The day previously, I could have chosen not to go through with some opportunities that presented themselves for this day. I would not have met my old boss for lunch. I would not have met one of his associates at another firm. I would not have had dinner. I would not have been asked to go for some work experience at this particular firm.

I am reminded here of a quote from Phillip Pullmans’ His Dark Materials trilogy:

“When you choose one way out of many, all the ways you don’t take are snuffed out like candles, as if they’d never existed.” - Narrator, The Amber Spyglass

When we make a choice to not do something, the resulting opportunities and scenarios, however good or bad they are, cease to exist in that moment in time. While they may present themselves again, we will never know them having taken on that original choice.

I guess I am really asking you to consider: What opportunities do I have? What opportunities have I deliberately chosen to miss? 

Try it sometime.

“Whoever controls the volume of money in our country is absolute master of all industry and commerce…and when you realize that the entire system is very easily controlled, one way or another, by few powerful men at the top, you will not have to be told how periods of inflation and depression originate.” – President James Garfield, 2 weeks before his assassination.

And I am a firm believer in this. You have to hit rock bottom in order to get to the top. It’s when you have truly, truly lost everything, that you appreciate what it will take to get to the top. And you will be the better person for it.

I think this is wrong.

Going anywhere out of your comfort zone requires you to take that leap; to have faith in yourself, no matter the size of the gap you are crossing. If we want to go “above and beyond” we are going to have to change this our perception of risk. Yes, risk should be minimised to a certain degree, but we should not seek to remove it entirely. Risk is the cost (financial, human, ethical or otherwise) of a choice that may either payoff or flop; but we will never be able to go beyond what is expected of us if we do not undertake it.

I urge you, reader, to ask yourself the next time you are tempted to play it safe or do the normal:

“Would things really be that bad if I exceeded what is expected of me?”

“The important thing about that freedom train, is it’s got to climb mountains. We all have to climb mountains, you know. Mountains that go way up high, mountains that go deep and low.” -Reverend Williams, The Pursuit of Happyness

You have this in you. The ability to not give up, and to keep climbing those mountains.

A very good friend of mine did not act upon this today, so if he reads this, I apologise for using him as an example.

He saw a stock at 10%. Had a feeling it would rise. Didn’t buy in.

That is a gain (at close) of 172%. An £800 buy in would have netted him a £556 profit.

Viking leaders used to burn their boats when they got on the shore of some distant land, ready to conquer. The purpose of this, was that they had to win, and there was no going back.

http://www.thereformedbroker.com/2012/02/05/get-your-shit-together/

Some of my favourite quotes:

“We’ve all been through the ringer.  Some of us have gained a little extra weight and sprouted some premature white hairs.  Some of us have had to give up things and activities we loved.  Some of us have downsized our lifestyles substantially.  This economy has cost us all something – vacations, cars, jobs and even marriages.”

“But you might want to consider rubbing your eyes and coming outside.  You might want to consider emerging and shaking off the bunker dust.  Because there will be a future after all, gang.  And the people who can switch their mindsets the fastest are gonna own that future.  Same as it ever was.”

“And they have no context.  They don’t understand that throughout history shit has always been fucked up and yet people find a way to get things done and move forward”

“You’ll be flatfooted for the pivot, too close-minded for the turn, too fat for the sprint that begins when those Animal Spirits take hold.

So get your shit together.  Now.”

Broker bliss.

A massive congratulations to the NY Giants.

1) Jamie, looks like you’re staying in NYC.
2) Robert Kraft appears to have half a diamond mine in his cufflinks.
3) Robert Kraft appears to have Flava Flavs’ clock on his wrist.
4) I hope Brady gets MVP some other time.

But most of all

5) Go with your gut.