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Memorial Day: What Does Finding Freedom Mean to You?

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Written by Timothy Sykes
Updated 1/24/2023 11 min read

Remember, the stock market is closed on Monday, May 27 for Memorial Day.

As we go into the Memorial Day weekend, let’s take a moment to honor the brave men and women who gave their lives for our freedom.

Memorial Day: What Does Finding Freedom Mean?

The practice of honoring fallen soldiers is an old custom. The three-day weekend, filled with picnics and barbecues to kick-off summer…

… it’s more of a modern thing. So, before you clock out for the weekend and lose three of your limited days on this Earth…

…I want to challenge you.

Take a moment and do two things:

First, find a sense of gratitude for the ultimate sacrifice made on your behalf. Yes, I know we all come from different backgrounds and cultures. That’s not the point. At some time, a soldier — known or unknown to you — gave their life so you can be free. Perhaps more recently than you can imagine.

Second, with that fresh feeling of gratitude, take a moment and think about what finding freedom means.

What does it mean to you?

I talk, write, tweet and shout about teaching people to be free. It’s part of my life mission. But sometimes I think there’s a disconnect.

Sooooo many people contact me and say they want to be free. But when they realize what it’s going to take, they sneak away. Or when they realize the hard work and sacrifices required, they complain…

“Oh, Tim I don’t want to study, it’s too hard.”

Or…

“Tim, I don’t have any money…”

Or…

“I don’t have the time because I have two children and work 40 hours a week…”

Stop it!

Get that feeling of gratitude again. Do it. Right now.

Okay. Let’s reboot.

You ever wonder why I make videos trading from swimming pools around the world? Or show off my exotic car collection? Or why you might find me doing charity work in South Africa one week and eating awesome food in the Faroe Islands the next?

This is my dream life. I want to inspire you and I want it to sink in. I want to plant a seed of possibility. I want you to see what it means for someone to live completely free.

Because that’s what America is about!

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And if you don’t live in America, so be it. Because technology has changed everything. You can build your dream life from anywhere in the world.

Your dream life might not be trading from a beach in Seychelles or swimming in an infinity pool overlooking the Andaman Sea on Phuket. I’m not trying to say my life should be your dream life. It shouldn’t. You need to decide on your dream life and then…

Go for it!

I’m living MY dream life. I’m doing what I’m meant to do. Frankly, I’m very fortunate —  and I’m grateful.

But I want more people to live their dream life. THAT is what it means to have freedom.

How to Honor Your Freedom and Your Potential

Sadly, there are people living on this planet with very little freedom. And there are those with very little opportunity.

But you … if you’re reading this … YOU have the freedom and potential to chase pretty much anything. So long as you’re willing to work for it.

Here’s the deal…

A big part of what I teach is that financial freedom allows you to live any life you want. Some people just want to make as much money as possible. I’ve been there and it was a soulless existence. It’s not just about the money. But …

You can’t be free — completely free — to live your dream life if you’re broke. You need financial resources. I don’t know, maybe it’s possible. But it’s damned difficult. So when you message me, tweet me, leave comments to me saying ‘how hard it is to study and work,’ I say bullshit.

You want freedom to live the life of your dreams? You want to fulfill your potential? Do you want to honor the freedom you have and those who sacrificed everything for you to have it?

I don’t care if it was a family member three generations ago or someone who lost their life yesterday. They gave so you could live free. I don’t care about your political affiliation or religious beliefs. I don’t care about your ethnic background, the color of your skin, or your sexual orientation…

I care about your power, your potential, and your freedom.

You have the power to decide, right now, to strive to become completely free. Which means to become financially free. There’s no other way in this world. If you want true freedom…

…freedom from a J.O.B…

…freedom from a boss you hate…

…freedom from a place you’d rather not be…

…freedom from a toxic relationship…

…freedom from the demons of your own past…

…then you need financial resources. Earned in an ethical manner.

That’s the ONLY way to truly — 100% — live the life of your dreams.

What Can It Mean if You Maximize Your Life?

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What if?

What if you work hard, study hard, and build your own dreams? Not somebody else’s.

Your dreams.

If, by the end of this post, this makes sense … then please leave a comment below saying “I will build my own dreams.”

Too many people message me telling me they’re in debt. They’re living their life for a girlfriend or a boyfriend. Or their parents. They’ve given up on their dreams for a husband, wife, or their kids. They tell me they’re not really living — they’re not optimizing and maximizing the opportunity of life.

I’m not saying to give up on your relationships. Maximize those, as well. Live your life to the fullest.

I’m not even trying to tell you that what I teach — trading penny stocks — is the right way for you. I don’t know if it is or isn’t. Right now I don’t care. Sure, I’d love to have you as a student if you’re willing to work hard.

If you’re willing to work like my Trading Challenge student Jack Kellogg.

Jack wanted it so bad he woke up every day and couldn’t think of anything but learning to trade. All day. Every day. For over a year. Now he can trade. He’s on his way to finding freedom.

But it might not be right for you. And that’s OK. It’s fine.

What I want is for you to be able to look in the mirror every day and say “I’m building my own dreams.”

If you are a student, or you want to be a student of mine, then please, please, please take a moment and consider how you use this long weekend.

Not only this weekend…

…every weekend … every night after work… every single spare moment.

You could be using all your spare time to learn from my mistakes and experience. That’s why, frankly, I created a HUGE video library on Profitly. For you.

So YOU can choose freedom.

Open the Door to Your Creativity

Your mindset has to be one of possibility. Anything is possible. I know that sounds crazy and idealistic — but it’s true. In this day and age it doesn’t matter your background. It doesn’t matter your upbringing and it doesn’t matter how smart you are. It doesn’t matter how good or bad at math you are.

What matters?

Where is your heart? What is your heart telling you to do? What are you passionate about?

You want to honor those who sacrificed their lives for your freedom? Go live your life to the fullest. Maximize your life. Optimize your life.

If I can open your mind up just a little bit…

I’m not saying it’s going to be easy. I’m telling you it’s wonderful. Be self-sufficient, create the life of your dreams, work from anywhere in the world if that’s what you want.

We’re all different. What works for me might not work for you. We all have different personalities, different backgrounds, different strengths and weaknesses. But you have to have the mindset that you’re going to go for it. You have to be willing to dedicate yourself.

Dedication, determination, self-discipline, burning desire, and a definite specific goal. This is what you need to be self-sufficient and maximize the opportunity. What opportunity? Life.

Create it.

Technology Is Changing What’s Possible Faster Than You Can Imagine

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And it’s only just the beginning…

I carry around my bulky laptop and my smartphone and it seems normal. But the first portable computer came out the year I was born. (It was the Osborne 1 for you tech history buffs.) Smartphones didn’t really take off until the mid-2000s.

We’re only at the beginning of this digital revolution. There are new tools coming, faster wifi, a whole new internet…

…in the coming years, it’s going to be even easier to get started.

But…

You Can’t Cheat Success

Time takes time. You, frankly, have no excuse for not building the life of your dreams. Now, right now, you need to start studying. Because all the best tools and a funded trading account isn’t enough. All the things you think you need — won’t make a damn bit of difference if you don’t have the knowledge to put it to use.

You need knowledge and experience. How do you get them? Start studying right now.  What should you study? Start by getting a Profitly subscription. If you really want to take it to the next level, apply for the Trading Challenge.

If you’re broke? You’re here, aren’t you? It’s OK if you’re broke right now. You can still have knowledge. Read this blog. Read every damn post. Follow the links in the posts. Learn the patterns, see the possibilities, and get inspired.

Read this post: My Top No-Cost Resources for New Traders.

Go to my YouTube channel. At the time of writing, there are 1,216 videos. The number grows weekly. Mind you, it’s not a complete education. For a complete education apply for the Trading Challenge.

Trading Challenge is me and my top students providing real-time alerts. We have video lessons, webinars, watchlists, DVDs…

If you’re already a student: stop screwing around and get serious. Start studying. You know there are nearly 50 categories of video lessons on Profitly? Get good at something.

Check it out — here are some numbers from Profitly. I just looked them up…

This is the number of videos in only a handful of categories:

  • Earnings: 333 video lessons.
  • Supernovas: 585 video lessons.
  • Breakouts: 620 video lessons.
  • Swing Trade Catalysts: 678 video lessons.
  • Basics: 1,422 video lessons!
  • Trading Mistakes: 1,191 video lessons…

Some students message me and say “I’m scared to trade, I’m making so many mistakes…”

Well, use the long holiday weekend to study. There are nearly 1,200 videos on trading mistakes. You think I haven’t made every damn mistake possible?

Use the resources. Study the past — it can fuel your tomorrow. Studying the past can be the key to your understanding your roadmap to freedom. That’s how you better prepare for the future.

You want freedom? Earn it. Go get it. Honor your potential. Honor your opportunity. Honor your life. Honor those who gave theirs so you could live yours. Stop messing around.

What are you going to do right now?

If you get it — if this all makes sense — comment below:  “I will build my own dreams.”


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Timothy Sykes

Tim Sykes is a penny stock trader and teacher who became a self-made millionaire by the age of 22 by trading $12,415 of bar mitzvah money. After becoming disenchanted with the hedge fund world, he established the Tim Sykes Trading Challenge to teach aspiring traders how to follow his trading strategies. He’s been featured in a variety of media outlets including CNN, Larry King, Steve Harvey, Forbes, Men’s Journal, and more. He’s also an active philanthropist and environmental activist, a co-founder of Karmagawa, and has donated millions of dollars to charity. Read More

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* Results are not typical and will vary from person to person. Making money trading stocks takes time, dedication, and hard work. There are inherent risks involved with investing in the stock market, including the loss of your investment. Past performance in the market is not indicative of future results. Any investment is at your own risk. See Terms of Service here

The available research on day trading suggests that most active traders lose money. Fees and overtrading are major contributors to these losses.

A 2000 study called “Trading is Hazardous to Your Wealth: The Common Stock Investment Performance of Individual Investors” evaluated 66,465 U.S. households that held stocks from 1991 to 1996. The households that traded most averaged an 11.4% annual return during a period where the overall market gained 17.9%. These lower returns were attributed to overconfidence.

A 2014 paper (revised 2019) titled “Learning Fast or Slow?” analyzed the complete transaction history of the Taiwan Stock Exchange between 1992 and 2006. It looked at the ongoing performance of day traders in this sample, and found that 97% of day traders can expect to lose money from trading, and more than 90% of all day trading volume can be traced to investors who predictably lose money. Additionally, it tied the behavior of gamblers and drivers who get more speeding tickets to overtrading, and cited studies showing that legalized gambling has an inverse effect on trading volume.

A 2019 research study (revised 2020) called “Day Trading for a Living?” observed 19,646 Brazilian futures contract traders who started day trading from 2013 to 2015, and recorded two years of their trading activity. The study authors found that 97% of traders with more than 300 days actively trading lost money, and only 1.1% earned more than the Brazilian minimum wage ($16 USD per day). They hypothesized that the greater returns shown in previous studies did not differentiate between frequent day traders and those who traded rarely, and that more frequent trading activity decreases the chance of profitability.

These studies show the wide variance of the available data on day trading profitability. One thing that seems clear from the research is that most day traders lose money .

Millionaire Media 66 W Flagler St. Ste. 900 Miami, FL 33130 United States (888) 878-3621 This is for information purposes only as Millionaire Media LLC nor Timothy Sykes is registered as a securities broker-dealer or an investment adviser. No information herein is intended as securities brokerage, investment, tax, accounting or legal advice, as an offer or solicitation of an offer to sell or buy, or as an endorsement, recommendation or sponsorship of any company, security or fund. Millionaire Media LLC and Timothy Sykes cannot and does not assess, verify or guarantee the adequacy, accuracy or completeness of any information, the suitability or profitability of any particular investment, or the potential value of any investment or informational source. The reader bears responsibility for his/her own investment research and decisions, should seek the advice of a qualified securities professional before making any investment, and investigate and fully understand any and all risks before investing. Millionaire Media LLC and Timothy Sykes in no way warrants the solvency, financial condition, or investment advisability of any of the securities mentioned in communications or websites. In addition, Millionaire Media LLC and Timothy Sykes accepts no liability whatsoever for any direct or consequential loss arising from any use of this information. This information is not intended to be used as the sole basis of any investment decision, nor should it be construed as advice designed to meet the investment needs of any particular investor. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future returns.

Citations for Disclaimer

Barber, Brad M. and Odean, Terrance, Trading is Hazardous to Your Wealth: The Common Stock Investment Performance of Individual Investors. Available at SSRN: “Day Trading for a Living?”

Barber, Brad M. and Lee, Yi-Tsung and Liu, Yu-Jane and Odean, Terrance and Zhang, Ke, Learning Fast or Slow? (May 28, 2019). Forthcoming: Review of Asset Pricing Studies, Available at SSRN: “https://ssrn.com/abstract=2535636”

Chague, Fernando and De-Losso, Rodrigo and Giovannetti, Bruno, Day Trading for a Living? (June 11, 2020). Available at SSRN: “https://ssrn.com/abstract=3423101”