July 1 - 10, 2006
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Questions
(Quotes
from Ed in Red)
|
Answers |
Sun, 09 Jul
2006
FAQ Typos
Here are more typographical corrections for FAQ. I
am now up through the current entry. I count about 150 since
inception. |
Thank you for your careful
proof-reading and for your contribution to FAQ.
The entries now stand with your
corrections. |
Sun, 09 Jul
2006
Chart Server Subscriber
Dear Sir:
My login handle is [Handle] add I wish to be a subscriber.
Sincerely. |
OK. You are now a subscriber and may
access your own personal chart page. |
Sat, 8 Jul
2006
Receives
Mom &
Relationship With Girl Friend Improves
Hi Ed,
I am noticing that you are replying to e-mails much faster. This seems
to indicate a higher commitment to FAQ, congratulations!
I am happy to report that since I realized my snapshot "receiving my
mom" our relationship continues to improve.
At the same
time my relationship with my girlfriend improves dramatically. Not once
in the past month do I consider breaking up with her, which before was a
constant thought on my mind. I am beginning to embrace and celebrate the
connection we have.
I am working on my other snapshots, before our last tribe meeting I feel
that I am not really stretching when making my commitments, so I change
my commitments (after I meet all my previous commitments).
On Monday's
meeting I am reporting that I am 0 for 4 in my commitments. This brings
up a lot of feelings. I starting to sense that I am not going 100% in
our last two meetings, my life in general seems to be stuck. I am
starting to wonder if I am willing to do what it takes. At the same time
I feel torn because I feel scared (I am not sure of what, maybe
disappointment) but also feel that I want to be more and do more (which
also disappoints me).
Monday's
meeting is the first time that I am not excited to go to the tribe. I
don't have any major issues going on at this point besides that one
feeling I displayed when I was visiting the Incline Tribe, it scares the
c--p out of me, it feels like I am dying.
I am planning on reporting back after Monday's meeting.
Hope all is well. |
Thank you for sharing your process.

A Natural Part of Parenting
is tying children in k-nots.
When you receive your parents
you start to untie your k-nots,
and theirs as well.
In the process,
you gain better relationships
with your parents
and with others as well.
Clip:
http://www.yogasurfadventures.com/
blog/uploaded_images/
mom%20+%20me-780517.JPG |
Fri, 7 Jul
2006
Prison Follow-up
Hello Ed:
I am going to be indicted shortly, but I wanted to follow up to your
original response about the purpose of prison. Your reply was about
anger, and my initial thought was "How was this about anger?" when the
crime was about fraud and deception. Well, several months have passed,
and the layers have been peeled back to reveal a deep well of anger,
explained in detail below.
I have reflected on your statement (paraphrasing) that "everyone gets
what they want out of the market". Here I was thinking that I wanted to
make money -- but instead I wanted to expose the fraud of a family that
hid dark secrets and pretended that bad things did not happen.
I call it the "happy face" fraud. My anger stemmed from
two parents that could not acknowledge what they did to me. I tried to
save my mother from my father and ended up getting beaten several times.
Nothing was ever spoken, and we all lived happily ever
after while the kettle was boiling. The blowup was just a matter of
when, not if ... And if you cannot trust your parents, then how can you
possibly trust anyone, even yourself?
Once I meet with the parole officer, I will arrange for a prison
psychologist to contact you to see if we can bring the Trading Tribe
process into the prison system.
Although I have not participated in any Tribe meetings, I
see the purpose. While I have worked very hard on figuring everything
out, the acknowledgement is not there, and that seems to be the most
important part of healing.
Sincerely, |
Thank you for sharing your process.
Prison officials may view TTP to be
incompatible with prison culture inside the walls.
TTP aims to
set you free by acknowledging you while you act out your forms.
Prison aims to constrain you and prevent you from acting
out.
Outside the walls, your parole
officer may well support your participation in growth-promoting support
groups, such as a Tribe.

Prison Life
is another form of drama.
Clip:
http://inquisition.pp.ru/gallery/prison-n01.jpg
|
Fri, 7 Jul
2006
To Outfox Fred, Put Joy in a K-not
Hi,
I wonder what negative dramas might be the result of failing to feel joy
or happiness.
If it is the case that failing to feel feelings results in Fred creating
ever escalating dramas until we feel those feelings. Would it follow
that Fred, with the help of the under Fred network, would set up
situations where joy is felt at an intense level to get the subject to
feel it, if the subject was reluctant to feel joy and it’s form?
It this is the case I wonder what the downside is? Without looking
more carefully this might seem to be a great thing?
Most examples of TTP are used to show how failing to feel an emotion
(frustration) and experience it’s form might result in a frustrating
drama (cancelled stops, over trading, losing money etc)
I am interested in an example of failing to feel contentment and the
drama that might result. If it followed that you were hit with a major
dose of contentment, are there positive reasons to ignore that feeling
at times?
Would perhaps this contentment that is so nice to feel at home going to
sleep with some you love, become a drawback if it reduced your ambition
at work.
I feel perhaps TTP might be more understood from the reverse sometimes
as often although feeling are not to be judged good or bad, many example
I read are of people failing to feel emotions that commonly are
considered bad; anger, frustration, rejection etc with fewer examples of
people failing to feel emotions that are commonly considered good. This
imbalance can almost look judgmental.
I thank you for your thoughts on this. |
Joy is a condition that arises from
willingness to experience other feelings.
People rarely have trouble
experiencing feelings they enjoy so these do not tend to form k-nots.
K-nots tend to form around feelings
people are unwilling to experience.
For example, sharing a bed and
having sex with someone might be joyous for you - and irritating, or
intimidating or even terrifying for someone else.
The judgment is not a property of
the activity - it is a property of the person viewing the activity.

Sex Can Be Ecstatic or Sinful
depending on your judgments.
Clip:
http://www.sex-techniques-and-positions.com/pro/13.jpg |
Thu, 6 Jul
2006
Snapshot
Process
Ed,
My Right Livelihood snapshot is: Receive Others.
I commit to asking my clients about their feelings and to keep a log of
my encounters.
When I meet with my clients, I ask them sincerely how they are feeling.
I give them several opportunities to express themselves. Most are
surprised that I am truly interested, rather than superficially in the
standard greeting banter with which we are all familiar.
I find that my clients and I understand each other better and that this
helps both of us in our relationship. I now extend this process to my
coworkers. People smile when they see me coming; I return their smiles.
This feels like right livelihood.
Thanks.
|
Thank you for sharing your process. |
Thu, 6 Jul
2006
faq question
Hi Mr. Seykota,
It seems like much of your work focuses on emotions having positive
intentions. One example is frustration (if I am correctly, understanding
you). Frustration has a positive intention even though it is
conventionally characterized as wholly negative.
There might be
a trader who doesn't like the feeling of frustration that comes from
consistently trading poorly, but the frustration might be telling him to
manage risk better, or to back-test his system to see if it has a
history of viability.
If the trader
experiences and listens to his frustration, maybe it won't be such a big
part of his life any more.
What might be the positive intention of lust? I have an inkling that
lots of men and women who are married or in committed relationships have
this feeling visit them often, but don't really want to experience it.
Perhaps some
positive intentions of lust include making your lover and you happy
through sex, and of course, making babies. These are all wonderful
outcomes.
But
sometimes lust appears during circumstances when experiencing it is
uncomfortable, and not experiencing is likewise personally
uncomfortable.
I'll use a
silly beer commercial I recently saw that focuses on a goofy male who is
dining with his girlfriend as an example. His challenge for the evening
is to block his lustful feelings - to not look at the three hot women
sitting at the adjacent table. He struggles and struggles but is able to
muster up the strength to not look at the attractive women. For his
effort, he is rewarded with a beer.
The protagonist of the commercial is a caricature, but his dilemma
applies to many real people, myself included.
Giving the hot
women a good look-over upsets the girlfriend, so lust is avoided. But,
ouch, it's painful to block-out the lovelies, too. This lust emotion
seems a little trickier than others, capable of sending men and women
into particularly ugly dramas like affairs, on one end of the spectrum,
and censorship and crusades against immorality, on the other. Let's say
beer man willingly experiences lust.
What do you
think the positive intention of his experiencing lust is?
thank you |
Lust is a feeling, a strong desire,
usually for sex and sometimes for money or power.
The positive intention of sexual
desire is to motivate sexual intercourse.
Some Western religions consider lust
to be a vice.
Many people have sexual lust in a
k-not. Thus, they tend to act out drama that excites lust.
For example, prohibition of sexual
thought and display entrains pornography - thereby giving
prohibitionists even more license to exercise repression.
You might consider taking your
feelings about sex to the hot seat.

When Platonic Relating Becomes Sinful
look for people to buy
platonic blowup dolls.
Clip:
http://www.ibiblio.org/Dave/Dr-Fun/df200507/
df20050714.jpg |
Wed, 5 Jul
2006
Possible
Loss of Relationship
I take the hot seat to address an issue that comes up during the
snapshot process. My relationship-fun combined snapshot might not last
much longer, and I do not have another relationship snapshot in mind to
takes its place.
With the
encouragement of my process manager I get into forms, ending up in a
ball with my arms wrapped around my legs, moving around and back and
forth.
He senses
another form is at work so he encourages me to do the opposite form, to
stand up and reach back with my arms. As I do so I imagine myself
reaching out to others, risking rejection and ridicule. It raises an
emotional pain with no form or color.
When I
continue to stretch out my process manager asks me if I like it. I say I
do not. He asks if I want to continue and I reply yes, but it is not
comfortable and I do not enjoy it. But I want to follow the process.
My chief happens to mention that he might be leaving for another state
in the near future, depending on what happens with his employer.
I am filled
with the dread of losing this person as Chief since he is the best one
we have had in over two years of our tribe's existence.
This leads to
forms, one of which involves me cursing the employer for taking my Chief
away. As if on cue my Chief's cell phone sings "Haaaaaallelujah!
Haaaaaallelujah!" It's the employer! But he can wait. We continue on for
awhile longer. I address several other feelings that come up related to
a new chief. I reach a zero point but no joy point.
Those forms now complete, I resume with my earlier forms regarding
relationships. After continuing awhile longer, pursuing other forms, I
am physically drained. My process manager calls for a check out, after
which I fall into my chair and just vegetate for a few minutes.
A few days later while pondering an unrelated issue it occurs to me
that I need to seek "engagement" since I tend to be aloof with others.
I do not lose
sight of the double meaning of this observation; I have never been
engaged to be married in my life. More a-ha's lead to deeper insights as
more possibilities open up. And more issues to take to the hot seat!
Thanks Ed. |
Thank you for sharing your process. |
Wed, 5 Jul
2006
Day Trading for 10 Years - Without a System
and Without a Losing Year
Dear Ed Seykota
l read about you in different books (trend following, market wizards).
So l started to check your website and found some interesting comments.
My Partner and l trade now for almost 10 years together. Our activates
are mainly in [Country] and [Continent] (Stocks and Futures). Our
approach is quite short term (day trading) and with little overnight
exposure. We don't use any systematic Trading system.
We make our decisions based on market information, market
monitoring and intuition. Risk management was always a important point
in our trading philosophy. During the last 10 years we never had a
single year with a minus performance. We made some little losses during
4 months over the whole period. That sounds good, but l am looking for
something more:
My goals are - find the right way for my life (balanced, calm, powerful,
etc.) - learn more about systematic trading (style, trends, etc.)
That's why l send ... for the purchase of your book to learn more about
your style. l am looking forward to receive your book and in the
meantime l will check your website regularly.
Best regards
PS: Is it possible for a non member to join the workshop in Cambridge? |
Yes. Anyone may attend the
Cambridge Workshop.
See the link, above. |
Wed, 5 Jul
2006
Objectify the No
Dear Ed,
I got the book today and immediately started reading the book.
Quoting the book from page 25 under the heading Judgment -"We validate
the 'no'. I invite him to objectify the 'no' (his judgment) as another
form."
Please elaborate on how can I invite the sender to objectify the 'no' ?
Regards |
Ed: I wonder if you are willing to
experience the feeling.
Hot Seat: No.
Ed: Good! I wonder if you are
willing to get into it and experience the "no."
Hot Seat: Well, OK.
Ed: Great! then keep saying "no" ...
and turn your head like that ... yes, put your hands out more ... really
get into the form.
At this point, Hot Seat has a new
object: her form of no.

No Takes a Form
and becomes an object
you can take to the Joy Point.
Clip:
http://www.ci.new-bedford.ma.us/
PSAFETY/POLICE/sayno.htm |
Tue, 4 Jul
2006
Clients
Ed, I have found this good quote at
http://www.turtletrader.com/cta.html :
Clients seldom understand. Managing money for clients is hard.
Clients usually don't understand Trend Following and will often panic
and pull out just before a big move that could make them a lot of money.
Clients are impatient. They often put money with a manager at the wrong
time and just as often take it away at the wrong time.
Clients may request an initial system adjustment. They want Trend
Following changed in order for them to invest their money in the first
place. The manager is then faced with a difficult decision: take the
client money and make money through management fees (which can be very
lucrative) or trade as originally designed. Obviously, trading a trend
following system as originally designed is the optimal path in the long
run.
More Client money doesn’t mean more success. Trying to trade millions
upon millions of dollars for clients is hard to do. Trend Followers
always had their best returns managing less money.
I think that the average investor, including myself, out of hunch,
cannot feel comfortable or tolerate more than around 30% drawdown. So, I
work with my system and money management to keep the probable drawdown
around this figure.
I also feel that this ultimately limits the potential for
higher returns and that there are no secrets to improve the equity curve
volatility and risk/reward ratio other than good diversification, market
selection and sound money management.
My system converges towards a mix of personal preferences
within my current possibilities, such as the markets I can and like to
trade, the technique I like to use, my long-term intentions with regard
to risk, reward and reliability. It sounds very simple. By the way, as I
have already said before, I think this is what TTP has the best to
offer: clarity. Thanks for the support.
I also wait for the next opportunity "window" to tell the girl I flirt
with I wish to date her. I feel that "celebrating" the knot about
sharing feelings to women is much difficult and overwhelming than doing
it for real.
Although I am very busy with other commitments I also decided to
undertake Visual C++ as a casual hobby. |
OK.
I am transporting my software from
C++ to C#. |
Tue, 4 Jul
2006
Step by
Step
I write a testing engine that replicate exactly the results in TSP
section. It can also make tests at a portfolio level, so I wait to
compare them with TSP.
In the
meantime, I wonder if you can clarify the value of the optimization
process.
TSP is the motivation to study more. Thanks a lot.
I plan to follow all the steps to became an Associate and give something
to the community finally: the limit I feel is to live in Europe and with
no people around to share the path.
|
The optimization process helps you
find the parameter set that gives you the historical simulation with the
highest ratio of compounding profit / largest percent drawdown.
If you want to connect with people
of like mind, you might consider attending the London Workshop |
Mon, 3 Jul
2006
Dealing With His Anger
Ed,
I just finished reading the book. Thank you for writing it.
Recently, a friend gets angry with me. Normally I can't stand people
getting angry with me and go into a defensive funky mood. This time,
I hear his anger, cherish it and even tell him his feelings are
important to me.
He cools down
right away and I feel much better about it.
He tells me
what irritates him is my jabbing at him and I get it and I let him know
that I know I do it and I promise to work on it. |
Thank you for sharing your process.
If you have trouble keeping your
promise, you might notice whatever feeling comes up while you are trying
not to break it - and take that feeling to the hot seat.

Starting to Get Close
and then jabbing your partner
is a good way to excite his anger
and may indicate you have
some k-nots about getting close.
http://www.avant_derniere.blogger.com.br/
jab%20martin%20cooper.jpg
|
Mon, 3 Jul
2006
Swedish
Tribe
Here is the documentation of the Swedish Tribe.
Best regards,
|

Welcome
Stockholm
Sweden !
|
Mon, 3 Jul
2006
Love
Doesn't Pay
see FAQ July
1, 2006, Hard to Get
Ed Says:
Playing Hard To Get
still requires some one else in the game.
Yes. I guess I offer plenty of opportunity for the "some one else" and I
myself play out our own love dramas. There is an obscure facet of myself
that has a deep disbelief about (romantic) love, as if "love doesn't
pay."
|
OK.

If Love Doesn't Pay
you might consider
collecting up front.
Clip:
http://forums.autoweek.com/
servlet/JiveServlet/download/
14-15186-323525-8048/hooker.jpg
|
Mon, 3 Jul
2006
Drama Diary K-note Book
I find that sometimes my suppressed feelings don’t hang around long
enough for me to register what they are. This can be a problem when
looking for K-nots to work on.
A bit like your guy in the restaurant who doesn’t let him self feel
anger and has his bread roll stolen (Boy would I be angry at that!). He
might not feel that anger is his K-not as it only pops in to his head
for a second before he suppresses it and remains passive to the
invasion. He might feel he doesn’t have a problem with anger, as he
isn’t an angry kind of a guy.
During a typical day I feel lots of emotions and some I allow myself to
feel and some I don’t. Because it’s the ones that only pop up quickly
and are buried that cause the dramas long term I feel I need to find a
way of tracking these feelings down.
I introduce a drama diary!
It’s a little note book (or K-note book if you like) I carry it
around and in it I write down the fleeting feelings that I quickly bury,
I do it as soon after they occur as I can - as often these feelings pop
up so briefly before I send them back to the pump unfelt that when I
come to work on myself I can’t remember what they were.
After one weekend of keeping the diary a clear trend becomes clear. I
bury my feeling of frustration and impatience. It is evident when
I am in traffic and I get a pang in my stomach and clench my teeth
together. When the check out queue in the supermarket is longer than I’d
hoped. When I hear how people I went to school with are doing in their
career compared to me. When I see guys my age driving cars I like but
can’t afford. I wave away these feeling so quickly with logical
explanations to the onlooker I might not seem to be the least bit
frustrated but that seems to be the emotion I bury deepest.
I see this manifests itself in my over-large positions as I rush to
catch up to where I feel I ought to be. I trade too frequently in an
attempt to speed up my journey to great wealth and get frustrated at the
smallest loss on the way which often result in cancelled stops, averaged
losers and trading against the trend.
My commitment now is to embrace my frustration, clench my teeth till
my jaw muscles hurt and feel that sinking feeling in my stomach and
shortness of breath and turn my frustration in to a new ally that will
keep me from being complacent about being successful, keep me hungry to
work and to learn and help me reach my goals.
Thanks for your help in my finding my buried feelings and converting
them from saboteurs to allies. |
Thank you for sharing your process.
You seem to have an excellent grasp
of the theory of TTP and seem innovative in its application.
In Incline Village, during our
Snapshot Process, feelings usually come up during our presentations of
evidence of keeping our commitments. We log these on the spot for the
Tribe meeting that follows.
Some of us also keep a feelings log,
similar to yours, that associates with any activity in which we detect
drama.
I don't see any mention of you
taking your issues to the hot seat. I assume you are not yet a
Tribe member.
The difference between trying to
deal with issues on your own and dealing with them in a tribe is like
the difference between sex manual and sex.

Reading About It
and thinking about it
are not the same
as doing it.
Clip:
http://www.jlynstudio.com/
Nude_With_Book_op_800x600.jpg
|
Mon, 03 Jul
2006
Cannot Be Present at the Open - 2
see
Cannot, FAQ 29 Jun, 2006
Hi Ed,
Thanks for your response, it is spot on and makes me think hard about my
priorities and what is really important to me: right livelihood.
I tend to over-commit to numerous events time and
again and have difficulties with being upfront and turning down less
important events even when I know I cannot participate.
Saying NO does not come easy to me, probably a result of
my intention to come across as Mr. Nice. The market has recently served
up a hefty fine for this weakness.
Regarding my attendance at the open of the workshop I have wiggled out
of my professional commitments, to my surprise much easier than I
expected, simple honesty and reasoning works! I am now
working on my travel arrangements and I confirm that I will be present
at the open.
Regards, |
Thank you for sharing your process.
You are, evidently, already present
and taking on the work of the Tribe.

What do you mean, you think you do?
Commitment allows the members of a team
to go ahead and make commitments
knowing that all the other parties
are sure to deliver on their promises.
Clip:
http://empoweringmessages.com/
cartoons/ThePowerofCommitment.shtml
|
Sun, 2 Jul
2006
Reporting - 4
see
Reporting -
3, below
Ed,
Thank you for your help.
My wife is an excellent receiver, and I chose not to include feelings
that e-mail.
All the best to you and yours,
|
OK. |
Sun, 2 Jul
2006
Associates
Program Suggestion.
Dear Ed,
My suggestion about the Associates Program is that we follow a proven
"back tested" business plan, set up one fund and make a real commitment
like these guys ...
http://www.jwh.com/
http://www.clicklive.com/NYMEX/
symposium_2003/rzepczynski.htm
We just use our own trading system.
Well ... that is my snapshot anyway.
Sincerely, |
Thank you for your excellent
suggestion.
The Associates Program is an
incubator - an extension of the Trading System Project (TSP) - a support
vehicle for traders who want to move forward on the track to managing an
actual fund.
For these individual traders, I feel
your suggestion is appropriate, to the point, right on target.
I am unable to locate an exact
back-test for the overall Trading Tribe, TTP or even The Associates
Program as they are all, by design, innovative and evolutionary.

The Pioneer's Reward
is sometimes
a tail full of arrows
and sometimes
some pie-in-the-ear.
Clip:
http://www.greerarizona.com/
images/pioneers.jpg |
Sun, 2 Jul
2006
Reporting -
3
see
Reporting - 2, below
I just had a nice hot seat about your tattletale response.
I look to be apart of a group that has exceptionally high integrity, and
when I see this type of trader associated with you, I don’t see
exceptionally high integrity.
I learn.
|
Hmmm ... I wonder how you able to
convene a Tribe during a holiday weekend, get on the hot seat, deal with
an issue and then report about it without mentioning any of your
feelings or about getting to the Joy Point, all in about an hour.
- - - --
Many people like to claim some or
another type of association with me.
To view the qualifications for
becoming a TT Associate, see the link above.
Believing all claims that people
make is consistent with poor risk control, perhaps having anger in a
k-not.

Gullibility
associates with poor boundary management
and indicates anger k-nots.
Clip:
http://www.offthemarkcartoons.com/
cartoons/1999-11-22.gif |
Sun, 2 Jul
2006
Reporting - 2
re:
Reporting, below
You give the
same answers over and over again.
You attach a picture to my last post with the words
“You’re a tattletale.”
It seems to be
written by a child.
You might want to add “neener, neener, neener”, as to make the
response complete. |
If you wish to complete the item,
you might (1) explain the importance
to you of my seeing this trader (2) voice your concern directly to the
trader (3) take your
concerns to the hot seat.
The Neener
Corner
Per your
request, here are three neeners:
1. Neener: an
interjection typically intending to taunt, ridicule, or boast.
No thanks
to you, but I was able to score the last tickets to the show
tonight, and you're not going with me, so neener!
2.
Neener: Southeastern slang - a noun describing a 9-mm handgun.
Yo, flash
that neener and peel a cap on them fools!
3. Neener: a
nickname for Jeannine.
Hi Neener!
|
Sun, 2 Jul
2006
Swearing
Hi Ed,
A favorite saying I have is:
The past
is history, the future's a mystery, now is a gift, that's why they
call it the present.
I am always a
now kind of person. It takes me a while to dust off the files and
access the past.
I now remember my mother chewing out my dad about his language after he
is hanging out with some of the guys in the neighborhood.
He stops
swearing in the house and around the family. I never swear. I have more
of a propensity now I am noticing. I don't think I like the restriction
on even myself any longer. So, I am in another h---of a mess. D--- it! I
am not being facetious here, I mean that.
I decide a number of months ago to quit telling jab-jokes. I do not
succeed entirely yet, but I am much more aware. I am sure this satire is
veiled anger, but CM is talking, not Fred. |
Thank you for sharing your process.
We do not access the non-existing
past. We access memories of the past.
You might consider taking your
feelings about language to the hot seat.

George Carlin
(1937 - )
George Carlin
is a stand-up comedian, actor and author, famous for his
irreverent attitude and his observations about and use of profane
language.
Many consider
him to be a successor to the late Lenny Bruce and one of the greatest
stand-up comedians of all time.
Frisbeetarianism is the belief that when you die, your soul goes up
on the roof and gets stuck.
Carlin's
Routine: Seven Dirty Words:
http://www.erenkrantz.com/Humor/
SevenDirtyWords.shtml
Clip:
http://www.comedy-zone.net/images/
people/comedians/carlin-george.jpg |
Sun, 2 Jul
2006
Reporting
on Another Trader
I know this tribe member.
He has a relatively poor trading system, and since no one in the Tribe
is allowed to talk about trading systems he thinks it’ll all work out
because his intention is to make money and get wealthy.
So he begins
trading this poor system with his and other peoples money and begins to
lose slowly.
Over time he
creates a losing track record and he sticks with this losing system
(because following the system is so important); he thinks the system
could be a winner if only (fill in the blank – more money, bad timing
etc … ).
He can’t go anywhere to talk about his trading system, his tribe doesn’t
allow it and he doesn’t trust strangers, so he just continues trading.
Here’s the kicker.
If his track record gets bad enough, he’ll just close the fund and open
a new one …
Yikes.
I think it’s important you see some of the people who call you
mentor, maybe you’re too busy to see it yourself. |
I do not understand the importance
to you of my seeing this trader - nor do I understand the intention of
inhibiting talk about trading systems.
If you have concerns about another
trader or about the management of a particular Tribe, you
might consider voicing your concerns to the other parties directly.
You might also consider taking your
concerns to the hot seat.

To Stop a Tattle Tale
ask him to talk directly
to his target.
Clip:
http://robertmunsch.com/
somethingspecial.cfmbookid=122 |
Sun, 2 Jul
2006
Weeding
I have feelings of confusion and sadness that I take to the hot seat.
You have not completed the TSP section of the website. I speak with
fellow traders who are using TSP to create a trading system.
Now you begin a trading tribe associates program, and you say one of the
requirements to be a member of this is to have a fully back tested
trading program.
Why don’t
you finish the TSP section, which helps others create a system; then
offer the associates program?
One trader in particular I work with, he takes feelings of frustration
to the hot seat, he waits patiently for TSP to continue its trend, but
then he sees this new associates program and now takes feelings of anger
to the hot seat.
He looks to your website for direction, now, he looks no more.
We lose another tribe member – and I wonder who weeded him out.
I recommend you finish TSP before you continue the associates program. |
FAQ does not answer why questions.
See Ground Rules, above.
TSP (The Trading System Project) is,
at this point, a series of exercises to give system designers some
examples against which they can test their software results to the
penny.
The Trading Tribe Associates
Program is community of Traders, Investors and Support Personnel who
commit to living with high integrity, high intensity, and excellence -
who wish to generate high profits for each other and for themselves -
and who wish to commit to a win-win, mutually supportive long-term
relationship with the Trading Tribe.
Some people who work through TSP may
become TT Associates. Some TT Associates may work on
projects appropriate for TSP.
For more information on the TT Associates Program, see the link above.
You might consider taking your
feelings about weeding to the hot seat.

Weeding
Eliminating some of the brown
helps promote more green.
Clip:
http://www.push-pull.net/how%20to6.htm |
Sun, 2 Jul
2006
TTP For
Couples
Ed,
I am trying to get my marriage to a place where my
wife and I share our feelings with each other and
listen to each others feelings.
She says that she thinks that is a destructive way to
have a relationship and she is not willing to do it
that way.
She is really upset because I have told her such
things as, "I feel like I don't need a woman in my life,"
and "I feel
like I do not need her to be happy."
I am willing and intend to take these issues and
feelings to my tribe. I just wonder if you have any
suggestions on the topic. |
Thank you for sharing your process.
This is a very important topic for
couples.
A marriage is like a Tribe in that
it can be a crucible in which to contain personal growth.
A marriage may, however, not be a
big enough crucible to contain itself melting.
For example, if partner A
attacks partner B, then partner B may be unable to continue receiving and the
session turns into chaos.
If you wish to conduct TTP in your
marriage, you might consider appearing, with your wife, at a Tribe
meeting and take turns on the hot seat.
In your case, "like I don't need a
woman in my life" is not a feeling. It is a threat and an attack.
In a marriage, receiving usually
strengthens the bond while trying to process manage without invitation
may weaken it.

A Graphite Crucible Contains Gold
While It Melts
A crucible cannot contain itself
while it is melting
Clip:
http://www.search.com/reference/Crucible
|
Sun, 02 Jul
2006
Trading
Tribe Book - Please Bubble Wrap It
Dear Ed,
I really enjoyed reading the TT book - I am thrilled by the idea of
"letting it all out", rather than talking endlessly.
I'd never
heard about this before, so it does seem a little weird at first - but I
like it.
A trader friend had recommended your book to me and wanted to lend it to
me; but I said, don't worry about it, I'll buy it right away.
And here's
a point of criticism that I have: do you think you could wrap the book
in a layer of bubble-wrap before sending it out in a US mail envelope?
It is so
beautifully and tastefully made that it hurts to see it arrive with
damaged corners.
All the best,
|
Thank you for the suggestion.
I like bubble wrap - especially
stomping on the bubbles.

Unwillingness to Allow Children
to experience pain
may put them at a disadvantage.
Clip:
http://www.theage.com.au/news/
education-news/cottonwool-kids-must-burst-
bubble/2005/09/30/1127804656026.html
|
Sat, 1 Jul
2006
Liberation
Hi Ed,
I resist system trading. I trade a loose (one "o" away form "lose")
system. I am now profitable, but experience drawdowns that I feel are
unacceptably large. Years ago, I trade no system at all (other than my
gut or the last book I read) and am barely profitable.
On Friday, I go into a forward bend and feel a sense of panic, some
part of me feeling stuck and fearing that I will run out of air.
I feel this
often in forward bend and usually just pull out of the pose. This time,
although I want to get out of the pose / form as fast as I can, I know
(thanks to TTP) that I must stay in it, to experience the feeling.
So, I stay in the bend.
Today, I see the connection between my resistance to system trading and
my panic in forward bend. I fear feeling stuck. And, so, of course I
feel stuck all the time.
About a year ago, in response to an e-mail I sent you about sadness, you
suggested that I take the feeling of being stuck to the hot seat.
I am amazed by
and grateful for your insight, and will again take the feeling of being
stuck to the hot seat.
Finally, I am moved by
June 20 FAQ: Associates Program in Action
My fear around
being stuck in a system is somehow alleviated by reading this FAQ.
I have a
fear of being wrong, and in reading this exchange I find the author's
freedom in admitting his mistake and your offer of support liberating.
Thanks, Ed! |
Thank you for sharing your process -
for being willing to set others free.

The More We Help To Set Others Free
the more free we ourselves become.
Clip:
http://4umi.com/escher/Liberation.jpg
|
Sat, 1 Jul
2006
Hard To Get
Ed Says:
You might consider telling your friend your feelings - in this case,
that you want to date her. That is a nice compliment for her.
If sharing your feelings and / or talking to women does not come easy
for you, you might consider joining or starting a Tribe.
Talking my feelings to women does not only not come easy for me, it
doesn't come at all, except for the ones who have found a way to my
heart. |
OK.

Playing Hard To Get
still requires some one else in the game.
Clip:
http://members.tripod.com/
CarolandKids/Playing_hard_to_get.jpg
|
Sat, 1 Jul
2006
Consistently Inconsistent
Ed,
Examining my life and the lives of others I see the
most successful are just consistent.
The best
traders are dedicated every day, the best golfers play 18 holes great
not just 13 or 14.
I have flashes
of brilliance and dedication whether it be in business, sports, diet,
exercise or trading. Where I see the difference between great
achievement and average achievement is the ability to stick to it during
the drawdown or slow or boring times.
How have you
handle long drawdowns or times that you were not dedicated to your
trading plan, exercise plan or diet.
Any thoughts or suggestions?
|
Yes, a long-term winner usually has
a good system and sticks to it.
You might consider bringing this issue
to your Tribe and / or looking into the TT Associate Program, above.

Sticking To It
is as important
as having a good formula.
Clip:
http://www.chm.bris.ac.uk/
sillymolecules/sticky.gif |
Sat, 1 Jul 2006
Monthly Asset Report
Hello Breathwork Support Team!
As of July 1 AUM are about $1.15MM. Though the last couple of months in
the market have been a bit tough performance-wise (down 3.8% net for
May, and down about 1% in June), I am raising a bit more money each
month. The strategy is working fine, it is just one of those times in
the markets where my clients and I get to experience a drawdown for a
little while. No biggie.
I attended the MFA conference in Chicago in June and it was wonderful. I
met lots of new people there including having several meetings with
institutional allocators. I intend to attend more of these types of
events and continue to raise the visibility of my firm.
I am back on my fitness plan after slacking off for a while as I
reported in my last missive. My body is responding to my actions
accordingly.
I commit to continue to report my assets under management to you, my
Breathwork support team, on the first of each month until I reach $5
million under management.
Thanks for your support! |
OK. |
|