hundreds of classic works, meticulously studied the essence of posts from trading forums and the Yi family, and repeatedly pondered the interviews of various trading experts.
All the successful traders I know have gone through learning and practice, enduring the painful lessons of multiple account blow-ups before finally standing firm.
There are no shortcuts in the trading world, just like farmers must experience spring planting and autumn harvesting, and craftsmen need to repeatedly polish their tools.
Theoretically, any verified trading method can achieve profits as long as it is consistently executed.
In reality, some people don't understand much of the basic knowledge about trading; they focus solely on a simple pattern and manage to make money continuously. Others seem to understand everything, are knowledgeable about various insider news, and can articulate their thoughts well, yet they are unable to achieve stable profits.
This precisely confirms the principle of 'the great way is very simple, yet the people prefer shortcuts.'
We must always remember our original intention for entering the market — we are here to make money, not for entertainment or academic research.
Rather than wasting time on irrelevant gossip news, it is better to focus on honing trading skills and invest all energy into achieving the core goal of making profits.
Only by abandoning the mindset of trying to take shortcuts and diligently cultivating one's inner strength can one go far in the practice of trading.