I have not always been a long term, independent minded, macro thinker and investor. In my early years on Wall Street, I followed the actions of a senior investment advisor who was an options specialist. He placed anywhere from 1000-5000 options orders DAILY, and his technical analysis was minute by minute, and many times second by second. It took me about a year to realize that this kind of investing just wasn't for me...much too risky and fast moving...with way too much guesswork. Jack (the options specialist) wound up having a heart attack, and while he recovered 100%, he was forced to give up options trading...turns out, it wasn't really his style of investing either.

Within about 5 years into the business, a mentor came into my life that perfectly suited my personality. Ted had been in the industry about 40 years when I met him, and he completely understood how the markets worked and why they worked the way they did. His view was that all successful investing and decision making...