Everyone Has A Story To Tell

life's a journey...

I have the benefit of learning from others about their past, successes & failures aside. The following were their 'journeys' before they arrived at where they are today - successful and their unexpected achievements

"A" was a successful sales person and at age 33yo, his boss decided to send him to sell and expand to the African continent. He took the challenge and went and managed to open the market and thrives within 4years. His first stop was Ghana

He was a straight cut, goodie salesperson and had the fortune to deal with the Ghana King, whose daughter, aged 18yo, fell for him. By his 2nd-year, his sales was the aggregate of the last 5years numbers. Her pursuit was so intense that even the King suggested that he should marry and make expanding the African markets his hallmark. The catch is, in his words "he couldn't accept a 'chocolate' as his wife [please - do not read racist nor xenophobia]"

Today, at 73yo, he is healthy and a successful businessman, selling into the world markets, safely settled in Taiwan. He could have been a Prince

"B", at mid-20s, was the average local and started working after "O" levels. He wanted a job that can make lots of money; A tall order indeed! He started as a rookie and dived deep into the capital markets; learning the technical skills, grabbing fundamental understanding, ingesting and balancing geopolitical issues, honed his EQ/Emotional Quotient & AQ/Adversity Quotient, developed his network zealously through sincerity, diligence and grit and also studied and collected duly recognized tertiary papers. He is simply focused

He made his first $1,000,000 by 30s and today, he lives happily but frugally; the rest is history 

"C", with little education, started as a 'bodyguard' for an 'up & rising' property developer, who also owns a finance company. His brute honesty and loyalty earns him brownies points and his boss guide him to become a contractor for his projects. He learnt the ropes fast and deliver stirling & timely finishing. He continued to build for his Boss, but at the same time, evolve to become a developer. When his Boss reputation and integrity were threatened, he dutifully went undercover to investigate and collected enough evidences to save his Boss. His loyalty is unquestioned

A from"rags to riches" story where undivided loyalty rewards

Today, in his 80s, he owns a listed company, several hotels and properties and live luxuriously with assets nearer a billion $$s. Oh! after passing 80yo, heard he bought a Ferrari; money do buy lots of things

I can go on writing but the success factors are integrity, honesty, loyalty and enthusiasm; giving up is not a choice. Betrayals will not be tolerated as some will sell out his friend for a few pennies

Success never go to traitors

Can you change your life命可以改吗？    

YES, Yes, you to some extent you can change your life  

Do you have the skill sets or the qualifications? If not, give yourself the chance to be trained and empowered - you can train to be an engineer, chef, artist, doctor... whatever

Are you able to lower yourself down to the lowest level to start with? Everyone starts from somewhere你说你被利用 但如果你连利用的价值都没 那就等于你没用 Have grit, 'bite the bullet' & prove that you are the best; someday, someone will recognize your capabilities and usefulness

If nothing else, do you have the guts. Who Dares Win and the world loves a winner

Your life is in your own hands - when you change, the world changes with you

If you never think you are wrong or feel that there is nothing to change, you will remain

Great Man, nobles and commoners walk through life not knowing what will the future bring but everyone has a story to tell...

Either they failed badly and turn around or they were born with golden spoons but lost their fortunes

Who would have thought a farmer (Jimmy Carter) or an actor (Ronald Reagan) can be the President of USA 

What you see and read in autobiography are already sanitized - if you truly wants to know the real person, their trials and tribulations, you need to go to the ground to investigate and ask and you will discover that the critical ingredient for any success is LUCK 

Success comes when天时地利人和 还要有好运

Just do your best and leave the rest [to GOD]

Have faith, HE will deliver

StockMarket - 3Q~4Q Crystall Balling

 the uneasy comfort of the capital markets...

When there were free flow of goods and services, the world grow steadily and many countries benefited. The setting up of WTO, TPP, RCEP, BRICS and other inter- and intra- regional groups were meant to ease & encourage global trades... but, protectionism, embargo and trade restrictions quickly suffocate and "time-out" many economies  

Some simply stay in their Group(ing)s and milk their hosts. If EU (27 countries) were to break-up today, many of them cannot survive the next 5 years    

The USA is the biggest culprit in printing money, not backed by any precious metals or fiduciaries, to fund its expenditures and global adventurism

The strength of the US$ is backed by next to nothing, save for being a well-armed nation

The FED is a 'private' institution

The two WWs were triggered by their desire/want to dominate controls of resources and economies

Cyclical movements and reactions are the reflections of the aggregate of psychological response to a given situation

Why are there a "4years", "10years", "60years" cycles? Generally, every 4-5 years there is an election (political changes).  Every 10 years or so, a person move onto his next stage of life. Example, 10years schooling, then joins the workforce after graduation (20years), career development and around 50-60yo, retires.

Index                52Week(Hi/Lo)         Current

DJIA                 41,585/32,327            40,345

S&P500            5,669/4,103                5,408

Nasdaq             18,671/12,543            16,690

Nikkei 225       42,426/30,235             36,391

HSI                   19,706/14,794            17,444

STI                   3,509/3,041                 3,454

FTSE                8,474/7,279                8,181

FTSE Bursa     1,684/1,412                1,653

Gold(US$)       2,559/1,809                2,526

CrudeOil(US$) 95/67                         68

Bitcoin(US$)    73,759/24,952           54,204

The chart above is other's work & due credit should be given to the Author        

Year 2024

The 4-year cycle is a near perfect reflection of market Highs/Lows as mass psychology are captured and reflected. When this short-term cycle coincides with the longer 10years and 60years cycles, the impact is greater, yet forceful. All, if not most, of the markets saw a 4year cyclical low in 2020 before recovering 

Expect (stock) markets to see a cyclical low anytime soon, especially the West [has been on the rise for the last 5years] whereas the East (using China/HK as a barometer) has been declining. Japan will be affected likewise. Will there be a shift of smart monies from the West to the East? 

Technically, yes. The East valuation (PEs) is cheaper compared with the West but trade sanctions, embargo and limping FDI/investment will impede substantial recovery

Expect intense volatility ahead - markets reward the brave but penalize the reckless. Everyone wants to make money but few do their homework

Money, smart money and fiat money, [government-issued currency that is not backed by physical commodity eg, gold, but the issuing government] need to find safe heaven to grow and hedge against depreciation; where else is better than the capital/stock markets. Investment in commodities markets is an ideal alternative.

Investing in stock markets is as safe as when there is no war, social unrest and political uncertainty.

Until the valuation is adequately adjusted in the overpriced markets, you have a choice of investing in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, HK(proxy for China), Taiwan, Singapore and India

It is wise to take some money off the market in this counter-trend rebound and await an impactful sudden downswing. [Short sellers stay short but with tight stops]. What if the market continues it's uptrend? Well, nobody goes broke by taking profits

I am not a doomsday sayer and neither am I a blind bull; trade at your own risks

 

Trap And Entrap

an unsettled mind is hyperactive...

Whoever says that everyone is entitled to success

Who can ever promise that you will get whatever you want and wish for just because you worked hard for it 

Nothing is promised ~ even your renowned Master and fortune tellers cannot be sure

Why get bottled up and worked up over something that nobody can assure you

Seek peace with yourself and GOD, for HE shall deliver

Trust that the paths forward are paved and ideal for you... be patient

Do your best & leave the rest

Read and learn more, upskill and upgrade and be EQ, AQ & CQ ready - EQ: Emotional Quotient smart AQ: Adaptability Quotient: One's ability to adapt to changes. CQ: Curiosity Quotient: Curiosity and open-mindedness

Fight or flight is only a letter different but always fight to win and flight to survive

Walk away when it gets hot under the collar

The persistent negativity is a norm in human affairs in any decent society; root out one and another pop up. Be resolute against negatives 

Positive energy eliminate and minimize the negatives 

Do not press ahead when you are weak and not ready. Confidence alone cannot win if the foundation is unstable and inadequate

Be optimistic and positive but be aware of your own weaknesses and unpreparedness

A restless person makes the journey more dangerous and prone to failures due to impatience and misjudgement

Knots are to be untangled, not cut

Not every journey can be completed in one breath 

In a world of more than 8bil people, only over 190 sprinters have run faster than 10 seconds since 1968 when Jim Hines broke the sub-10 barrier and won the 1968 Summer Olympics

When fires and water interplay, the situation is blurred and grueling and the final result is reconstruction and restoration ~ nothing will be the same again

Only brutal truths and consistency can shield one from negativity 

Ideally, live the life of a pig; eat your fill, drink enough, rest well, sleep soundly and dream exotically

Tomorrow is never promised and the next stop could be the abattoir

There are no leftovers of a pig. Much is consumed and it's a base for medicines manufacturing

Live well today and every moment ~ day in, day out

Your dreams and aspirations will materialize so long as you live to harvest... a dead Man has no dreams

The trapped mind that's mired in worries, unfulfilled goals and broken dreams will end up sick... very sick indeed. Sleep your worries away or leave your worries in your dreams; wake up without it

Without good health, nothing can be achieved

A healthy person is almost free from sicknesses

For whatever come may, the positively strong mind weaned off negativity 

We can hope and pray for a better future but if you cannot live well and happy today, whatever tomorrow bring will not satisfy you; you are caught in the circular wave of disenfranchisement

Make hay when the sun shines as you will make lemonade out of lemons

Get away from noises and unnecessary disruptions that drown your tempo

If there is nothing better to do, do nothing

 It is knowledge and wisdom, not age, that builds characters 

长江后浪推前浪这是智慧，不是年龄

You are born free, so remains free