Neo Lowdown

A CRITICAL MESSAGE TO ALL TRADERS I would be remiss not to speak about the carnage that went on in the crypto markets yesterday. To those who just lost everything in the liquidation - this message is for you. And to those who had no exposure whatsoever - this message is also for you. As awful as this moment feels, there is no undo button. But life does go on. I know that feeling. That pit in your stomach, that internal prayer that all of this is a bad dream. That desire that you could just go back in time and make those small changes you were so close to making. I feel you. I’ve been there multiple times. No matter how many times it happens, it feels like your world collapses. You try to control your thoughts but your mind goes right back to what happened. It all seems hopeless. But if you’ve ever built anything once, you’ve already proven you can build again. Whether you lost $1,000, $1 million, or $100 million, the pain is real. Nobody’s pain should be minimized. No matter how rich you are, you still feel those same primal emotions. We are programmed to feel that way. In fact, the more you lose, the heavier it often feels because the more your wealth has become your identity. But recognize this: what you are feeling is our primal programming. Our evolutionary psychology to preserve and protect resources. That programming is flawed though. We always have one ability: to take control over our thoughts and feelings. To recognize that we don’t need to keep reliving the same pain. As they say in Buddhism, being struck by the first arrow hurts. But we don’t need to keep forcing ourselves to get hit by the 2nd and 3rd and 4th. Even if it feels impossible, we can focus on the breathe and find control over our thoughts and emotions. Money isn’t the most important thing in life. The things that truly matter can’t be bought, and they can’t be taken away by a liquidation - your health, your loved ones, your integrity, your ability to start again. The biggest gift we have is life itself and the freedom to carve a new future. That agency is what defines us as humans. Get outside. Spend time with friends and family. Seek help if you need it. There is always room for a brighter tomorrow as long as you remember that you still have agency. What you are feeling isn’t new. For millenia humans have felt this. Elon Musk and some of the greatest smartest wealthiest humans to ever have lived have also been on the precipice of losing it all. Multiple times. Every success story comes from those who persevered when it seemed darkest. One of the most dangerous traps of wealth is how easily it fuses with our ego. Nobody is immune. Even when we are aware of it. Not me, not you, not any human. It’s part of our condition. The larger the number, the easier it is to confuse your net worth with your self-worth. Buddhism teaches that suffering comes from attachment. You are not your account balance. You are not your status as a trader. You are much more than that. The hard truth is that the biggest lessons in life are usually learned through the rearview mirror. What’s done is done. The only way forward is to accept responsibility and move on. Many peg their worth to the wealth of others. We see people around us make insane wealth. People we view as dumber or less deserving. So we ourselves increasingly move out on the risk spectrum to try to keep up. We must always play our own game. The people we end up chasing might themselves one day lose it all. Never ever try to keep up with what others are doing. That is part of the toxicity of social media and the pnl porn that occurs on this platform. Play your own long game. I speak out against the cherry-picked bs gain porn. It was everywhere the last few weeks. So many people try to justify the pnl sharing. How many people were wiped out from simply trying to keep up w the that selective pnl porn posted on social? How many of those posters will quietly fade away after this event? The best thing you can do? Get away from the screens. Get off social. Stop looking at charts and prices. Spend the weekend outdoors. Appreciate the beauty of the sunset. Of nature. Notice that the world still goes on. As massive as this feels, it will pass with time and you will be better for this. The same way every awful thing in your life also came to pass and you came through stronger. But make sure if you are learning this lesson, you only learn it once. It is a brutal but necessary reminder: leverage kills. Markets will always surprise you. Never keep all your eggs in one basket. Segregate accounts. Keep a rainy-day fund in safe assets. Protect your downside before you chase the upside. Over the long run, everyone will face fat tail events that can bankrupt you with leverage. If you weren’t caught in this wipeout, count yourself lucky… and take this as a free lesson learned without paying the tuition. Reflect deeply on your own exposure and the risks you might not even see, especially the hidden leverage that comes from overconfidence in bull markets. You only need to get rich once. Don’t let the market teach you that lesson the hard way. Much love. Be safe. Try to find gratitude. You always have agency. No matter how bad anything gets. -(The One) Lance B