Spirituality has traditionally been a taboo topic among traders. Many successful traders I’ve met or know have a spiritual practice but don’t talk about it openly.
I think this is because trading has traditionally been a very male-dominated profession and is considered to be emotionally weak or disadvantaged.
However, depending on which research you read, 90% of new traders end up not being consistently profitable.
So the older model clearly has a problem.
All problems in trading arise from leaving your soul.
That may sound like a silly statement now. But if you stick with me, I’ll show you exactly why this statement is true.
Only a few people probably agree with me, but the rest are very skeptical.
Ok, that’s totally normal. You don’t have to believe me now
Let’s explore spirituality in trading and why I believe it is essential to your long-term success as a trader.
The three human elements of trading
Basically, there are three things you need to be successful as a trader.
By understanding these elements, you can consciously improve in these areas.
How can I work on them if I don’t know about them?
Makes sense, right?
Alright, here are them and how they affect your success as a trader.
left brain consciousness
Our left hemisphere processes cognitive functions and processes logic.
This is where we usually start when learning a new skill.
In trading this means learning how to:
- Execute the trading strategy rules
- enter a transaction
- Calculate your risk
- Analyze the results
- Optimize your strategy
Unfortunately, this is where most new traders get stuck. They believe trading is all about numbers and trading systems.
This is why online content focused on trading systems is so popular.
Most newbies to trading think that all they need is a good trading strategy.
They then get stuck in the trading silodrome, going from trading strategy to trading strategy.
If you don’t stop, eventually you’ll realize you need to pay attention to your emotions and mental programming as well.
That’s when they start to focus on right-brain consciousness.
right brain consciousness
The right side of our brain has been shown to be responsible for processing emotions and intuition.
In other words, this is where much of the “psychology” of trading happens.
You can create the most profitable trading strategies in the world, but you can’t execute them well if you can’t control your emotions.
Traders who are unaware of their emotions, such as revenge trading, take too many risks and fall into a negative spiral of destructive thinking.
When traders master the emotional side of trading, it is usually when they make a profit.
If you want to see my favorite trading psychology books, here is a list.
It’s not about shutting out your emotions, it’s about being aware of them and not overreacting.
But this is a lot of work.
Many people are unwilling to confront and work on their own psychological barriers.
Unfortunately, that’s why trading psychology content isn’t popular on the internet.
However, even after traders find profitability, there is usually one more realization that they have to deal with.
whole consciousness
This is something I haven’t seen most people talking about in trading. We will discuss this in more detail in the future. Bookmark this site or subscribe to our mailing list if you’d like to learn more.
In this third level, you want to step away from your brain and focus on your whole being.
This perception combines the functions of both sides of our brain with the perception of a third element, our mind or soul.
Without spirituality, it is difficult to find meaning in our lives and transactions.
So let’s take a look at what spirituality is, its benefits, and how to cultivate it in your life.
What is Spirituality?
Spirituality is belief and connection to a sacred part of yourself. That part is often called the soul.
In more practical terms, it’s about understanding who you are at a core level and understanding what brings you joy.
Broken down, this is the common thread between all religions and spiritual practices in the world.
Many people equate spirituality with religion.
Religion certainly includes spirituality, but there is much more to spirituality than any other religion.
So whether you believe in a particular religion or not, it’s a good idea to leave your preconceived notions about spirituality at the door.
Just as there are different trading strategies, there are many different forms of spirituality.
There is no one method that works for everyone.
All that matters is finding what works best for you.
The way I see it, whatever you believe in now is perfect. Use that as a starting point for your exploration.
You may change your mind, or you may not.
Embrace the idea that spirituality is an important part of life and trade.
The impact of spirituality on trading may not be obvious right now, but we’ll explain why it’s more important than any trading strategy or trading psychology tip.
The relationship between spirituality and trade
The topic of spirituality usually comes up when a trader becomes consistently profitable.
When freed from financial worries, ask questions such as:
- what’s next?
- Is trading making me happy?
- Why do certain things outside of trading have such a big impact on my trading?
- Do you trade as well as make money?
- What kind of activities do you think are fulfilling?
- How can I make a positive impact on the world?
If a trader doesn’t answer these questions, they may lose interest in trading or, worst of all, burn out.
The bottom line is that you need to find meaning in either the activity of the transaction itself or the activity enabled by the transaction.
in the words of Brian Gerald Shaffer:
“The meaning of life is to have fun. The purpose of life is to share that enjoyment with as many people as possible.”
For example, I may not think trading is the most fun thing in the world, but I love that it gives me income and free time to engage in my true passion, kitesurfing.
You don’t have to wait until you are a successful trader to ask these questions.
But without a deep connection with your own soul, you may not know what you really enjoy.
Find out what is important to you if you want long-term success in trading while learning to trade.
For many people, it’s not as easy as it sounds.
Unfortunately, most of us have been overwhelmed by our soul connection and what makes us happy.
We have been in school for over 12 years and are forced to study what others think we should learn.
I think I can speak for most people when I say school is boring and a waste of time.
Imagine that you only studied what you were interested in.
It would have been amazing!
Then get a job where you’re just doing other people’s busy work.Again, we were not allowed to pursue what we find fun.
On top of that, our social media feeds are inundated with marketing messages and the opinions of others, further separating us from our inner voice.
Spirituality helps us quiet the noise, reconnect with the parts of us that we love to enjoy, and help us realign our passions with the way we make a living.
Positive influence of spirituality
When there is meaning and fulfillment in our life, the pressure of trading is removed and we have more energy.
Have you ever been so absorbed in an activity that you lost track of time?
That’s what makes you happy.
For some, it may be the act of trading itself.
Some prefer other activities and simply view trading as a means to an end.
Either way, doing something you love lifts your spirits and relieves stress. It makes life more exciting.
If you trade in a relaxed state, you are more likely to trade successfully.
how to get started
If you already have a spiritual practice, that’s great.
It’s okay if you don’t.
Start where you are now.
Meditation helps calm the mind and relax the body.
Highly recommend if you haven’t already.
Many spiritual teachers say it is the gateway to our inner self.
Agree.
As you relax and let go of the distracting thoughts that go through your mind every day, you begin to realize who you are and what you really want.
You will find your emotions running wild. You can identify areas that you need to learn more about.
Here’s a quick introduction to how to get started with mediation.
But meditation is just one thing you can do to explore your spirituality.
you can also try…
- yoga
- breathwork
- Volunteer activity
The key is to start with what makes sense to you and go from there.
final thoughts
Spirituality is essential to being a successful trader.
You may not realize you need it at the current stage of your trading journey.
Ultimately, though, you have to answer some key questions to get to the heart of who you are and what you really want.
Therefore, we recommend that you start this work as soon as possible.
Doing a spiritual practice and connecting with the deepest part of yourself is the best way to become a better trader, enjoy life and have no regrets when you check out.
PS – If you want to dive deeper into spirituality and find out what I’ve been up to, read this.