Looking back at the journey I made from Vietnam
to Hong Kong, I realize I had made the biggest
gamble of my life. Many boat people lost their lives at sea. Fortunately,
I won the bet despite an incredible odd against me. I literally bet my
life for my freedom to think and to act. Why not move one step further to
achieve the financial freedom to make this land truly the land of the
free?
When I was looking for a business model that fits me, I was amazed
by the flexibility of my brother-in-law in terms of working hours and
entertainments. He may not make the kind of money that Mr. Bill Gates or
Mr. Warren Buffett are making, but he surely can do whatever he wants at
whenever he wants and still maintains a good lifestyle financially. He
neither tells me to get in trading business nor gives me tips about
picking stock. By doing so, he is truly a professional. Whatever works
for him may not work for me since each trader is unique due to trading
knowledge, experience, capital invested and risk tolerance. I made up my
mind to get in trading business by myself. How I train to be a trader is
totally up to me. The only advice I got from him was “be cautious and
decisive”. If we are cautious but not decisive, we are going nowhere in
term of making trade. Conversely, if we are decisive but not cautious, we
are going nowhere in term of making money. I make my trades with that
golden advice in mind.
I occasionally had a dream of going back to work as an appraiser in
my old bank with new ownership. Even in my dream, I still felt the
intensity of job pressure and the complication of internal politics. I
was literally sweating after waking up from the dream, or more
appropriately, a nightmare. When the trading gets tough, I was thinking
of quitting but the thought of going back to work as an appraiser in such
an unfriendly environment is even scarier.
Trading subject sometimes surfaced in casual chat between me and my
friends . However, after a brief discussion,
they all backed out. Their fear of losing money in trading is far greater
than their desire to be financially free. They feel more comfortable with
their steady and stable pay checks. However, in today economic
environment, is there such thing as a “stable” job? You make the
call!
I admit I still have a long way to go before I achieve my financial
freedom but I believe with each day passing by, my ultimate goal is
getting nearer and nearer. The burning desire of being financially free
brings me to this trading business; the fear of going back to my old job
keeps me in it.
Dennis
Phan 潘家墉
1971/1974
Khai Minh Doan Ket Class
12 May 2014
in Claremont, California, USA
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