Trade Travel Vacation

If there's one thing I've realized during this long and running 3 months traveltradecation, it's this :

You can do all three at the same time - travel, trade and vacation. And that's good. Looks and sounds nice too when you talk about it to people. But don't expect to maximize the experience if you do. One, two, or all three would suffer if you aren't fully present for the experience.

Some cake anyone?

Personal Notes Series 012 : The Trials and Destiny of a High Risk Trader

I remember working my ass off in the corporate world and it was tough. I did many other odd jobs and tasted the business world. I knew deep inside these things weren't for me.

Then I tried trading. It was tough! Trading wasn't easy for me - as some people claim that I had talent for. I had to go through a harsh process. I had to go through much losses in order for me to reach where I am right now. And I'm thankful for all the pain and frustrations that came with it.

It wasn't instant like your favorite 3 minute noodles. 

I'd say it took me 3 years to be finally consistent in winning and keeping my gains. In those 3 years, I had 3 instances of a "Wipe Out" where you incur a loss and a mental block that challenges your will to continue fighting for financial freedom in the markets.

I got depressed, almost quit, and thought of suicide.

But there was hope. I believed God didn't put this passion of trading in me so I'd just die. I knew I was meant for something big. I just didn't know it yet. I prayed and sought God.

I believe if you pray for something, it isn't enough that you invoke faith. It should be accompanied with relative action. Faith without works is dead. Parang tumaya ka lang sa lotto and leave everything to chance.

So cheers to all you traders who are charting this day before the new year. (I was in your shoes before.) 

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I've seen people who have worked their asses off, got good results but in the end, still felt empty inside - that despite their achievements and possessions, there was always something missing. 

And I've witnessed people who were favored in what they did. They also went through the same process of refinement. It wasn't easy. It never will be. There's always pain. But by the end of it all, you see them bringing that special impact to the community that only they could do.

One of the wisest who lived the earth once said..

"Unless the Lord builds a house,

the work of the builders is wasted.

Unless the Lord protects a city,

guarding it with sentries will do no good."

Let this be a reminder to all of us as we transition to the new year. In everything we plan in doing, let us seek God first and ask...

"What is my destiny? What is it that I am called for?"

And when we finally get the answer... we fight for it!

Happy new year everyone!

Personal Notes Series 011 : The Dissonance of A High Risk Trader

This word was something that hit me a few years ago when I was starting to rake in those profits from the market.

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I have always made it clear to everyone that I am a firm believer in Technicals and Technicals only. Not to speculation, brokers or Insiders. And most specially not to Fundamentals. I have embraced this truth and will most likely die with it.

I am not saying that believing in Fundamentals or market insiders is wrong and that there is no money in it, because there is. What I am saying is that out of the 3 Truths I experienced, [Fundamentals, Technicals and Funnymentals] only Technicals has proven to be consistent in making me money in EVERY season - be it a bull, sideways, or a dreaded bear market.

(Exhibit A)

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"Cognitive Dissonance"

This might be confusing for those who are new to it. So to further expound on this lovely term, I'd like to introduce Bob. (He's a bit shy)

Bob has been studying and trading the markets for a few years now. He believes that stocks with good fundamentals, when timed with technicals, will yield him a fortune in a relatively short amount of time vs if he only believed in one truth.

"Why not get the best out of both worlds, ya know what I'm sayin?"

So in August of 2015, Bob bought TEL on the grounds that it was fundamentally sound and that techincally, it was at good levels and holding supports.

On the next month however, TEL broke down from it's supports and hit Bob's technical cut points at -5% to -8%. He was faced with a dilemma. It's a good stock and it pays good dividends. In a fundamental perspective if the price goes any lower, Bob will greatly benefit from it because he would be able to buy more shares and that would translate to more dividends. But on the technical side of things, he had to sell because TEL was already showing signs of a downtrend. 

There was dissonance. A chaos and disharmony boiled within Bob. Does he hold or does he cut?

So he starts thinking about the time he spent researching about the company. He computes the tax and the paper losses he'll incur if he sells. And after eating his favorite happy meal, he came to a decision.

"I'll hold and average down. Someday, this will go back up. It is after all, a fundamentally good stock. Ya know what I'm sayin?"

In order for Bob to alleviate his anxiety and find peace within himself, he had to choose to firmly believe in one truth and in this case, it was Fundamentals. A year passed by and he found himself with deeper losses. But that doesn't affect him anymore.

You just cannot serve two contradicting truths. 

If you're still new in the markets, there will come a point in your trades where you will have to decide just like Bob.

"Will I choose Fundamentals? Or will I choose Technicals?"

Remember, there is no middle ground. And now that I think about it, this truth reflects a lot about life and the decisions we make.

"Am I still serving God or am I serving my own interests?"

Personal Notes Series 010: The 6 Digits Trader

For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?

Everybody has a dream. But dreams are not without cost.

It was the last quarter of 2010, I remember having the typical Filipino dream of going abroad to work, travel and see the world and then retire at a ripe age and come back to build a nice house somewhere near a beach. I also remember that I haven't really figured out what I wanted to do. It would have been nice to be able to do what you want, have fun and get paid for it. DOTA 2 and eGames wasn't that much of a thing that time.

----

After some time observing the markets I understood that making +5% to as much as +50% in a day was very possible. But of course I had to be realistic so +10% every month for a year would do. I then began to imagine the possibilities. For sure I'm not the only crazy bastard right?

I was aware that losses can happen as well, but who cared about losses really? When you look for a job or start a business, do you look at the cost or risks first? No. You look at the potential profits. Kaya nga nag hanap ng trabaho or patayo ng business para kumita diba? I was young and foolish.

One reason why people consider going full time in trading is when they experience gaining profits equal or greater than their salaries with lesser time than they would with their jobs. 

My salary or allowance during my practicum abroad (before graduating college) was around 18-21k php. It was a good amount since I was excellent at saving, but it was barely enough for anything extra I wanted to do or have.

...

And then that day came.

In just two days, I was able to gain 3 months worth of my salary. I felt I could conquer the world. It was at that moment when I decided to go full time after I finish my contract and graduate from college. 

I finally found what I wanted to do.

I decided to go full time into trading with a 6-digit port. I didn't know it was a suicide mission. And by full time trading, I mean not getting a job or business and just dedicating my time and energy to the markets as my sole source of income.

You see, there are many traders out there who would say that paper losses are okay; that it is okay to "sit it out" because eventually it will recover. But you see, pain demands to be felt. It demands your immediate attention. If you let a wound go untreated, it gets worse and could eventually turn lethal.

This is the difference between full time traders and those who are just wannabees. A wannabee can commit a mistake or a loss and stick to that loss. They can be wrong as long as they want, until they eventually become right and say "I told you so." They can afford to feed their egos because they have a backup plan - it could be a job or business or maybe they just have a lot of money - a fallout shelter when everything falls apart. 

A full time 6-digits trader however, doesn't have this luxury. Pride and ego won't put food in his table. Every trade will mean life or death to him. There is no backup plan. If he wishes to survive in the face of a grave mistake, he accepts the loss and cuts to trade another day.


----

There's this story I've read somewhere. It was about this King going into war with another from a faraway kingdom. He sent his whole army across the continent with their best ships. When the armada reached shore and finished making camp, the lord commander of the king's army immediately ordered the burning of their ships.

As the fire started to consume the shoreline and lit up the dark night, the lord commander announced to the king's army "We have burnt our finest ships. The only way we are going back home is to win this war!"

This was the kind of situation I found myself in. My ship was burning. There was no turning back. The kingdom was the prize. Home was the dream.

It wasn't easy. There were seasons of battles where I lost. I questioned my will and sanity many times. 

"Have I made the right choice?"  

I ventured into this world with my family's blessing. I had to bring them honor. I had to show them I was a warrior. That I could take care of myself amidst all the uncertainties that the market brings. And I failed. Many times. But every single time I fell down to my knees and started to lose hope, I found myself in the presence of the Lord of Heaven's Armies. 

"Do you believe?" 

"I still do. You didn't send me here to fight for a dream and die."

"Get up!" He said. "I will fight for you and bring you to your destiny!" 

The rest was history.

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To the the full time 6-Digit traders out there who have burnt their ships and are fighting for their first seven and their dreams, you have my mad respect! You aren't alone in this war - seek out the Lord of Heaven's Armies. Believe. Receive.

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Let me end with this story... 

In the beginning God created the heavens - the moon, the sun and the stars. He created the earth and everything that lives in it - the huge beasts and the little creepy shits that crawl. And God saw to it that it was good. 

Then God created Man. And in each and every one of them, in the deepest depths of their hearts, He placed dreams.

A soldier with the initials Z.F. found his dream. Now this soldier asks those who read,

"What are your dreams?"

Personal Notes Series 009 : Trading with Purpose

I'm in constant fascination by the heroes in most cartoons and anime. You'd normally see them face and fight a tougher, impossible enemy. When I think about it, it's just stupid sometimes - they could have just lived their lives for themselves and not be bothered. But they choose to become stronger. To have a higher purpose in life. Not just for themselves. But for others. And in doing so, they find that seemingly impossible strength or wisdom to meet the need of becoming that hero.

I always wanted to be a hero. To help those in need. I realized I started becoming one when I committed myself to trade not just for myself. But for others.

Click here for the latest Update on the 13 Scholars

Personal Notes Series 008 : The Mandate of A High Risk Trader

Personal Judgement and Paying It Forward

I find it odd when some people say we should donate everything to charity since it is "morally" the right thing to do. Does this mean that if we use the money for personal gain we become Immoral or less of a good person?

But the thing is, in ZFT we exercise free will. We don't force each other to do things we do not want. Which means, be it for personal gain, or for paying it forward, we use the funds according to what we believe is right, according to our personal judgement.

And I personally believe having the choice to give away something of value is far more rewarding and honorable than to be forced to give just because.

" ...for God loves a cheerful giver. "

So do not compare us to seminaristas and other trading schools or other mentors. We do what we do because we want to do what we do - NOT because we are PAID to do it or because we could make good business out of it. You don't see us selling stuff to our readers diba? Our trading gains are more than enough to sustain us.

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Investing and The People of ZFT

I understand that I am no businessman. My strength is in gaming and in trading. And with the way things are going with our current RAKs, I believe the ZFT fund isn't maximized. Yes we are able to help a lot of people with the funds we are getting. But what happens when we stop the Subasta and Seed mentoring? How many in ZFT would be willing to pledge support to charities and other groups needing help? How long can we keep this up?

There are so many things that we could do together with all the talent in the Tribe. But I hesitate to ask ZFTs to join me in this culture and cause. Because there is no such thing as free lunch. When we have tribe projects like the development of Technical Screeners, Project Seed, and other Tribe Events, it comes with a price. And I'd rather have people come forward and give out of the abundance of their hearts.

And in this light, I am looking for something sustainable. If you give to charity, you help a few to several people for a while. But if you partner with people in their businesses with the same principles as you (and in paying it forward), you not just help the businessman, you also continuously help the community that receives the RAK.

Here's a sample of what's going through my mind.

(Thanks for Introducing the Mindly App Celeste)

I would like to re-iterate that I am no businessman. This is not my strength and alone, I cannot effectively achieve whatever it is that I would like to happen. So If you have a better Idea and would like to partner with us on this ordeal, you may contact our budget secretary Robert Sy.

If you think about it, I could just take the easy path and turn my back on this task and hoard all that money like an RPG gamer would. But I just can't. I love.. Because God loved me first and I would just like to share that love experience with others.

http://zeefreaks.blogspot.com/p/the-mandate.html

Personal Notes Series 007 : Dreams of A High Risk Trader

The game that is the Stock Market is all about following rules and playing the game better than anyone else.

I remember deciding not to pursue the corporate life and just trade my way out of the rat race. I was confident and I worked hard for it. I knew this was my calling.

Started with 160k late 2010. Borrowed 2M in 2012. Then Another 2M in 2013. Lost 2.4M in the process. I knew it wasn't going to be a walk in the park. If it were, it would be like Jurassic Park. 

But I kept going. I Made friends along the way. Made enemies.  Burned bridges. Found my identity as a trader. Found the system that was right for me. Paid off my investors. Bought them out of my funds. And the rest was history.

To my friends, students,  and all who follow my blog, http://zeefreaks.blogspot.com/ Do not pray that you will gain hundreds, thousands or millions looking for a jackpot stock. Pray for wisdom, discipline and the ability to endure hardships. Pray that God will mold you to become a living testimony of His goodness. And pray extra hard that you won't be trapped by the Love of Money.

Today, my trading port just reached a figure I was only dreaming about years ago. The rest of my story how I started, the lessons I've learned, the technical notes, up to the present is all here in my blog for everyone to read. Inspired? Share it. Because if I was able to make it, why can't you? 

"Matthew 6:33

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."

Personal Notes Series 006 : Beyond the Money

We trade the markets in order to reach our goals of financial freedom. We are all in it for the money. But is money all there to it?

Everyday we are bombarded by negativity and corruption. Do we gain anything if we add to it? Our generation has been too calloused to care. We should be weeping for our nation. We could be better. We can be better. And you don't need to be rich AF for you to be able to help those who are in need. 

Sometimes I think keeping the tribe's good deeds is the way to go. But is it the right thing to do? To keep silent? We don't show off RAKs so people would praise us. 

There's a continuous moral decay in our society. And it is spreading fast because those who execute it do so shamelessly in broad daylight. And when people think it's okay to do evil because "everybody" is doing it anyways, then we create a serious culture problem.

If we want to see a better, brighter future, let us start fighting evil by doing good. By spreading love. By showing the youth of this generation hope and allowing them to dream. Let us be loud in creating a culture that pays it forward. 

Imagine what the world would be like then.

Personal Notes Series 005 : Struggles of a High Risk Trader

Money is the root of all evil they say. 
But it is not. For Money is neutral. 
It is the Love of Money that is the root of all evil.

A few days ago a friend and I were walking along the street and we saw this 50 peso bill that was within our reach. "Uy may 50 pesos oh!" But we continued walking and let the bill get blown by the wind. We laughed. 

That moment made me realize how much I have changed and how much has been provided for me - to the point that it felt like I was drowning in divine provision. God wasn't joking when He said... 

"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the Lord Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it."

"What are you going to do with all that money zee?" I was, and I still am in deep thought on the matter. Yes it is a blessing. But it also has become a burden.

"To whom much is given, much is also required."

And so I constantly seek wisdom as to how I will become a good steward of my talents and this resource.

I got to chat with my friends and they talk about their problems about how they're not being treated well at work, their struggles of not being able to save or just not having enough by the end of the day.

I see some people working and giving to charity and how a lot of the poor say they need money and all these resources so they could finally get out of poverty.

I wish I could help. And I wish money was the key to solve all these problems. But it isn't.

Even if you give away a million in cash, the poor will stay poor unless they change their way of thinking. And a trader or investor will constantly lose money if their mindsets in trading or investing is wrong.

I remember giving good amounts of cash to a few people when they needed help. And sadly, my giving turned out to be a curse to them. Because after a period of time, they became dependent. I might have destroyed their lives. I hope not. And so I have learned when to give and when to withhold.

Sometimes I feel so helpless and weak. You have what they want. But you can't give it to them. 
And not everyone wants your idea of help. Even if they need it.

If you genuinely want to help people, you have to help them change their mindsets. 

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This week has been hard on me. Melancholy has hit me out of nowhere. Maybe I've spent too much time with myself that I got to reflect a lot about life.

Trading is my passion. But it has become boring for me. Like that feeling of completing and being the strongest character in a game where all the creeps are killed with a single blow. At some point all the fun is gone.

(I do hope I don't become bald)

The year is just starting and I've already reached my quota for 2016. 
My trading port is now 1.7M+ bigger and there's still 11 months.


And all this money I have has probably desensitized me from my simple pleasures like food, gadgets and cute stuff. Have my standards raised without me noticing it? I live a pretty simple life as opposed to what a lot of you might think. But the things I considered special have now become normal to me. If I wanted something, I'd just say "Isang Tsupita lang yan." Oh the arrogance.

I have carefully evaluated myself and understand the need for me to exercise restraint and for me to once again connect and relate with civilians. My contact with other humans has become too minimal this month. And being ZF has put me in an awfully weird position. People expect me to do things and act a certain way. I simply want to be an anonymous troll enlightening people to the truth and exposing bullshit when needed. And I am not some cold hearted Klingon warrior that feels nothing - I have feelings too.

Gaining insights from the wisest man who walked the earth in the book of Ecclesiastes has pushed a lot of my buttons these days. I felt like the dude was my best friend for a moment. 

"Life is meaningless."

Indeed it is, if you are without purpose. 

Yes. Money can buy a lot of things, but It certainly can't buy lasting happiness and contentment - even if you do honorable things like give all your money to the poor or do good works. For There's a constant void in everyone of us...

And only God can fill it.

Zeefreaks and Atlas

This is one of those nights when I just feel like basking in the

 moonlight, wishing to be present in the emptiness of space.

Evoking, surrounding myself with melancholy. What is this piece
 of art? I relish the moment of serene sadness as I listen to its

 melody. A fusion and a rift of the complex and of the simple. 

I close my eyes to gaze at the depths of this beauty.

Atlas.

I feel that If I put more words to describe this masterpiece, 

I wouldn't be doing it any justice.

Personal Notes Series 003 : Ordeals and Purpose

It's been 5 solid years since I started active trading. And as I look back to all that I've been through - the memories of all the good and bad experiences, It still feels as if it's not enough, and that I know nothing.

There are days when I wake and think 

"How the hell did I got this far?"

I wasn't a full time trader when I started.

And as I an idealist, it was hard to live in a corrupted world.

I remember my strong distaste for having a job and working for bosses and supervisors that disregarded excellence, progress and innovation. It saddened me when I saw the people in power, tripping and bullying those who were weak. I know how it feels to be weak and I wanted to be a defender. A hero. But it always broke my heart when I was deemed wrong and had to suffer the consequences whenever I tried standing up to evil.

"Tiis ka lang. Matatapos din to."

But for how long?

I guess that was one of the reasons that pushed me to where I am
 now. I swore that time not bow down to anyone but God.

Trading was the perfect escape. 

No forced "OT"

No corrupt BOSS

No job I didn't like

I was naive. So I Borrowed trading money and took the leap of faith.

(I DO NOT RECOMMEND YOU DO THIS)

There were seasons when I lost a lot and almost went crazy. Just imagine borrowing 4 Million and Lose 3M+ , then all of a sudden the people who you borrowed from (who by the way, don't know each other) would ask for their money at the same time.

But looking at how things went, I know that I had to go through that terrible experience for a reason.

I got to know and experience that there really is a God out there.

That it wasn't just tradition or religion.

I got to understand who I was, that I had purpose in life.

To inspire others. (Naiinspire nga ba kayo?) 
To set an example. A standard.

And be a testimony of God's love and principles.

I look at some of my trades and go

"Meh."

But deep inside I understand that it is by God's power and principles that I am able to pull off trades beyond the average trader. For I know very well who I am - that I do not always have the patience nor the discipline.

I remember another experience, of God telling me one time to divide and give 6 figures to several groups of people. And during this time, I had a 7 figure loss In my port. It was hard. But I had faith.

"If God won't save me on this ordeal, I'll just have my favorite food
 for the rest of the year - or the rest of  my life lang naman."

Of course I would be lying If I said I didn't have my doubts.

"Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of 
everything you produce. Then He will fill your barns with grain,
 and your vats will overflow with good wine."

What BS is this?

Common sense would tell us that it is always better to receive than
 to give. Giving is an honorable act. But who in their right mind
 thinks giving is better than receiving?

 But I tell you, try the principle above and you'll be surprised.

Tithing or surrendering 10% of what you have to God can do wonders.

Imagine what God can do if you act in faith and give more.

I guess sooner or later we'll end up like William Colgate.

5 Awesome roller coaster years.

Not sure how I'll end this post. So I will just share what happened several nights ago when we had an open chat with non ZFT Traders. We had a great time. I had a great time. And after all the technical and personal questions people had, one student asked me this:

(Ano nga ba? What's yours?)

Of course "Pills" wasn't my answer.

"The essence of being a trader? 

parang miss universe lang ah..."

"To be a master of one's emotions and 

to risk not just for one's own benefit 

but for others."

-Love ZF

Personal Notes Series 001

Dreams. 

We all have them.

I particularly, am a person with big dreams. I am not a rich person. Nor is my family. And by this, I mean that even if we combine all our assets and work our asses off, we won't even reach 12M PHP worth. And by judging my capacity, the culture, the connections and the opportunities around me, I have safely concluded that it wouldn't be feasible to attain my dreams on my preferred retirement age of 30, if I'd follow our world's system of living.

Side note: Some "shortcuts" were plausible, but since I am a person groomed with morals and integrity, I have chosen to uphold the law.

In my years of seeking financial freedom and handling money, I have gotten myself into different kinds of jobs and tested financial laws and systems. Tried the very basic of jobs, you may even call some demeaning. Tried work overseas, networking, call centers, direct selling, teaching in schools, etc. Many of course were failures, a few were decent, and some were ordinary.

And of course, you already know how stocks have been to me.

"So what's your secret Zee?" 

I get this question a lot.

Now just to set the record and my credentials, I have no proper financial education. Zero. None. Nada. I didn't read (or at least didn't finish reading) ANY financial books - too lazy to do that. Unless of course you'd count my subjects in college in Accounting and Economics 101. LOL.

Now as to my secret.

I would just love to say it's all me and my superior intellect. But it isn't. It's God's wisdom.

Say wuuut? You heard that right. And I know I'm so deep, I can see Adele Rolling.

But out of all the systems I've tried, God's principles and laws on finances have proven to be far superior than any lawful human system I've gotten into. 

By now some of you are like, W.T.F. has ZF been smoking?

This is weird for me to write this stuff on my blog as well. But hell I'll write it because even though ZF is fictional, the God ZF serves ain't. I wouldn't be writing this in the first place if all I get is hateful mocking from unbelievers and haters.

Now deal with it and let me continue.

Let me put it this way. Intellect is when you are able to solve and pass complex physics shit with flying colors. Wisdom is being able to teach that same shit to a kid who's about to start grade school.

In the world of stocks I'm the grade schooler and God, my teacher.

Human as I am, I tend to put a schedule on things especially when it comes to money - and when it doesn't go my way, I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't be discouraged. But you know what? When God promises, He definitely delivers. And it's even mind blowing when the 'package' you receive exceeds your expectations. 

God cannot deny himself. But God cannot be mocked and cannot be BRIBED. That is why It's important to check your motives - Your innermost being. Are you serving God? Or are you serving Money? One can easily argue that he would give more if he gets more. But the thing is, God's principles and laws work differently than the ways of us humans. If you can't be trusted with the less that you have, how can you be trusted with greater or more valuable things than material stuff and money?

God is no Genie nor a Quick Fix to your problems.
Know your place.

A few days ago, I have taken up a NEW challenge. A testing if you may of one of God's principles and laws in finances. This would be my first of this kind. This isn't really the usual thing of the tithe, regular offerings, or charity works, but since it's biblical, then let's do this.

I've already set aside my budget until my next "special" reset on October. And I have no idea where I'll get that 6 figure I pledged by the end of September. Subasta funds will not go to this pledge. So It'll be one hell of a miracle especially in this kind of effed up market sentiment.

Somewhere in the bible, there's this law and promise...

and this is one of the things I continually hold on to as I surrender my finances to the person "up there" and take up this new challenge.

I'm pretty sure this post has to do with someone who has the same calling as mine... I'd just love to hear your story.

And if there's one thing this post will prove, it's how someone ordinary will be doing extraordinary things, not because of his own strength and intellect, but because of a God of extremes - who btw, also calls out to YOU... to bring you to your destiny.

Are you ready?

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I'll be updating this post in the future.