Trade Like A Lannister

To me it seems there are three types of people out there in the world. Lucky bastards, regular people, and enlightened souls.

The lucky ones are the few who grow up physically and mentally intact, plus they enjoy a relatively decent upbringing. Given a bit of luck they usually are able to achieve a state of happiness and a moderate amount of success in their life. I call those the lucky bastards.

The unlucky ones are the people who find themselves lacking in either the physical or mental department to some degree (i.e. emotional or intellectual) – obviously perception is always relative. Optionally they may be fine on that end but somehow find themselves being abused or diminished in some way. Perhaps they are part of a minority and for that reason wind up being treated without consideration or respect. Perhaps they are simply poor and have to face discrimination by others who believe themselves to be superior or simply enjoy being cruel (many times the perpetrators are lucky bastards). The possibilities for experiencing misfortune are obviously boundless and during your life you will encounter many of them around you. I call those the regular people.

The last group starts out as members of the regular people. However at some point in their existence they find a way to overcome their limitations, whether or not they were perceived or real. A great example would be Tyrion Lannister – the fact that he overcomes being born a dwarf leads us to respect and perhaps even love him. He has somehow managed to overcome his disability and instead wears it like a badge. I call those few enlightened souls.

When I was a kid I always envied the lucky bastards and spent much of my time wishing I was one of them – I think most of us do. Now that I’m a bit older and was given the opportunity to experience some of the hidden treasures that life has to offer I am actually grateful for the humble challenges I had to face earlier as a youngster. To that end I continue to work hard to perhaps some day be counted a member of the last group. Memberships are free but entry needs to be earned – and nobody will tell you how.

Trading is not about money – it’s all about overcoming your own limitations and your inner demons. The money, just like women or financial gains, is just a side product of personal success. We don’t trade for money – we trade because we can.

Enjoy your weekend.

P.S. No dragons or dwarfs were harmed during the creation of this post.