All right, so something funny happened when I was cooking dinner the other night that irritated me in the moment, but it's a good reminder for your trading.
I was making pasta — specifically mushroom ravioli.
My husband walked by as I was beginning to prep, looked into the pot, and said:
“Whoa, that's a lot of salt.”
I gave him a little side eye and said three things:
- You don't cook, so you don't understand the steps to preparing pasta well.
- Every Italian nonna would approve — the water should be salty like the ocean so the pasta gets properly seasoned while it cooks.
- In all the years we’ve been together — over 15 — has the pasta I’ve cooked for us ever tasted too salty?
He said no. 🙂
And I said, That’s because this is part of the system.
I get it — you don’t know the system. But you can trust that I do, because I’m the one who cooks for us.
We ended up laughing, but it stuck with me. And I realized — this shows up in our trading all the time.
People Outside Trading Won’t Always Get It — And That’s Okay
It’s especially important to remember this when you're interacting with anyone in your world who doesn't actively trade.
They might:
- Buy and hold stocks in their retirement account only
- Get stock options as part of their corporate job
- Glance at financial news once in a while
But if they’re not self-directed active traders like you and I, they just won’t get it — and that’s okay.
Give Your Self Permission to Prep on Your Schedule
What are the things you do when it comes to your trading that get people looking at you a little funny?
For me, it’s setting aside time to prep for the trading week over the weekend.
Because I know there’s this general belief that people shouldn't work on weekends — but I actually find it extremely helpful.
I trade the E-mini S&P 500 futures, and the overnight session kicks off at 6 p.m. Eastern on Sundays. That’s when I try and check them — so I can see where futures are headed, especially if there’s a big gap up or down.
And gaps happen all the time these days, thanks to news events.
You Don’t Need to Trade All Day to “Deserve” Your Profits
Another thing people might not understand? Trading for only a short period of time.
They may think trading is supposed to be this all-day job. So if you’re able to get your trading done in a few hours, it can seem like something is off. Because traditional career culture says — so “everyone’s supposed to work a full day.”
You gotta get that out of your head.
Whether it’s your spouse, your kids, your roommate — if they give you a look or pass judgment because you’re generating revenue from trades without being glued to the screen all day…
Don’t let it bother you too much.
It might feel weird, sure — but it’s part of the system you’ve built.
And if you’re not there yet? That’s okay too. Just know that phase of trading is possible.
They Might Call It Gambling
Some people might say trading is just gambling.
But that’s usually because they don’t understand what actually makes up the market.
Yes — the market is manipulated.
There are huge forces in it, especially institutional activity. Big banks on Wall Street doing major buying and selling.
So how do you make sense of it — for them or for yourself?
You can think of the market like this…
Be the Barnacle 🐚
Institutions are like whales.
Not just any whale — the blue whale. The largest one on Earth.
They’re enormous. There’s no stopping them.
If you’re in a little boat and that whale’s coming at you, you better get out of the way — or you’ll lose your shirt.
Same in trading.
So stay out of the way of the big institutions.
Trade with a clear plan. Prove your system. Iterate on it. That’s how you stay in the game.
And to get more out of trading? Be the barnacle.
The barnacle goes wherever the whale goes — and benefits from that kinetic energy.
If you're trading anything that institutions are involved in — which is practically everything — be a barnacle.
There’s no shame in riding the wave they’re creating. If you can spot the moves early enough, you can ride them all the way through.
It May Always Look “Interesting” to Others — And That’s a Good Sign
Just like pasta water is supposed to be salty like the ocean — even if it seems weird when you're not a cook — your trading routines may look strange to others.
That list of “weird” things?
It won’t shrink as you grow — it’ll get longer. And that’s a sign you’re getting better.
So take comfort in the fact that you’re not alone.
- Feel confident in what you’re doing.
- Keep track of your results — so you know how you’re progressing.
- And be proud of the way you’ve chosen to create extra income in your life.
What’s something you do in your trading life that others don’t quite understand?
💬 Drop a comment below — I’d love to hear it.
You never know who it might help feel less alone in this journey.
~Hima
📚 If this resonated, you might also like these:
- How Noticing Your Small Wins Can Transform Your Trading Mindset
- The Power of the Pause in Your Trading
Both go deeper into the mindset and structure that support consistent trading — even when others don’t see what you’re doing behind the scenes.
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