Sometimes, you get a life lesson when you least expect it—and often, from a person you would have never imagined. It was 2019, the early phase of my trading journey—the year I ventured into options and commodity trading for the first time. Things weren’t going well, and I was deep in losses. At times, it felt like quitting trading altogether.
But then, something happened that changed my perspective on losses. And trust me, this isn’t just about the stock market—it’s about life itself: the way we live it, and the way we deal with grief.
During that time, I had to visit a city in Bihar—Motihari. It was an official trip, where I had to assess a company working towards the marketing of farmers’ produce. As part of the assessment, I met a group of farmers and had a discussion with them about production costs and profitability.
After the interaction, a farmer named Naresh ji invited me for a cup of tea while continuing our discussion about the dynamics of production and sales.
While sitting in his veranda, I noticed maize spread all around. All the cobs were small in size, as if they hadn’t grown to their full potential. Naresh ji caught me staring at the produce and said,
“There’s nothing left in it. Untimely rains destroyed our entire crop and shattered our dreams of selling it at a better price.”
Then he added,
“But this is how farming works. We wake up early every morning throughout the season, putting in all our effort to grow crops. But when it’s time to harvest and reap the profits, uncertain weather wipes everything out.
Whom should we blame—the rain? Because it's the same soil that has sustained us for years. And we also know that the next season may not be the same.
I still remember his words:
“फसल बर्बाद हुई है बाबु, मिट्टी वही है। इस बार नहीं हुआ तो क्या हुआ, अगली बार फिर से मेहनत करेंगे, किसानी छोड़ थोड़े ही देंगे।”
I returned to the hotel, but his words kept echoing in my mind.
Until then, I was upset about my losses in the stock market—losses for which I hadn’t made any physical effort, nor stepped outside my comfort zone. It had only been a couple of years into trading, and clearly, I had much to learn.
Naresh ji had been farming for over 25 years and had never lost hope—even after putting in so much hard work. For him, farming was his primary source of income, while I had a job to support my finances.
That incident became one of my greatest sources of motivation in my trading journey.
It’s not that I never faced losses again—but I never lost hope.
I never lost confidence. And I never lost the desire to keep learning.
I keep reminding myself:
“इस बार नहीं हुआ तो क्या हुआ, अगली बार फिर से मेहनत करेंगे, Trading थोड़े ही छोड़ देंगे।”
