"Myself, Inc." - Appreciate the Unseen Hand that Guides Your Fortunes

In a world in which answers are “liked”, surveys are surveyed, Ads are “reacted to”, polling is done on virtually every political idea, personality, juxtaposition of conflicting positions and “name recognition” --- a whole new world of “total feedback” has overwhelmed.

In pop culture, what is “in” and “out” changes monthly instead of yearly of longer. The frenzy of electronic communication has hastened what is “hip”. In fact, “hip” is probably not a “trending” word now! But when you ask - How am I trending in my own life - it does make one think.

Trending

We are told to "share" in Social Media. Do we take that message for our personal stock?

"Trending" is a mutilation of the language that means "currently popular." It derives from a sad misunderstanding of the verb "to trend" as meaning "to become a “what’s happening”."

Are you "what's happening", or are there departments in Myself, Inc. that need your attention?

Origin of TREND

Middle English, to turn, revolve, from Old English trendan;akin to Middle High German trendel disk, spinning top

First Known Use: 1598

So, as your world spins like a top, it is easy to become confused as to our own personal status. Easy, if you are not mindful; however very reassuring when you focus on your life in realization of the Forces of the Unsee Hand.

The general direction of a market or of the price of an asset.is its Trend. Trends can vary in length from short, to intermediate, to long term. If you can identify a trend, it can be highly profitable, because you will be able to trade with the trend. When you look at yourself it is easy to become distracted by the "social whirl and paths of hurried schedules". It is hard to focus sometimes on the true strengths that lie within your "Myself, Inc.".

The Market explains 'Trend'

As a general strategy, it is best to trade with trends, meaning that if the general trend of the market is headed up, you should be very cautious about taking any positions that rely on the trend going in the opposite direction.

A trend can also apply to interest rates, yields, equities and any other market which is characterized by a long-term movement in price or volume. Yield and Equity are ways of describing value. Many who are about to suffer personally often do not see their trends turning in the other direction. Seeing yourself in the human drama often can give you warnings and, indeed encouragements, in the human marketplace. Preventing misfortune, helping good fortune. These are as old as human society.

Do a “Trend Analysis” on “Myself, Inc.”

After doing some trading, a past time that is increasingly fascinating to me, I thought about how these days everything could be theoretically put into some “exchange”, traded, sold and purchased like companies and commodities.

Then I thought. Where is the singular individual in all of this? I did a little analysis on “Myself, Inc."

I watched three different grandchildren get ready for their new phases this August. One going into elementary school, one first year of high school, one going away to college. In all of these situations, one could say people become commodities. Am I smart enough? Am I too shy? Am I pretty? How likeable am I? Does it matter how I do anyway?

I remember all of my transitional phases. I got lost coming home from my first day of school. I thought – “What if I never make it back home?” (I was a nervous kid.)

When We Feel like the "New Kid in Town"

Then because I was a “theatre brat” (moving from New York, to LA, to Chicago, to Texas) – I was always NEW. “The New Kid in Town” was especially poignant for me. When you are a New Kid, every year you have to break in strangers to your personality, your smarts, you’re cool, your way of being. You have to break yourself in to: Newark, New Jersey during the race riots, Upstate New York in the Borsht Belt, watching old Vaudeville Night club acts, Chicago area community theatres, Texas productions – “Ever heard ghetto Jews with a West Texas accent? L.A. in all of its manifestations. On and on and on life was one unending audition for me.

That was my youth. Then I started my real life. We all know about these kinds of transitions and how we are truly commodities or currencies or companies on parade – constantly getting appraised, constantly getting rated on how we are “trending”.

When people are "New at Work", oftentimes they do not appreciate the importance of their first steps. It is when you are new and first impressions are made that your long term success can be affected.

Now that I am in a new phase of my life (semi retired), I am embracing the way we have to face the world every day. I speak not of: “Does Judy love me” – but am I loveable in as many ways as I can think of so that a theoretical Judy would love me?” By this I mean: How long has it been since you gave yourself a TOTAL ANALYSIS; as if you were a "House for Sale" or a "Company with Shares to be Purchased"?

“Resistance”and “Support” in the Pricing of Myself, Inc.

Dividing Myself, Inc. into my Departments, I am constantly trying to improve my physical status (lose weight), my health (keep blood sugar down), my demeanor (don’t look disinterested) and my lively engaging personality (smile at people). It goes on and on does it not? I thought that when I hit the older years that would start to change, but I find that now that I am older I am constantly trying to declare that I am not THAT OLD. When I was young I did not try to declare: “I am not that YOUNG!” So in fact, as long as you are "in the game" - ALIVE AND KICKING, you need to think of yourself as a marketable commodity.

So, as I age and engage in this new avocation, I am finding that not only is the phrase “trending” meaningful, but also “support” and “resistance” become important to the way Myself, Inc. makes it through the day.

Every day, a commodity or currency or company gets a “resistance price”. This means that if it goes down to a certain point, things will work to keep it from going lower. “Support” is a level where there is going to be participation for that rating, or even higher. As I make my way, as we all do, I think in this strident, overstressed life, we sometimes lack the security and assurance that life is not as overtaxing as we think. We do get support in our efforts, and there is a resistance against “total collapse”. And there is an unseen force that supports the process of manifestation throughout nature, business and life.

“Regression to the Mean” - What does it Really Mean?

In probability and statistics, “regression to the mean” describes the tendency for things to return to normal, whatever it is that normal might be.

“Regression to the mean” is something that we as homeowners, homebuyers, consumers and business people are likely to learn about in the years ahead, since most things behave this way.

Back to the “long-term trend”, not to the “normal rate of change”. We might take heart as we proceed through our days that there is an unseen hand keeping things “normal”. “Normal” is a word that brings deep comfort to the human species.

Regression to the mean does not imply a return to a normal rate of change, but rather, a return to the long-term trend - what would be expected as an end result years from now given historical averages.

If you want a feeling for your life, don’t look for the “most recent” rate of change, i.e. the things that have most recently disturbed your life, but rather the fact that you have gotten over things in your life before, and that a balance is bound to return if you keep your balance now.

Leaving financial terms out of it, it is comforting to envision your life, your little personal company called Myself, Inc. and see it as a “protected entity” on the Divine’s Stock Exchange and there is a resistance to total collapse, and there is strong support for upward growth and maturation, and there is an unseen hand that is going to work toward “returning to normal”.

Have Faith in Resistance, Support and a Return to the Mean

If you take a short view of your recent life’s happenings, or a longer view of your whole life, you can see these forces at work.

I remember after leaving the ministry and divorcing, a made a trip to Chicago from my homeland of California. I was a stranger there, having immediately broken up with an old girl friend from years gone by. I had a job in a steelyard hauling scaffolding around. My bodily department was mighty. I was as healthy as I could be. I was still young. I had a car and a job. Those departments were great! But I was in despair and constantly thinking about all my recent failures. I would have been "sold" at this point. And I was, (tell me if you have heard this phrase): SELLING MYSELF SHORT!

"SHORT" is a phrase from the Stock Exchange

Short means you think a stock is going down, and therefore you sell it to prevent losing any more investment dollars. Yes, I was literally selling myself short and crying in my beer one Friday night. I went to those bars on Addison Boulevard with a giant Viking biker from northern Wisconsin. He and I worked together every day. The normal 20 other workers would not go near him. They were sane. I was the ex Preacher from California, I could handle a crazy 275 pound Biker. He had a nice smile.

So, I was happy to be "selling myself short". Which is not a good sign. So I was sullen. He asked me what was wrong. I rehearsed my complaints. He said: “So _____ what! You’re smart. You’re young. You’re not as good looking as me, but you’ll do. For all you know something great might happen with that new girl friend that you just met from Wheaton. For all you know your ex-wife might end up letting you have your daughters, and then you can try to raise those two female species you have spawned.. You’re young enough to start a new career. Hell, have another beer, this may be your worst day, but it’s still a damn good day! Everything is up from here.”

Hugh Hoagland was my personal Advisor. He was right. I have been married to the “girl from Wheaton” for 32 years. I got my daughters and I did have to raise the female species. (The girl from Wheaton gave me another of the female species). I did start a whole new career. For my worst day, it was my best because I saw the resistance (you can only fall so far) and the support (there is love and encouragement everywhere if you don’t reject it) and a return to the mean actually means you can look to a “brand new normal”.

Always be encouraged by the help from the Unseen Hand allowing for a "sold short" investment to dress up in new clothes and return to a new normal. Since we have all been drowned in Real Estate News, Meditate allegorically on improving your landscape, putting in new carpet, installing a ceiling fan, even upgrading your Fridge. Ever listen to a Real Estate Agent tell someone how to improve their chances of being bought? Think about it.

Thanks to the Crazy Viking for pointing me wisely to the Unseen Hand that everyone benefits from everyday. I returned to a "New Normal", I upgraded my Real Estate. Most of all, I became awashed in the love of new people and I gave new love to new and old people. By increasing my real and perceived sense of Value, I got new support from everywhere. Thanks to the Divine for the Unseen Hand. Refurbish your Myself, Inc. and enjoy your success in the Human Marketplace.

http://www.investopedia.com/terms/t/trend.asp