“Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal” (John 12:24-25, KJV).
A Spiritual Worldview
In order to develop a spiritual worldview and live through the Spirit in that spiritual reality, the ego must die. “’This world’ is a passing phenomenon. Though the unenlightened ego takes it for reality, it has only a provisional reality, as real, let us say, as a snowflake that will melt with the first warmth of spring. Therefore those who cling to the things of this world will be severely limited in consciousness” (Mystical Christianity: A Psychological Commentary on the Gospel of John by John A. Sanford, p.249).
The Guide
In trading as well as in life, ego death is orchestrated by the Self. “. . . Jung once said that the emergence of the Self is always the death of the ego . . .” (ibid. pp.248-249). In trading, multiple ego deaths can be precipitated by repeated losing trades whose cycle can be resolved by trading from your own individual trading style guided by the Self.
Nonattachment
One way to cooperate with the death of the ego is to become like the yogis– nonattached. In the last book of his incredible three-book series on trading price action, Al Brooks—in trading guideline 28—states, “I don’t care. That is the most useful mantra. I don’t care if I lose on this trade, because I am trading a small enough size that a loss will not upset me and cloud my judgment. I don’t care what the experts are saying on TV or in the Wall Street Journal. . .” (Trading Price Action Reversals: Technical Analysis of Price Charts Bar by Bar for the Serious Trader by Al Brooks, p.531). In other words . . . pundits beware, I don’t care!
Spiritual Rejuvenation
Maybe pundits should become more aware and then they wouldn’t unintentionally lead so many people astray. I am not implying–should they become more aware–that they should “intentionally” lead people astray. I’m straying from the topic—ego death. Ultimately, though excruciatingly painful, ego death can rejuvenate your trading . . . and your life.