Happy Friday, traders…

Ben here.

Earlier in the week, I talked about my background in teaching.

Teaching has always been one of my passions because I love watching my students master new skills.

I’m here to teach you how to win in the options market. As your teacher, I need to convey what I think … but it’s just as crucial to show you how I think.

In other words, I want to reveal to you my philosophy — my truth — about trading and people. 

And when I think about my trading truth, it all comes down to three proverbs.

By going through these proverbs today, I’ll show you: 

• Why most traders aren’t “born with it” (and how to build it)…
• The profound impact of self-awareness on your trading decisions…
• What cold soup has in common with trading…

Let’s learn the proverbs…

Great Traders Are Born and Built

Some people think great traders are simply born with an innate talent for the market.

(This debate was the center of the story I told you about “The Turtles” earlier this week.)

And it’s true — some people seem to come to the market with a special knack for reading the tape, controlling their emotions, and executing trades flawlessly. 

Think Bobby Axelrod on the TV show Billions:

But let’s be real: traders who are “born” with these abilities are few and far between. Like, less than 1%.

For the vast majority of aspiring traders, your skill in the market needs to be built. 

This means studying market patterns, understanding the nuances of price action, and, most importantly, learning how to manage your emotions under pressure. 

Don’t worry if it feels like you’re not a natural at first. That’s normal. Every successful trader has gone through the process of building their skills.

With the right guidance, you can acquire the chops you need to crush the options market — like shooting a jump shot, driving a car, or learning a language.

Who You Are as a Person Is Who You Are as a Trader

I can’t overstate how much your personality affects your trading performance. 

If you want to be a great trader, you need to know thyself — because who you are as a person is who you are as a trader. 

Ask yourself: Are you generally a patient person? Or do you get easily frustrated in traffic, watching a game on TV, or dealing with small inconveniences?

Patience is one of the most critical aspects of successful trading. You should trade like a farmer patiently waiting for the perfect harvest.

If you’re a patient person in everyday life, you’ll likely find it easier to stay calm and disciplined when trading. You won’t feel the need to force trades or make rash decisions when things aren’t going your way.

But if you tend to be impatient — if you’re the kind of person who gets road rage or loses your cool over minor annoyances — that impatience will spill over into your trading. 

And let me tell you, impatience is one of the biggest account killers in the market. You’ll end up chasing bad trades, holding onto losers too long, or bailing out of winning positions too early — all because you can’t wait for the market to come to you.

Work on your patience in all aspects of life. Stay cool, calm, and collected in your personal life, and you’ll start to see that same attitude benefit you in your trading.

Your Expectations of the Market Will Shape Your Trading Experience

Now, let’s talk about gazpacho. Ever had it?

If you haven’t, it’s a Spanish soup. And I don’t know about you, but when I hear the word “soup,” I think warm, comforting, hearty. 

So, imagine my surprise the first time I tried gazpacho, and it was ice cold.

I’ll admit, my first reaction wasn’t great — I spit it out. I was expecting something warm. The cold soup threw me off…

But the thing is, gazpacho isn’t bad, it’s just different from what I expected. My expectations didn’t match reality.

This is similar to what happens in trading. If you come to the market with unrealistic expectations — like thinking you’re going to make 1000% in a few weeks — you’re setting yourself up for disappointment. 

And that disappointment can lead to frustration, bad decision-making, losses, and even total failure. 

But when you have realistic expectations — like aiming for small, consistent gains over a realistic time frame — you give yourself room to grow. 

When the market surprises you, you won’t be caught off guard. You’ll be prepared to adapt and make rational decisions.

It’s all about mindset. Keep your expectations in check, and you’ll find that trading the options market, much like gazpacho, can be pretty enjoyable — even when it’s not what you expected.

These proverbs have guided me not only in trading but in life. 

Take these lessons to heart, and you’ll be on the path to becoming a better, more consistent trader.

Before we go, let’s look at:

💰The Biggest Smart-Money Bets of the Day💰

• $8.6 million bullish bet on COIN 11/01/2024 $215 calls @ $4.93 avg. (seen on 10/23)

• $3.3 million bullish bet on CLSK 01/17/2025 $10 calls @ $3.30 avg. (seen on 10/23)

• $2.3 million bullish bet on AMZN 11/01/2024 $195 calls @ $2.72 avg. (seen on 10/23)

Happy trading,

Ben Sturgill

P.S. Believe it or not, you can often see whether a company will beat or miss before the market finds out. 

That’s exactly why I developed Earnings Edge, a specialized system designed to take full advantage of these huge trading opportunities.

For example: Earnings Edge projected a 91.2% earnings beat probability on Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ: AVGO), the day before its call options exploded by 1,014%!*

Click here to access my Earnings Edge.

*Past performance does not indicate future results