I don't think anyone can truly appreciate trading for a living from your home unless you have endured some years of grinding it out in corporate america or owning a business. Right out of college, I would not have appreciated the freedom nor would I have had the discipline and patience to have seen it through to fruition. I hated always knowing that I was making a great deal of money for the company I worked for with my time and hard work while I had little to show for it. Well, except for employee headaches, inventory control problems, supplier challenges, theft, a bonehead boss whom you swear is about as dumb as a bag of hammers and was probably put there to make your life hell. Owning a business was nice but the hours were tough on my marriage and social life. The money was much better, I still had all of the above problems except I was the boss this time.
I have loved the markets and how they work since the mid-nineties and transitioned to trading full-time last year after many books, seminars, money, mentors and finally finding my trading style. It has worked great and like most, I still fight my demons from time to time with the constantly changing market environment. In fact, I started trading with about $80k and proceeded to lose 50k before i got to breakeven trading and then over the course of the past year, have gradually made back my investment. My friends thought I was nuts for losing all of that money to the markets just to learn to trade. The price was too high. he, he. Funny thing was, most people are perfectly willing to sink 150K to open a sandwich shop or buy a franchise. They are willing to completely part with 150k before they even make a cent... and the business could still fail like a trader could- and lose there initial investment. In hindsight, the amount of money it cost me to learn was nothing compared to the life it has given me.
If someone puts forth the time, effort, money and sacrifice... trading is the perfect business. No inventory, no boss, no employees... (some theft from mm's/specialists

otherwise, simply outstanding. I love that there are always ways to improve and there is always someone better than you to learn from especially on these boards. I'm just a grasshopper.
God damn I love this business.
Best,
island0004