Over the past 22 years, trading has taught me more than technicals, fundamentals, and strategy.

It’s made me better at life.

That may sound like an exaggeration, but it’s not. 

The market has a way of exposing every weakness you try to hide: impatience, overconfidence, fear, and greed. If you don’t face those flaws, they’ll wipe you out.

In my early years, I thought I could outsmart the market with a strategy. But strategy alone isn’t enough. 

I had to learn patience when trades moved slowly. I had to develop emotional control when the screen flashed red. I had to accept losses without letting them crush me.

And along the way, those lessons stopped being just about trading. They spilled into everything else…

How I handle stress. How I make decisions. How I parent my kids. How I deal with setbacks that have nothing to do with money.

That’s when I realized something powerful: learning to trade makes you better at life. 

Let Me Show You Why Trading Is The Ultimate Life Skill…

The Hardest Skill (And The Most Useful)

Trading forces you to deal with emotions like fear, greed, regret, and FOMO. You can’t hide from any of it.

You either learn how to stay calm under pressure or you blow up your account.

And that emotional control translates into your everyday life. 

Whether I’m managing a tough conversation or dealing with my kids doing something they shouldn’t be, keeping a cool head prevails. 

Am I perfect at it? Not even close. But I’m steadier than I used to be. And that’s thanks to trading.

I’ve learned how to pause. How to not overreact. How to stay focused when the stakes feel high.

That ability helps with more than just options trading…

Patience, Discipline, and Long-Term Vision

We’re living in the era of instant gratification. Everyone wants immediate results. 

But trading punishes that mindset.

You can’t force the market to give you a win. You have to wait, watch, protect your capital, and stick to your rules.

It’s frustrating. But it trains you to think long-term.

The same thing applies to life. Whether you’re saving for the future, raising a family, or chasing a personal goal, short-term thinking leads to long-term pain.

Trading has taught me to think in years, not minutes.

And that has changed how I approach everything else.

Learning From Failure

I’ve had some tough days trading in the past. Days when I questioned everything.

But trading taught me this: failing doesn’t make you a failure. 

What matters is what you do next.

You dig into the mistake. You find the bad habit. You fix it.

That mindset has helped me recover from all kinds of setbacks: financial, personal, and professional.

Losses don’t affect me like they used to. And neither do life’s other curveballs.

Why Sharing Knowledge Builds Better Traders

One of the best surprises in this journey is teaching.

When I started mentoring new traders, I didn’t realize how much it would sharpen my own skills.

Explaining the process, answering questions, helping someone push through a rough patch—it all forces me to level up too.

And the bonus? We’ve built an incredible trading community. A place where we can all grow our accounts together.

The market can be lonely. But trading doesn’t have to be.

It sharpens your mind. Builds your discipline. Teaches you how to lose and come back stronger.

If you can trade well, you can handle just about anything life throws at you.

And the best part? You don’t have to do it alone.

We’re in this together.

Want to learn how to execute trades like this?*

The best place to start is in our Smart Money Workshops.

You’re one click away from the best setups in the options market. 

Join us TONIGHT at 4:00 p.m. EST.

Happy trading,

Ben Sturgill

*Past performance does not indicate future results