The biggest challenge in following successful investors like Buffett / Ray Dalio in USA or Rakesh in India

11^th March 2020

The biggest challenge in following successful investors like Buffett / Ray Dalio in USA or Rakesh in India

Dear Fellow Travellers,

Greetings from Hitesh! It is common to follow big investors and their bets. In fact, as per the SEC in the USA and SEBI in India, all big guys are supposed to reveal their positions to the authority. Now, this becomes public and many small investors are lured to copy their bets and in most of cases they end up making losses. Why? Let us understand this secret.

How NORMAL mind follows the TOP guys?

Let us say BUFFETT is giving a lecture on his journey to the top and he shares with us his details. Exactly he is sharing his experience, his failures, and his success and his feelings. Assume that he has crossed the river and he has reached the other side. But the listeners have yet to cross the river and they are at this side. By listening to BUFFETT, so-called SMART guys will derive the principles of Success to reach to his side. If I am correct, Napoleon Hill was the first guy who conducted the meeting with the top guys and gave his famous book THE LAWS OF SUCCESS. He has enlisted the Laws of Success derived by understanding the success journey of the top guys of his time.

Now, you read this book or any other such books but you will not become as successful as the guy whose principles you are following. Why? Let us understand the subtle difference.

1. Buffett and his Principles:  -

Buffett is a live person. While his principles are dead things. There is a difference between them. Most guys do not understand this subtle difference.

By being BUFFETT, you can give 1000 principles but by following the same 1000 principles with 100% honesty, you can’t become BUFFETT.

In the field of RELIGION also the same mistake has happened. Say Buddha became enlightened and he got the followers over a period of time. Now, this first batch of followers had direct contact with BUDDHA. They were courageous to leave their religion and join the buddha in their time. They will get the taste of BUDDHAHOOD as they became the BUDDHA themselves. The later generations carry on those DEAD PRINCIPLES – (SHASHTRAS) and they feel that they are connected to BUDDHA or follower of BUDDHA. In reality, they have no direct experience of buddha which their parents had.

Last century master motivator of USA – Mr. ZIG ZIGLAR used to say one sentence very often – “You have to be it before you get it”. What he says you need to become BUFFETT to invest like him. By just following his DEAD principles – you will not become BUFFETT.

What is the CHALLENGE and the BLUNDER of MASSES?

Challenge is to become BUFFETT / RAKESH or BUDDHA in our own way. Masses don’t have that courage or the fire within to take that risk. So, they start following the principles of so-called big guys in the area of FINANCE / RELIGIONS.

This is a SELF CHEATING and it leads to HYPOCRISY. At any given point of time, there are two persons – from inside you are in your real form and from outside you are following the principles. For outsiders, you may look IDEAL but from within you are the same. There is always a conflict between your deep desires, hidden motives and the principles of the person whom you are appearing to follow. This will rob you off from the much needed mental peace. Most guys go-to guru for mental peace only. Now, your base is wrong, what GURU can do?

What is the use of Principles or Shashtra in that case?

Say you are going to somebody’s place and the host has shared his address details like this. On the opposite side of the station, you will see Chauraha. On the right side, there will be a MODI TEA stall. From MODI TEA stall you take right. When you come ahead – you will see SITARAMAN KIRANA shop with a board in RED COLOR on your left. You take left from that shop. Inside the lane, you will see the name of RAJNIGANDHA society. You can come in bungalow number 10.

Assume your host as a BUDDHA / BUFFETT. Assume his bungalow as a Top of the success. Assume station as a beginning point. Now, as you move towards the location – you will see CHAURAHA / TEA STALL / KIRANA SHOP / SOCIETY BOARD etc. While passing all of the above landmarks, you will have an inner confidence that you are in the right direction. So, they are proof of your journey in the right direction.

The utility of Principles and Shastras is to use them as proof of your experience. 99% of the guys fall in love with the principles without worrying about the inner harmony towards the journey.

The way out: -

There is only one way and that way is to become BUFFETT or BUDDHA yourself first. Once you become BUFFETT or BUDDHA you will invest like BUFFETT or you will live like BUDDHA.

When Buffett started, he had few dollars – not even 1000 USD and when BUDDHA started, he was the PRINCE living in the best of the luxury of his time. So, it is not the questions of QTY, it is the questions of ATTITUDE towards MONEY/LIFE. The best thing about ATTITUDE is that you can develop it and go on your own way.

Look at the 1000s of success stories in the world and they all have come up in their own way. Nobody copied each other. Those who copied top guys are nowhere now. If you like HINDI SONGS – LATA MANGESHKAR maybe your favorite. Now, there may be 1000 other signers who are singing like her. Do you remember them? Have they got the same NAME and FAME as LATA DIDI? No. But her sister is equally famous. ASHA TAI as she is known is famous for her own style of songs. She has made good name and fame for her own way of singing.

In the book FIRST thing FIRST – STEPHEN COVEY talks about the same thing. The first thing is to become YOU. Once you are yourself – life and investments become EASY and success becomes the left hands play.

What NEXT?

At Destiny Management, we help our clients to become what they are. If GOD is not interested in creating a COPY even in twins – why you should copy somebody? Be you first.

Have a thinking week ahead.

Follow me on Twitter @hiteshmparikh / WhatsApp – +91-9869425399.

Live With Passion…Invest With Passion.

Hitesh Parikh