20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me (Galatians 2:20, KJV).
Realization
“Thus while freedom from sin is ultimately the gift of God, a necessary precondition for receiving this gift that our eyes are open to the truth and our hearts are open to feeling and to whatever suffering should prove to be our lot in life. It is important to remember the importance of suffering, because psychological insight and spiritual understanding can hardly be realized without it” ((Healing Body and Soul: The Meaning of Illness in the New Testament and in Psychotherapy by John A. Sanford, p. 122).
The Hero’s Journey
In trading as in life, there are countless frustrations and seemingly endless sources of pain. In Buddhism, the first noble truth basically says that suffering is an inevitable part of the human condition. While this is certainly true, suffering found on the hero’s journey can be purposive and thus meaningful. Each of us makes a hero’s journey through life as a whole and parts of life as well (e.g., trading).
The Threshold
In The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Joseph Campbell explains the seventeen stages of the hero’s journey. In stage four, “The Crossing of the First Threshold,” the hero encounters the guardians of the threshold. These guardians can take the form of obstacles—both inner and outer. These obstacles are designed to stop you from entering the new world . . . a new life.
Your Road to Damascus
As a trader, you need to accept the suffering inherent in “The Trader’s Journey,” and move through the repeated obstacles to a new stage of development which is presently unknown. Like St. Paul’s journey, “On the Road to Damascus,” you are blind before you can truly see. Before Paul can have Christ live in him, Paul must be crucified with Christ. Sometimes in life, this inner crucifixion is a daily occurrence.
Breakthrough
So accept and find meaning in your suffering. Face and overcome your needed obstacles (they make you stronger). Move to the new land where new opportunities for growth await you.