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PART I
Survival Basics
Chapter 1 Itâs a Jungle Out There!
Chapter 2 Managing Your Money Is Serious Business
Chapter 3 Accountability, Setting Stops, and the Rogue Factor
Chapter 4 Whatâs Your Net Worth?
Chapter 5 The Life of an Entrepreneur
Chapter 6 Understanding Financial Markets
Chapter 7 Adapting to Changing Market Cycles
Chapter 8 Education and Support
Chapter 9 Writing a Business Plan
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CHAPTER 1
Itâs a Jungle Out There!
It doesnât matter what country you live in, or what business or company you work in, or what financial market you invest inâitâs a jungle out there! And by that I mean to survive financially you will need to identify and focus on your top priorities with precision and be wary of possible adversaries, competitors, and obstacles that exist in each respective environment.
Around the world in each country, there are political developments that to one degree or another affect your livelihood for better or worse. In every business or company there are individuals who may exploit your weaknesses to further their own survival or prosperity. And of course in every financial market there are âsharks,â as I like to refer to them, who will gladly eat you alive if they can so that you are on the losing side of a trade or investment and they are on the winning side.
The only law of the jungle is survival, and that is the focus of this book. With your trading and investing you will of course be following the rules of law in your country and whatever your personal ethics are. But within that framework you need to be diligent and be absolutely determined to survive and prosper. In this day and age, you need to be more involved and aware than ever to advance your personal financial prosperity, and there are many effective ways to do so. We cover these techniques in the coming chapters.
BRAWN, BRAINS, AND TECHNOLOGY
Historically when talking about survival of the fittest, it comes down to the strongest, biggest, and most intelligent creatures that are at the top of the food chain and that outlive the others. For example, in the jungle the lion is the king of the beasts because of his strength and size. But, in contrast, man is king of the planet because he has used his brain to ultimately outsmart all other living creatures.
The intellectual superiority of the human race is really what adds technology and strategy to the mix. Itâs not their physical brawn, but instead it is their brains that have elevated the human race to this current position of power. Consider the invention of fire on demand, the wheel, weaponry, transportation, and computers. Once a given invention is introduced, again it reverts back to the prevailing creature that is most able to put the technology to effective use with either brawn or brains. And it comes down to which individuals have access to new technology as well. In underdeveloped regions computers are not readily available, where as the more developed regions have greater access to technology and as a result have a greater opportunity to survive and dominate. As Bill Gates, Microsoftâs creator and the worldâs richest man, has so accurately said, technology and computers will determine which modern cultures will survive and excel.
So really strength and intelligence and access to technological opportunity are equally important in the game of modern day survival, and individual circumstances determine which is needed most at any given time or place. (See Table 1.1.)
TABLE 1.1 Survival in the Financial Arena Depends on Using All of Your Available Assets and Resources, Including Brawn, Brains, and Technology
| Brawn | Brains | Technology |
| Confidence | Experience | Computers |
| Emotional strength | High IQ | Software |
| Persistence and focus | Education | News feeds |
| Financial strength | Street smarts | Fast order execution |
| Stamina and endurance | Strategic skills | Live market data |
The paradox around brawn versus brains makes me think about a program that appeared on the History Channel. It was about the Vikings in Europe during a global climate change. The strength and physical size of the legendary Viking warriors, which were exceptional compared to the attributes of some o...
