An Unshakable Sense of Doom Persists

Markets closed up but well off the highs. In case you’re wondering my approach to chop like this — don’t trade it. I clear out positions in the morning, nibble throughout the day, and then hedge by the close. My hope is for an arb, where my longs outpace my shorts or vice versa. It would be very rare for me to suffer substantial drawdowns trading like this — because I keep ample cash and mostly long commodities which are trending.

I finished the day DOWN 46bps due to the late day drop in VIX. I can accept small losses en route to largess. I am dealing with some personal issues which might be causing me to feel a certain way — but I cannot shake the sense of impending doom. I feel it all around me, an uneasiness that has accompanied me during some of my worst moments of my adult life.

That being said, I’m not a fucking psychic and I don’t believe my feeeeeelings have anything to do with future outcomes. But what I am aware of is the fact this feeeeeeling might injure my trading, causing me to be perhaps too bearish, if there is even such a thing.

It’s easy to get wrapped up in the moment and it’s infectious to feel you know more than others, will profit where everyone else will fall. The truth is, the bear market IS trending and this is the easiest path towards success.