The 5 stages of being a trader: 1. Read every book, obsess over indicators, paper trade like a genius. 2. Graduate to real cash. Coffee money only. Spot only. Safe and sound. 3. First big win. You discover leverage. Tell everyone you’re going full-time in 6 months. 4. Bear market hits. First liquidation. Pain. 5. The fork in the road: • Soldier on & manage risk • Crawl back to spot • Declare the entire market a scam Which stage are you on?