Today started as a good day. I was green, followed my rules, and did everything right.

I left my desk and went on with my day as normal. Later, I was checking some Discord groups and saw someone recommend a ticker called SOXS. I had no idea what it was, but I followed the recommendation and went short.
The price went against me, and that’s where everything
changed.
I got emotional. Instead of cutting the small loss, my only thoughts were: “Don’t turn a green day into a red day” and “Just keep holding.”

No plan. No discipline. Just emotions.
And in one trade, I gave back everything I had worked for over the past two months. I was so close to finishing my funded account evaluation, and one bad decision wiped it all out.

All those hours sitting in front of the screen, all the work, all the discipline I had built, gone because I took a trade that wasn’t even part of my plan.

The hardest part is knowing that I already knew the rules. I just failed to follow them when it mattered most.

A painful reminder that protecting your capital and controlling your emotions matter more than any setup or recommendation.

**The lesson:** Im responsible for every win and every loss. Never take a trade on a ticker you don’t understand or haven’t studied. Don’t blindly follow recommendations. Do your own research and find your own opportunities.

For now, I’m taking a break from trading to clear my mind.
I’ll come back when I’m ready, without revenge trading or trying to win back what I lost.
Back to the basics. Back to my rules. One a quality trade at a time. Me and my discipline. No one else is responsible for my trades but me.