When the Clouds Don’t Lift: A Staycation, a Storm, and a Shift in Perspective

The rain didn’t just cancel our plans—it reframed everything.

July 4th, 2025 was supposed to kick off The Great Reddy Staycation.
My husband took extra time off and I cleared my schedule.
We were finally going to explore the vibrant city we’ve called home for the past four years – Ausin, TX.

It wasn’t a money thing. It wasn’t even a time thing.

It was just one of those things that always got pushed off because we never really planned it.

We mapped out three days of fun: swimming in fresh springs, hiking waterfalls, exploring historic towns. We were ready.

But by Thursday morning, the clouds rolled in—and stayed.
No breaks. No sun. Just sheets of relentless rain.

By Friday, we knew this wasn’t a passing storm.
It was something else entirely.

What Started as a Letdown Became Something Much Bigger

Sure, we were disappointed. But then we heard what was happening just two hours west of us in Kerr County.

And that changed everything.

You’ve probably seen the national coverage by now — how the Guadalupe River rose with terrifying speed.
The images. The devastation. It’s hard to even call it just a bad storm.  It felt apocalyptic.

Here we were trying to make the most of a rained-out weekend—mini golf, arcade games, even hitting the mall like teenagers.

But meanwhile, not far away, people were losing their homes.

Their sense of safety.

And for many, even more.

My heart goes out to everyone impacted by the floods.
To the communities forever changed and to the families experiencing devastating loss.

A different kind of action

It didn’t feel right to do nothing.

So when a neighbor told me her charity was collecting supplies and heading west, I jumped in.
I gathered what I could—clothes, shoes, shampoo, soaps they needed—and gave her a trunkful to take with her.

It felt like something.
It helped me get out of the dark mode of just taking in the news.
And feel like I could actually do something, even in a small way.

People are supporting in all kinds of ways—donations, volunteering, showing up.
That spirit matters.

Revisiting How we Look at Loss – in Life and Trading

This might sound like a detour or a life story, but it’s not.
If you trade, you know this is part of it.

Perspective.

It’s important as a human.
And it’s critical as a trader.

Small losses, missed opportunities—they’re part of the game.
They sting. They frustrate.
But what we really work to avoid are the big losing trades—the ones that could wipe us out.

And just like with the flooding, sometimes there’s only so much warning.
Sometimes, it just hits.

The world’s not getting quieter—and that’s okay

We’re living and trading through a loud time right now:. Everything from continued tariff news, to newly signed tax changes. And political unrest alongside ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

It probably feels like every time one story ends, two more pop up.

And I don’t think the world is going to get quieter.
It’s only going to get noisier.

And if you want to keep trading—to supplement your income or replace your day job—your mindset has to shift.

It’s not about what the Fed does.
It’s not about one politician’s move or a single economic report.

You don’t plan your trades around the noise.
You respond to the environment you’re in.

Perspective isn’t a soft skill—it’s a survival one

Like with the floods out west.
You pray.
You send love.
You send resources.

And you hold tight to what you can do.
What is in your control.

For me, that includes reminding myself—daily—what really matters. That the people I love know I love them. That I’m spending my time with intention. That I’m trading not just for profits, but for a life I want to live. 

Because in the end, that’s what it’s all about.

💬 Your Turn

Has something recently shifted your perspective?

What grounds you when the market—or life—throws you off?

~Hima