Quote from Broken dreams:
I find that the attitude for any new trader is usually very optimistic. One has a passion for it because there's a lot of excitement in doing something extraordinary and maybe even making a lot of money and possibly one day living in a fairly comfortable life. There's so much freedom and space. We all make a full commitments to constantly learn and improve, and we wake up every morning thinking we can make a difference, but if things never really get to pan out the way we had hoped, there probably comes a stage when that passion undergoes a severe test of patience and self-evaulation in life is in order. Some have a lot of patience and can endure many years to extend that passion. I guess mine was just cut short and finally expired.
Quote from knocks420:
This has got to be tough but you can definetely help a lot of people on here perhaps by telling us what some of your trading mistakes were, what securities you traded, strategy, etc. I think in life and trading, you learn so much more from your mistakes then from your successes.
I'm going through the ridiculous exercise of job-hunting myself, PM and I can point in you to some places if your interested-maybe you won't have to give up the dream, just sidestep it a little.
Quote from RoughTrader:
Trading should be done for the love of trading in my eyes.

Quote from Broken dreams:
I'm sure 95% of you don't want to read this post because you're all still chasing your dreams and don't want to be reminded on how tough of a game trading is, but this is my reality.
I've been trading since 2001, and I feel like I've been living in a bubble world all throughout this time. Like everyone, I had big dreams in the beginning, and I thought trading was the avenue to help me get there. But eventually, my big dreams transformed into merely just fantasies of decent living. When even those delusions didn't materialize, my aim was just going for basic survival.
I've been living off reserves for awhile, but they're running out, and it's just time to move on. So my decision to hang it up was not an overnight decision. I did try and give in my effort, but it just wasn't working out. If I don't quit now but continue to achieve the same unproductive results, then I'm just continuing the denial.
I'll be 30 soon, and I feel I've aged so much in these last five years. And what's really sad is that I have grinded it out but have really nothing to show for it. Right now, I don't really know what to do or how to even get a job. I have a econ degree, but I haven't had a real job in five years, and I don't even know how to put that down. While most of my friends are already at or near the manegerial stages, I'm about to write resumes to compete for jobs against recent college graduates. It's going to be an extremely humbling experience, but I don't really know what to do.
Quote from John47:
To the original poster: For the past few months I've been making an honest go at career trading. I have backers, former floor traders who made the transition, who are teaching their edge. Even with this HUGE leg up, the market is constantly changing and nothing is a guarentee. I wouldn't recomment anybody try this for a living without having a major edge over other's doing it. And by major edge I don't mean 5 g's to spare or really good at recognizing chart patterns, etc. Trading for a living is a fucking war everyday, and very few are cut out for it.
