If you want to learn a hard lesson, get involved in cryptocurrency. This is the lesson I have learnt.
Cryptocurrency is a rollercoaster, one that is unpredictable, exciting, full of ups and downs and one that you just have to fricken ride.
About a year and a half ago, I started to put money into Cryptocurrency. Small to start with but gradually increasing my bank of different currencies. Very quickly - I had a stash...a pirate stash.
Then the DAO happened. The fricken DAO. It was one of those moments that you take a step back and go what the hell am I doing in this fantasy world. I rode the ETC roller coaster, then the Steem coaster, then the XMR coaster. Finally I decided to jump off. I did alright out of the experience but I took away my bank of ETH and SIA late last year. I thought okay this is too much I'm done with this game.
I got back into investing into more "legitimate" things. Then the boom happened and everything went crazy. Gang busters. However, I was no longer on the roller coaster.
As of today I walked away from $750,000 from my last portfolio position. This would have been life changing. However, for once in my life I did the "Smart" thing.
Ultimately it has made me question, what is deemed "smart" is often misguided information from someone just as clueless as you. You never know what will work and what will not work.
You just have to trust your instincts and go with what is right for you in any particular moment.
It is often said you will continue to experience the same lesson over and over again until you end up learning that lesson. I feel finally one lesson I've learnt is to trust my judgement.
Thankfully it's all starting to pay off. It may not be an overnight win like what I walked away from in Crypto but it's a win that's much more important and is priceless.
Trusting your judgement and your instinct has no price. But, it's a lesson we will all learn in some way shape or form. Some harder than others.
But that is life - and it all makes for one great story.