My greatest takeaway from the event, however, was the tremendous enthusiasm and interest in learning among the participants. There was an electricity in the group, as traders were eager to network, learn from each other, and absorb lessons from the presentations. The experience reminded me that every developing trader is an entrepreneur building a startup business. It was great to see the drive and sense of quest among these aspiring professionals.
As we become experienced and successful, the challenge is to maintain our spirit of quest. The longer we do something, the more we have to work to sustain the fire of the startup mode: learning and doing new things. That is not only true in our trading, but in our personal lives. Life is meant to be an adventure. What I loved at the SMB event was that the traders I knew as beginners had developed a fresh fire in the belly, drawing on their passion for growing talent within the community.
A few years ago, Margie and I took our first trip to Israel and loved seeing historical and cultural sites. On our last day, we visited the Holocaust Remembrance Center, Yad Vashem, and there I experienced something that powerfully remains with me to this day. Seeing the display of all those killed in concentration camps around the world, I (quite uncharacteristically) broke down in tears and felt the very strong sense: "These are my people". My equally strong sense was that this is what we mean by God speaking to us: an intense clarity coming from the soul.
Since then, understanding that clarity and its significance has become my quest. I've read easily 150-200 books on religion and spirituality; wrote the blog-based book about the spirituality of trading, Radical Renewal; and recently finished a 450-page manuscript about spiritual development from a Jewish perspective that includes a website and blog. The next project will be an equally detailed review of Christianity and Islam and the lessons they teach us about spiritual development. Eventually those lessons will find their way into my work with traders, building on the insight that true clarity and conviction comes from quieting the ego and listening to the soul.
The larger point is that I'm just like those developing traders at SMB. I've found a mountain to climb and a worthy quest. And I've learned that what brings us passion is what truly--and sometimes quite literally--speaks to us.
Thanks to those at SMB who affirmed what is important in life.
Further Reading:
Radical Renewal: Tools for Leading a Meaningful Life
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