Good morning, traders…

I hope you spent yesterday stuffing your face with delicious food, spending time with loved ones, and enjoying a much-deserved break from the market.

Today, I want to talk about what I’m thankful for.

You’re at the top of that list.

I’m blessed to have dedicated, hardworking, intelligent trading students. I’m honored to be your mentor.

But I’m also thankful to do the thing I love most for a living.

Trading gave me personal freedom. The freedom to vacation with my family without asking permission. The freedom to work from anywhere in the world. The freedom to run my business without overhead costs, payroll, or a boss.

Right now, you might not realize what’s possible. 

Trading gives you more than a way to make financial gains. 

You can build a life where you control your time, your location, and your decisions.

The kind of life most Americans can only dream of.

This is why I’m thankful to be a professional trader…

Thankful for My Personal Freedom

First and foremost, I’m thankful for the freedom to trade at all.

Many countries don’t allow their citizens to trade speculative options. The regulatory restrictions don’t allow it. The infrastructure doesn’t support it. The governments don’t permit it.

America gives me access to markets that much of the world can’t touch.

I’m thankful to be born in America, to have the freedom to trade. 

It’s given my family a lifestyle we never could’ve achieved elsewhere.

I don’t take that freedom for granted.

Neither should you.

But whether you know it or not…

You’re not truly “free” … yet. 

If you start before December 10, you have the chance to join the Freedom Class:

Aside from the freedom to trade, trading gives me freedom in my personal life. 

Right now, I’m having an easy work day, playing with my kids. 

If I had a 9 to 5 job, I would’ve had to ask permission to do that. 

As a self-sufficient trader, I choose when I work (and when I don’t). No boss is telling me what to do. No schedule to adhere to. No office to go to.

I can do whatever I want, whenever I want.

I’m thankful every day that I can.

Thankful for the Ability to Work from Anywhere

Trading gives me (and you) the freedom to work from anywhere.

Tim Sykes is infamous for trading on his laptop all over the world, from crystal-clear beaches to gorgeous foreign landscapes, to boats off the Italian coast…

He doesn’t do this to look cool. He does it to prove a valuable point.

Sykes has shown millions of traders that you can generate gains from anywhere in the world. 

All you need is a solid internet connection and a laptop…

Unlike Sykes, I have a wife and three boys, so I can’t be globe-trotting to a different country every day of the week.

Most of the time, I’m trading from my home office.

But that doesn’t mean I can’t make killer trades while I’m on a family vacation. (I have.)

How many jobs can you say that about? I can’t think of many.

Thankful to Run My Business My Way

Trading allows you to run your own small business exactly how you want. 

But you don’t have to worry about brick-and-mortar real estate costs, payroll, and marketing.

You’re the only employee. You’re your own boss. 

To me, that’s priceless.

This radical ownership should give you considerably more pride in your work. 

Every decision you make is yours. You own your success completely.

This may sound scary, but it’s one of the greatest gifts you can have in the world.

Start treating your trading like a small business.

Be the CEO. Pay yourself like an owner. Treat your trades like employees. Plan for the big picture. 

And watch the value of your business soar.

Enjoy Your Holiday Weekend

Even if you’re completely obsessed with the stock market (like me), you need to find balance in your life.

Thanksgiving weekend is a good time to remind yourself of this:

Never let trading take over your entire life.

You’ve all seen how much time I spend trading and analyzing the markets.

Daily webinars, multiple alerts per day, and hours of preparation you don’t see (before and after). 

But time with my family beats time in the market. Every time.

That’s why I always make sure to take breaks from trading to spend time with them.

It helps me remember what’s truly important.

And even better, it helps my trading.

So do me (and yourself) a favor…

Go enjoy the holiday weekend. 

The market will still be there on Monday, I promise.

Thanks again,

Ben Sturgill

*Past performance does not indicate future results