Back to the Future – My Freewheeling Journal

Stephen Hawking

“Black holes ain't as black as they are painted.
They are not the eternal prisons they were once thought.
Things can get out of a black hole both on the outside and possibly to another universe.
So if you feel you are in a black hole, don't give up — there's a way out.”


“Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet.
Try to make sense of what you see and wonder about what makes the universe exist.
Be curious."


Making Money by Trading Is Hard Labour.

Trading Strategies modify themselves and evolve with the Trader's personal growth on the Field day after day..
A Strategy or “a Method of Approach” cannot be simply picked up somewhere and used with profit
without the necessary knowledge of the Markets' Laws...
an “imitation attempt” without comprehension is completely useless and could be extremely dangerous.

Why so many retailers fail in the game? - They want quick results and are not mentally prepared to invest years in humble sacrifice.

The Emperor Moth is here again: no pain no gain.
Technical Analysis Fallacy is there for the Brave: no guts no glory.

it's all good my friend........fab thread from start to now....let the hard work continue

Alex

I've been assessing the terrain - 5m DAX.

How price moves in an orderly fashion - especially DAX it conforms beautifully to the trend line, horizontal support or resistance as if there's an invisible anchor and when that invisible anchor can no longer bear the incoming weight of stream coming against from the other side it makes its final attempt to overcome - but the effort is overshadowed by the sheer amount of force that's coming against it gives up double top/bottom the opposite stream flows through by the break of the anchor /trendline and carries on effortlessly until there's another barrier /anchor/ opposing force to breakthrough or to give up. No one dominates permanently these 2 forces are always at work constantly battling against each other. And our job is identify the winning army and get on with them and not fight against.

But in order to be able to identify which side is winning being able to assess the terrain accurately is essential. To assess the terrain we'll need a measuring tool indicator/MAs or simply trendline, horizontal support or resistance would do. I used to eyeball things roughly but that was me being lazy and being lazy won't get me far in trading and certainly also in life.

So here I am, I've got a measuring tape to assess the terrain. But the question remains still how do I measure the terrain accurately ? Well you've already shared so much over here. But like you said I have to find my own way, price either goes up/down or ranges. Ranges can go down or up. If its up it can top if it's down it can bottom. When it tops it drops below the trend line when it bottoms it goes up on a vertical line/trendline higher high lower low. How many scenarios are there ? I think that's about it.

Only now I know what you mean by terrain, the war analogy doesn't work that well for me. But hey I am starting to understand some of it. I'm going "little" beyond scratching the surface now.

Thank you !! Jupiter.

I am smiling...
I am smiling for your "Thank you." (You did it by yourself... pat yourself on your shoulder!)
And I am smiling for the "bastard" puzzling answer I'm going to give you in reply:

"Before Enlightenment chop wood, carry water. After Enlightenment chop wood, carry water".

On November 5, 2017 - CookieMonsta wrote (#325 on his journal):

"Regarding Jupiter's post, it's actually the emperor moth story, he is trying to force an epiphany, understanding and enlightenment, on them, learning doesn't work that way.
The only way is they arrive on the conclusion on their own, because when they reach there, it means the necessary foundation is already laid."

Never understood whether this was a criticism, a disapproval, a negative critique or whatever!
But the part in bold IS ABSOLUTELY CORRECT!
That's exactly what I wanted and want! I want that the Readers could arrive on the conclusion on their own.
I point, you search by yourself (remember we are just on the surface of things!)

It is my interpretation of fti's teaching... and it is what I am exactly trying to do (without killing the moths!)

"Before I studied Zen," goes another famous Zen saying, "I saw mountains as mountains and rivers as rivers.
When I had studied Zen for thirty years I no longer saw mountains as mountains and rivers as rivers.
But now that I have finally mastered Zen, I once again see mountains as mountains and rivers as rivers."

Reality.
Awaken Conscience.
Points of Reference and Moral Values.
A new perspective about you and about reality.
... a pair of Magic Glasses.

A new level of Coscience, but you have always to follow the path: never stop learning. Never stop to try to see better and better.

Yes. Terrain.
Attack Full Force! (DAX m5)
And you guys?
What are you doing?

@12.225

Yes. You are right. Nothing happens here!

4 entries very sloppy.
what a mess.
almost wanted to scream out loud albeit the small lot size I can only imagine how I would feel if I traded bigger lots, which means I'm no where ready to risk more than I am risking "until" I truly master.
long long I knew it was wrong (but I for a second I tried to do it the old fashion aka the easier way as soon as I figured long wasn't going anywhere beyond 10pips another short, oh wait 1 more short.

what can I say I, but I am learning "the hard way"

besides the complains, excuses and frustration, I've got a question for you how did you know it was a short ?

now looking back as soon as the upper trend line broke and as it failed to break above the trend line by London open I guess this was a short, I did enter short here but the noisy mind started to second guess and eventually closed it off.

And I'm still kicking myself and banging my head.

beautiful and here I am wondering if I'll ever be able to trade like you.

Squared the first mission... calmly waited the end of the reaction!
Second mission on...

Lather, rinse and repeat! Bye!

Yes... that's right... plus a confluence with a Fibonacci level from the previous move down... plus a clear horizontal level... plus... etcetera!

Meditation: how many ways are there to recognize a S/R level? And what we want to see?

Chop wood and carry water.

Does it ever end ?
Maybe not.

Excellent analogy btw.
I've had too many enlightenments today gonna chop some wood and carry more water now

Quoting Piquant

Disliked

... Excellent analogy btw....

Ignored

There's another old Zen proverb that goes something like this:
“You should sit in meditation for 20 minutes a day, unless you're too busy.
In that case, you should meditate for an hour a day.”

To make a long story very, very short...

A "kōan" is a story, dialogue, question, or statement, which is used in Zen practice to provoke the "great doubt"
and test a student's progress in Zen practice.

The aim of the break-through koan is to see the "nonduality of subject and object"... Subject and object - this is two hands clapping.
When the student realizes that the koan is not merely an object of consciousness
but is also he himself as the activity of seeking an answer to the koan,
then subject and object are no longer separate and distinct ... This is one hand clapping.
(Kōan training requires a qualified teacher who has the ability to judge a disciple's depth of attainment.) - (From Wikipedia)


About wood and water. (With my elementary English I can't do more than this, sorry.)
So: before and after the "Enlightment" … it's always necessary to focus on the task of our daily living and acting... (for us it is our trading life)
The duties are the same. The need is the same.
So what’s the difference?
The frame of mind.
To the external eye nothing is different.
I still appear to chop wood and carry water... but in fact within the internal eye everything is different. Everything has changed.
This quote teaches us to be aware of the transience of visual forms.
Nothing is what it appears to be and No thing is what it appears to be... but everything has its meaning and its purpose.

The practice of mindfulness—being in the present moment—invites us to focus on the task at hand.
When we’re in the moment (and quiet!), everything becomes lighter; we’re not compelled or forced.
When we’re fully present, we discover that work is no longer a burden.
Wood is chopped. Water is carried. Life happens.

How to build a proper, personal "Mental Road Map" - 8

Quicksand everywhere.
Diagonal Trendlines and Fibonacci Retracement are tools deeply influenced by individual judgements.
Each trader will draw them differently. And that is a big, big mistake.
“Trade what you see” for a wannabe trader could be extremely dangerous.
I can tell you and assure you that “YOU WILL ALWAYS SEE WHAT YOU WANT TO SEE”:
First you have to train your eyes... and in the proper way!
“WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SEE?”
“WHAT ARE YOU SEARCHING FOR?”

Don't let that the “subjectivity” you want to throw out of the window could re-enter through the main door!

In the attachment: John Murphy - Technical Analysis of the Financial Markets.

How to build a proper, personal "Mental Road Map" - 9

It's all about Support and Resistance... (and the relative/consequent Traders' decisions at these levels.)

S/R: Dynamic, Static and Mobile
Candlesticks (single and patterns: eastern and western)
Fibonacci Levels (+50% and 88,6% that are not fibo numbers...)

Search, discover and understand their nuances and intricacies.
Learn them and love them.
Your confidence will grow.
You will find that S/R will produce consistent result over and over.
(Remember that Channel is the most subjective tool of all...)
You will know in the end that your knowledge is your power.

If we are not able to overcome the "Basic" level... it will be impossible to fly!

I already used this expression on TAF... how to abandon the "Kindergarten" Level?

DAX H1

I'm tempted to sell it now.
But I'll leave it alone until London open.
we're at a support.