At the time of writing this, we’re witnessing one of the greatest fluctuations of wealth in most of our lifetimes.
What started as a inside joke between a handful of traders on Reddit, has quickly evolved into a full out war against the Wall Street elites in the span of 5 days. Hedge funds are losing billions by the day, while lower and middle class traders are earning more than their annual salary.
The Monday that I first caught wind of the GameStop squeeze, I thought it was just a quick maneuver that would last maybe a day, and probably end up losing me money. But I had some extra cash to invest, so I figured why not.
Then, in an unprecedented move, over the course of this week we have truly seen the dark side of the 1%. The higher ups that nobody had any idea even existed, are now blatantly preventing traders from costing them any more money. Corruption, market manipulation, it’s a lawsuit just waiting to happen.
Once I caught wind of what was going on, my first instinct was the same as most, “Let’s tear these guys apart.” They’ve ruined so many lives over the course of the last decade, with the recession and other incidents that most likely didn’t even make headlines.
But I started to reflect on this. Here I am, a little guy, wanting the big guy to lose. But with the things I want to accomplish in life, eventually I will be the big guy. The roles will be reversed.
Isn’t it hypocritical thinking to want to take the big guys down, but when you yourself become the big guy, you want the little guy to lose? Absolutely.
Reflecting on this over the past week has made me re-evaluate what I want out of life. Sure, having a big house, cool cars, and a ton of money would be nice. But if I lost it all, it would be devastating. I don’t want my value or happiness to be placed on material things or my net worth.
My advice to you (and myself), is this; Value Yourself above all else. No matter if you have $100 or $1,000,000 in your account, nobody can take away the value you have in yourself. Even if you gained everything, and lost everything, you would still be happy.
It’s a big challenge, I agree. If I lost everything I’ve been building over the last 5 years, and started back at square one flipping burgers, yes I would think negatively of the situation. But, instead of accepting my new fate, I wouldn’t flinch. I built successful companies before, why can’t I do it again?
My mission statement at the bottom of the page will be the same mission statement I have when I’m a billionaire. Helping people is my purpose. And if the time comes, and I’m facing something that will put me back to square one? I’ll gladly take the fall, instead of manipulating markets to ensure my victory. Real champions lose with pride. Ever seen a cheater in any hall of fame?
The value you hold in yourself is something no one can ever take away from you. Understand this, and every situation will be positive for you.
P.S., GameStonks.