For the past few weeks, I have been pondering upon the power of the mind. I am now convinced that much of what we accomplish in life will be directly related to our thoughts. I have read and strongly recommend the book "As a Man Thinketh" by James Allen. I have also been particularly fascinated with the parable in Luke 18 of the Bible that is known as the Parable of the Unjust Judge. While it is not very commonly known, it is one of my favorites. Jesus told the parable and told his followers that its purpose was "that men ought always to pray, and not to faint" (Luke 18:1). I have found that this commandment to pray always is closely related to this concept of controlling our minds.
I am referring to something much more powerful than the mere idea of restraining our thoughts from vice and temptation, from the prurient or the violent. That is certainly important, but it is only the very beginning. What I am talking about here is much more powerful, and perhaps even more needed. I am talking about taking complete control of our attention and thought faculties to direct and focus them toward virtue and toward specific ends -- toward accomplishment. I am not talking about mere achievement, but accomplishment! This is not just having, but being!
As a young man, I read a book which I can no longer remember, that suggested that if we could control our minds, we could thereby control all of our personal circumstances. I think the book was written by Parley P. Pratt, but I can no longer recall precisely or find the reference that so profoundly affected me.
What I am suggesting here is not mere repulsion of temptation or revulsion from vice. I am talking about constant and focused management of attention.
When I was in my early college days, the school required that I attend a class on developing good study habits. In the text for the class, I remember being fascinated with a chapter called, "Be Here Now". In this chapter, the author discussed the need for students to manage and direct their thoughts toward ends that would yield positive results. He talked about how we are constantly finding our thoughts "straying" toward unwanted, unfocused, and even unintended directions. We lose them. I suppose that yes, we "lose our minds" when we lose our focus. We don't suddenly become raving lunatics, but instead of acting, we become acted upon. We allow others, perhaps even from realms unseen, to refocus us toward their objectives rather than our own. What I am suggesting here, then, is more than turning from thoughts of vice; I am talking about keeping them riveted on accomplishment of good, whether it is improving the conditions of our families, achieving world peace, or making a livelihood in the financial markets.
This is what was meant by the author of the chapter when he told us to "be here now". He said that as we recognize that our thoughts have strayed, we must once again take control of our attention and return it to our own ends. We must gently retake our thoughts and return them to focus on our own ends, thus acting rather than being acted upon. We must train ourselves to act rather than to react. We must gently, gradually train ourselves to be in the moment without distraction. We must "be here now".
Most people, I am convinced, spend their lives of quiet desperation allowing their thoughts to be almost continuously distracted to unproductive and unfocused activities. Television is probably the most common and perhaps the most destructive. What a great way to lose our locus! I am finding that even watching CNBC is, in essence, giving up control -- or better yet, attention -- of one's thoughts to television anchors, producers, and advertisers. As soon as we turn on the television, we yield up our minds to someone else. When we do so, we are essentially turning our minds over to someone else to be "acted upon". We are essentially turning our minds lose to be bandied about like a tiny toy sailboat on the seas of the earth. We can't possibly control the directions of our lives if we are controlled by the winds of the world's ideas.
Prayer is an intentional turning of our attention and focus of thoughts, but rather than yielding up ourselves to be "acted upon", through prayer, we are intentionally focusing our thoughts outside ourselves. We are changing the locus of our focus toward partnership with the Divine. Prayer becomes empowering because we become engaged with the Ultimate Partner -- God. Could there be anything more empowering than constant communion with Deity?
This is an important concept for us as traders. It is not my intent here to be exhaustive in my reflections on this blog. This posting is only a beginning -- a planted seed. Over the weeks and months to come, it may develop and grow, or -- heaven forbid -- it may die for lack of nourishment. That would not mean that the seed wasn't good. It would only mean that it was malnourished. It is important that I recognize that my unwillingness to nourish the seed says nothing about the value of the seed.
One of my objectives, as I move forward with my trading career, is to "be here now". It is to manage the focus of my attention and thoughts toward my goals, both financial, behavioral, and emotional. This will improve my trading. Better yet, it will improve my life!
