Originally Posted by ilnjscb

I have to step in and say here that you are talking with and being given free advice by some of the most successful, celebrated and published people in the business. Where else could you do that?

I'm nobody and you may be somebody, but these folks are SOMEBODY and are doling out real business acumen.

What benefit does it give them to lie to you, or to sugarcoat? None whatsoever. Perhaps if they were sitting on a gold mine and told you there was no gold .. but what they are telling you is that persistence, hard word, willingness to learn, and the ability to oh, say, LISTEN WHEN SMART PEOPLE GIVE YOU ADVICE will potentially bring you success.

If you had the astonishing foresight to buy DELL in 1993 you would have made "easy money". Not so in 2000. If you'd had the astonishing foresight to buy NYC real estate in late 2001 you'd have made "easy money". If you'd had the astonishing foresight and mechanism to bet against credit swaps you'd have made "easy money".

Easy money is everywhere. The common element is the astonishing foresight. The rest of us have to work, and learn, and listen.