Embrace the Suck (And You Might Just Profit Off It)

During Navy Seal training, instructors often yell into the face of trainees to "embrace the suck"! Learn to love the misery. Don't just tolerate it and try to survive; celebrate it, make it part of your existence, and use it to drive yourself even harder.

If you are a trader, then you are already very familiar with "suck." At times, the market is so miserable, no matter what you do, it is the wrong move. No matter how good a trader you might be, the market will be pure hell at the time. Some of the market chaos created by the trade and tariff turmoil provides a taste of suck.

When this happens, the reaction of many traders is to give up and stop trying. They start to believe that they can't continue to struggle in this manner and that it isn't worth the time, effort, or money.

It is when things are the absolute worst and the misery is as thick as the August humidity in Florida that the best opportunities will start to develop. When things suck the most, you can be sure that something good will happen if you persist and don't give up. You can be confident that the potential opportunities are multiplying as you continue your journey through hell.

When suck becomes your friend, you will feel very differently about the difficulties the market is undergoing. Rather than wallow in misery and make predictions about the bleak future, you start working harder to find opportunities. The more you embrace the suck, the more optimistic you will be.

The market is actually acting pretty well the last couple of weeks and some folks are starting to feel better. But be prepared for the suck to emerge again. I hope it does, because I know that is where I am going to find the greatest opportunities.

At the time of publication, DePorre had no position in any security mentioned.