The true "win" lies in knowing when to stop.
Written by: 2Lambroz
Translated by: Saoirse, Foresight News
A few days ago, a friend asked me, "Do you think $200,000 can change a life?"
For some people, the answer is definitely yes; but for others, it doesn't count at all. It is this gap in perception that leaves most of us confused—because we have never clearly defined what "life-changing money" or "financial freedom money" means to us personally.
I want to tell a story: about a friend who unexpectedly gained a profit, and a poker player who, due to clear goals and self-discipline, chose to fold "pocket A" (a very strong starting hand in poker).
At first, I didn't take it seriously and casually said, "Sure, $200,000 is a nice amount, but it’s not life-changing."
My friend immediately interrupted me, saying, "You’ve been influenced by the cryptocurrency world to be unrealistic."
He was right. In the cryptocurrency space, people talk about gains and losses in the millions as if they are pocket change. This environment distorts your perception, making you feel that "anything less than seven figures is not worth mentioning."
But stepping out of this circle reveals that $200,000 can help someone pay off debts, reduce part of a mortgage, or provide several years of "breathing space" (time without financial anxiety). Such money can indeed change a life.
To understand this, it is crucial to answer three questions:
How much do you "need"? — The amount that covers actual living expenses, debts, and emergency savings.
How much do you "want"? — The amount that can be used to improve quality of life, purchase comfortable goods, or eliminate worries about bills.
How much can you "actually earn"? — Assessing based on your work income, savings rate, and the real advantages you have in the cryptocurrency field.
For a teacher earning $80,000 a year, a one-time gain of $200,000 is absolutely significant;
For a bank employee earning $200,000 a year, this amount is great but not enough to completely change their life situation;
And for someone earning seven figures a year, $200,000 might just be another ordinary transaction profit.
"Life-changing money" is never an absolute number; it is always related to your life baseline and personal perception.
The Psychology of "Enough"
There is a cognitive trap: human desires continuously escalate.
When you earn $200,000, your mental target suddenly becomes $500,000; when you earn $500,000, you might feel that $2 million is the only sufficient amount. Cryptocurrency amplifies this mindset infinitely because gains can come extremely fiercely: you might wake up in the morning feeling "life has changed," only to return to square one by evening.
It's like playing poker: sometimes folding "pocket A" (a good hand) seems absurd, but insisting on chasing a bigger gain in the next round can lead to losing everything.
The real risk is not in "losing," but in "never knowing that you have already won."
Think in "ranges," not "absolute values"
Instead of viewing "life-changing money" as a black-and-white binary concept, consider it as a gradient range:
Improvement level: Money that brings small joys and enhances daily comfort.
Life-changing level: Money that can reset life baselines and completely improve circumstances.
Financial freedom level: Money that allows complete autonomy over life without compromise.
Which level do you truly want to reach? And which level can you realistically achieve? If you don’t clarify this in advance, you will remain trapped in others' game rules, blindly chasing.
The Trade-off Between Time and Money
From a clearer perspective: don’t just focus on the "amount," but also on how much "time" this money can "buy."
The current $200,000 might buy you a 3-5 year "buffer period" (time without the need to hustle for a living, allowing for free planning);
But you might also choose to take risks, trying to turn that $200,000 into $2 million, only to end up with nothing.
In the cryptocurrency field, cases of "getting rich overnight" are common, but the real key is: to convert such fleeting gains into sustainable life security. Measuring success by "how much free time you gain" rather than "how many numbers are in your account" can keep you grounded and clear-headed.
Lessons from Poker
There is a poker match video that gave me a personal insight into this principle.
David Fishman was originally a teacher but participated in a high-stakes poker game. He got "pocket A"—one of the strongest starting hands in poker—but before the flop, he chose to fold (video at 19:00 shows this moment).
Everyone thought he was crazy, until after the flop when they realized another player had "four 6s" (a hand that easily beats "pocket A"). If Fishman had chosen to call, he would have lost badly. On the surface, folding "pocket A" seems absurd, but this decision helped him preserve his previous gains.
Why did he fold? Because he had already clarified his "target amount." At that time, his profit was already three times his annual salary, and for him, this money was "life-changing money." He didn’t want to risk losing this amount that could completely improve his life just to "prove he could play poker." He knew exactly what he wanted: to take this profit, go home, reunite with family, and secure the money.
This "clear goal" perception was his greatest advantage.
Conclusion
The cryptocurrency field is like an ongoing poker game: everyone wants to keep "playing the next round," hoping for bigger gains. But the true "win" lies in knowing when to stop—this "stop" doesn’t have to be permanent, but you must have a clear strategy.
Improving life, changing life, financial freedom—first clarify which level you are pursuing, then determine your "target amount."
If you are not clear about it yourself, the market will make decisions for you, and such outcomes are often not very friendly.
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