Don’t worry…Be happy!
Traveling is one of the best experiences you can have as a person. Besides the usual reasons of seeing new places, adventures etc, you get to learn so many small yet important things which can be imbibed in our life. Since my last couple of trips in the USA, I learnt about how being courteous goes a long way. The two most used words were — Thank you & Sorry. Used simply even if someone brings you a glass of water, or if someone holds the door for you while you are following him/her, or if someone unknowingly is standing in your way.
It was something wonderful to experience, something that is seldom practiced or taught here in India. Along with this, after meeting numerous friends & families, I noticed how ‘uncompetitive’ the kids are there (at least in their developing phase). There is no mad rush to get to any class, no competition with the kid next door, or no push by parents or teachers to get more marks. They just let things be & if at all, just give a direction to the progress. Kids are more collaborative, willing to help one another rather than outdo the other. This upbringing of ‘life is a race’ is so typical of an Indian household right from the time when the child is barely a couple of years old.
Everyone wants a podium finish.
In doing so, it’s always such that the best/smartest child = child with highest marks or grade = child with the least mistakes. But we all know, mistakes are a part of life. So if you make one, it is treated as such an embarrassing occurrence that most times we don’t want to admit it or quickly try to rectify it before most notice it or simply hide it! Unfortunately, this habit persists right into adulthood & perhaps till you retire.
We’re never trained to acknowledge a mistake & try to work on it. As put wonderfully by @sasfalniveshak in his recent post, the entire focus is on the result which is binary rather than focus on the process — if that was correct or not. I am in the business of investing, where you will be wrong (for a variety of reasons) while making decisions. You might be on the right side of the process, but the result might still be against you. According to Peter Lynch, in investing, you are doing great if only 60% of your calls are right.
It’s humanly impossible to be right at all times. All along your investment journey, you will have duds or failures despite the best of your calculations. Remember if you are right atleast 6 out 10 times, the 6 ideas will be good enough to take care of the 4 duds. Remember — Investing is not a zero sum game. Your neighbor “winning”, doesn’t mean you can’t win too!
So a simple advice — if you find an investor/advisor who acknowledges his mistakes, & discusses his learnings — is a person you’d want to engage with or take advice from. Not from the gloater who shares 4 stock ideas on WhatsApp every week or someone who claims glory no matter how the market is. There will be instances in your investing journey, where you will feel that nothing is working for you, and/or that your luck is always bad /or everyone else around you is doing better than you. Instead of losing your sleep on the result, simply introspect & discuss. It’s not the end till you cash out. Stocks/funds can behave randomly due to existing sentiments but if the earnings trajectory of the company has no threat (from your original thesis of buying), then simply do nothing. Narratives change everytime as per events — India’s growth story, inflation concerns, rate hikes, Russia-Ukraine war, US-China relationship, GST collections, government policies, political issues, FII selling etc etc. It’s never ending.
When was the last time when the world was perfect?
None of these matter as long the Indian economic growth trajectory doesn’t change & the company’s fundamentals remain intact. Stock prices can change everyday but the businesses don’t change overnight & you’re buying businesses by buying stocks or a fund.
Time will take care of you. Just stay the course!
Article by:
Rushil Dedhia — Rushil is associated with Sapient for over 3 years and handles a diverse set of clients. He is an Electronics Engineer and also holds a Masters Degree in International Business. Rushil is an avid investor himself and has keen interest in cricket, football and travelling.
