Today's post began as a short email from Henry to me yesterday. I quickly expanded on Henry's idea, he expanded on mine, and pretty soon we had developed some interesting insights on markets and life.
Below is the sequence; a subsequent post will provide reflection:
HENRY:
Stress is the inability to find or execute an edge in life.
BRETT:
Stress results from challenges in finding/executing an edge in life.
Distress results from the inability to find or execute an edge in life.
Well-being results from fresh opportunities to find/execute an edge in life.
Edges in life are ever-changing.
This guarantees stress.
The inability to change/evolve guarantees distress.
Flexibility/adaptability guarantees well-being.
HENRY:
Success results from finding an edge
Ever-changing edges guarantee unlimited opportunities for success
With implications for
Goal setting
Focus
What’s my edge?
Why do/don’t I have an edge
[How do I find an edge]
And from far out in left field
In relationships, work or personal, the disproportionate sharing or appreciation of edges results in stress
Having an edge means
Reducing life, or aspects of life, to non-random processes
BRETT:
The most well-worn paths in life possess the least edge;
Ergo, traveling well-worn paths ensures stress and distress;
And paths that lack stress probably lack edge.
HENRY:
Implementing/Preserving/
Automate or delegate an edge implementation so you can work on new edges
Combine w/ other edges to build new derivative or evolutionary edges
Automate edge creation and build an edge factory
Estimate when and how fast an edge will degrade
***
So here's one takeaway question from yesterday's email exchange:
How would you be leading your life differently if you were looking to maximize your edge as a person? As a trader?
Further Reading: What Trading Teaches Us About Life
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