Chapter 4
The Price of Holding on to Your Stories
We all have stories that chronicle our lives and why things have turned out the way they have. At first glance, these stories seem harmless enough but the cost of holding on to them can be very high. Instead of explaining why things have turned out the way they are, these harmless stories have the potential to determine how things will be—and how successful we will become in the future.
Some stories are more influential than others. The more we reflect on a particular story, the more powerful that story and its message becomes. The level of detail given to our thoughts determines the depth of the associated feelings. When our feelings have more depth, they have more power to influence our behavior.
If our thoughts about our trading are pleasing, our neurology will support us in following the rules of our trading methodology. However, if the thoughts are disturbing and are attached to actions that go against our rules, a negative pattern of behavior is anchored. When these negative thoughts are repeated, breaking the patterns of behavior that are created becomes more difficult because they are anchored to automatic behavior.
