Monday Notes - A Cease Fire

Dear Friends -

As has become apparent over the last few weeks, I've felt a call to return at least in part to the formal education side of this business, and as such, feel that some changes may be needed to what has essentially been a personal journal over the last twelve months.

Yet before I discuss possible changes, I'd like to officially close the discussion on my return to education with the following:

As I've often stated, I've had several concerns with parts of the training and education side of this business ... concerns that have always focused on training that didn't promote self-sufficiency, didn't promote realism, was overly-marketed, was far too limited in time and scope, or wasn't backed by true experience surviving in the front lines of battle. For as a trader, those areas have always bothered me greatly, as is clearly evident in various rants over the years.

Some say I may have made a difference sharing this diary over the last year (that's of course not for me to determine), and if true, that my return in part to formal education means that I no longer want to make a difference.

Yet making a difference is precisely what I want to continue to do ... the kind of difference that one can't provide unless completely committed and devoted to it, and the kind of difference which is minimized when trading solely for oneself and ranting about it. Put another way, if I could become just half the teacher that my Dad was, or that Dr. Brett has been to this industry ... well, you can finish the rest.

Most know by now I gave up formal trader instruction a few years ago because I felt my trading journey -- which had been interrupted at the time -- was incomplete, and that I had to go back and "finish the job" and prove a few things to myself and walk the talk. Now, I feel that same drive to go back to education with additional insights based on the last year's journey to now "finish that job" by taking the experience and trying to raise industry education to an even higher level, starting with an extremely serious college-like full-immersion effort with a group of highly professional and committed individuals.

Which brings me back to the blog in terms of deciding whether to continue with it, and if so, in what format.

Here's what I don't want:

- I don't want it as a hype machine for the educational services. It's of course been a hot current topic as the concept has evolved & I've continued to "think out loud", and I've purposely had some fun with the Jellie and Field of Dreams concepts just to try to keep things fun and light -- hey it's who I am -- yet if it's coming across as hype, then I'll tone it down big-time.

- I don't want it as a battleground for the pros and cons of Don's chosen career path, or the pros and cons of the 1,000 different ways one can structure education format and cost.

- And I certainly don't want it as a battleground between commenting posters. For right now, it seems a battle between (A) the "Don, you're on the right track so stop apologizing and just forge ahead" Hatfields and (B) the "Don, how dare you have the audacity to ask for $20 (as in twenty)/hour for your time" McCoys. Ummmm ... Is anyone out there actually trading??????? Now if that doesn't get both sides to laugh, please check your pulse.

Somehow, I'm sure this is all my fault somehow, for we so love in this country to 'build 'em up' and 'tear 'em down' ... and at one point I even felt like joining the McCoys just for the hell of it. Remember that scene in An American President where the prez (Michael Douglas) walks into the room where Sydney Ellen Wade (Annette Bening) is verbally crucifying him, before he sneaks up behind her and says "Well, let's take him out back and beat the s**t out of him!" Cue the lashing.

Soooooo, I'm declaring an onlooker cease-fire today (for both sides) and have turned off the comment functionality for the moment as I try to figure out where to take this blog.

As for me?

I'm hunkered down continuing to build a team (now 35% complete) that I believe can make a difference ... and now I'm more committed than ever ... so please stay tuned if you're on the list as I'll be working on the next batch of selections tonight.

Some are saying "it" can't be done. Again.

The industry spotlight is on and heating up. Again.

Hmmm ... reminds me of July 2008.

And do I love responding to a challenge :-)

And that scent you smell from afar? It's the smoldering fire returning.

P.S. Possible M.A.T.D. tomorrow. Maybe we'll need to start talking in code.