Life Narratives

It is only when you start becoming a trainer when you start to realise the importance of narratives. 

A good narrative is where my biggest disadvantage lies. 

I don't have a good Cinderella story - it is public knowledge that I grew up on landed property. Unlike many motivational gurus and some financial advisors who want to rely on sob story to churn sales, I never had to experience my home electricity being cut off and neither was I forced to dumpster dive when I was a kid because my dad gambled away all my bursaries. The lack of a good narrative, unfortunately can,  can create some kind of gap between me and potential customers. 

Worse, I cannot rely on the excuse that I do not come from a rich family to explain why I am not a deca-millionaire yet. Also, all my problems are "first world problems". Describing issues I face will always risk being recast as whining. 

( In fact, I will readily admit that I am not a deca-millionaire because I have some personal flaw that cannot be blamed on other people. Yeap, it's my bad ! )

Anyway, here are two nice narratives you can have :

a) The Conan Narrative

Would make a nice ITE ad

Conan was barely a thief and brigand until he rose through the ranks to become the Destroyer and King. This is a classic rags to riches story. The best narratives in Singapore follow the Conan storyline can sound like this : 

• You are first condemned by the education system and wind up in ITE/Poly/Private university. 
• Then you refused to submit to the labels from everyone around you making you a Byronic superhero entrepreneur. 
• Then you get into MLM/Internet Marketing/ Insurance sales/Value investing/Forex.
• Everyone rejects you, but you strive forwards backed by the power of FAMILY and TEAMWORK.
• You eat what you kill.
• Then you become a millionaire. 
• Then you have drive a nice Lamborghini.
• You are a winner. If the reader wants to be a winner, he buys something from you or pays for your course. Then they can be winners too !

b) The Elric Narrative

Elric of Melnibone is one of the Eternal Champions created by author Michael Moorcock. Elric is an Albino prince and through a series of tragic events, becomes manipulated by his sword Stormbringer to being an end to the current world so that a new world can be born.

Elric is the opposite of Conan. It is a story of how the mighty can fall and in return regain a sense of humanity at the end of the story arc. An Elric story in Singapore can look like this :

• You are identified as being gifted when you are young child being able to read Russian Literature or solve the Byzantine General's problem at age 6.
• As you get older, you start to rebel against the authorities because they won't let you do English Literature and Art History. Your parents say : either study Engineering, Medicine or Law or be forever branded as a disgrace to your family. 
• Being unable to study the subjects you like, you start taking drugs and engaging in premarital sex.
• Your grades begin to suffer.
• You are forced to study for O levels despite being an RI student. Your final O level aggregate is divisible by 32.
• You get kicked out of the Golden Road and end up in a Polytechnic.
• Relatives, waiting decades to pounce on your insufferable parents, have their day laughing at your academic fall on Chinese New Year.
• By this time, now no one cares whether you read English Literature or not. Your folks are too afraid of you committing suicide.
• Now you can finally study English Literature in some overseas 3rd Tier British Metropolitan university.
• Today you give talks on New Age Therapy to help sexual abuse victim debunk common narratives in Singapore.
• Today you are happy and centred, fully in control of your own being.
• Sign up for your program to erase the pain of the past and Rise like a Phoenix !

Two narratives. One about a rise from the ashes. One about fall from great heights. Both immensely profitable from a trainer's perspective. 

What lesson is there for investors ?

One possibility is this :

Either apply for leverage and hope for a big rise or short CFDs hoping for a massive fall.

Go loud, go big or go home.

While I will not question stable investment strategies, I can question the manhood of some folks who get excited over endowments that give north of 2% but take liquidity away for 3 years.

Yes, there are wusses who hold a massive war-chest and missed out on the recent REIT Rally. Yeah, the girlie men who get an orgasm and finger themselves because Singapore Savings Bonds return 2.1+% to investors. 

They lack a narrative because they can neither win nor lose.

Why do I write a blog article to make fun of them ?

Simple.

I have balls. They don't.

Here's to all fans of the Game of Thrones Season 8 !