Van Tharp Institute

Van Tharp's New Workshop

Peak Performance 203

Success from Trading ...
By Responding To What Is Really Happening

In Peak Performance 203 we teach you about getting in touch with your higher guidance. I helped one of my clients do that in the mid-1990s and the results, according to his report to me in mid-2008, have been absolutely amazing. His account (over a 14 year period) had grown over 51 times in size. Not only that, his internal guidance had told him to stop trading right before the 2008 meltdown.

In your natural state, you have the ability to see the market just as it is. No thoughts come up to remind you of the past or attempt to predict the future. Instead, you see exactly what’s happening in the market. And from that flow state an amazing level of trading is possible.

For example, one of my Super Traders has done a lot of meditative training. She stopped doing it because she said it was boring. It didn’t motivate her. However, after an exercise at one of our recent workshops, she got into that state and reported how blissful it was. I suggested that she start trading from that state. She did and the results have been amazing. She trades about an hour each day. She does very short term trading in a volatile stock and makes five to ten trades in just one hour of trading. You can imagine how stressful that might be to the average trader. Think about it— five to ten trades in an hour! However, in the average one hour day she makes 6-7R or about 6 to7 times what she risks.

When you really understand that you are not your beliefs about the market, but the awareness of those beliefs, then you can really know what the market is doing. It gives you a tremendous edge. That type of trading is possible for everyone.

Models for Self-Sabotage

Those of you who have finished the new edition of the Peak Performance Home Study Course know that I have several different models for self-sabotage.

• The Matrix Model says we are programmed to self-sabotage.

• The Creative Model says that when we disown our creations we are committing self-sabotage.

• And the most significant model, Oneness, operates at such a high level that most of what we do, which keeps us in an ‘ego’ state, is self-sabotage.

However, I’ve now discovered how to help people through these self-sabotage issues at the deepest level. And the basic concept is simple: When you are not doing what brings you joy, you are committing self-sabotage. Imagine moving toward being happier and happier and at the same time becoming more and more successful as a trader. Well, that’s the core concept behind my new Peak Performance Workshop 203: Avoiding Self-Sabotage by Following Your Bliss.

Here are my objectives for you in the Peak Performance 203 workshop:

1. To introduce you to an advanced model of self-sabotage based upon the idea that self-sabotage occurs when you are not feeling totally joyful for no reason at all. Can you think of a better way to lead your life than to go for being happy for no reason whatsoever?

2. To help you gain some understand of WHO YOU REALLY ARE!

3. To introduce you to your happiness set-point. You actually have set a limit on your happiness. But once you recognize it, you can start to raise the set point higher and higher. Is that something you’d like?

4. To get you a program to help you increase the amount of joy/happiness in your life.

5. To help you understand the hidden parts of you that block your happiness and hold you back.

6. To learn how to embrace and then release the thoughts/beliefs that do not serve you as a trader/person and that block your happiness

7. To help you trade from a position of being in the flow/bliss in which you can respond to the market rather than the thoughts in your head.

8. To allow you to meet and network with some really great people who have a lot in common with you.

9. And to give you a six week follow up program for you to begin to apply what you learn at the workshop.

One of the key principles of this work is that you really don’t understand much of what is blocking your happiness and success. It’s what might be called your shadow self — the disowned parts of you. You suppress those parts and project them onto others. And you start to hate the others…not for who they really are, but for what you’ve projected onto them. And when you react to your projections, you become them.

But the good news is that there is a method of seeing those projections for what they are. And when you take back ownership of those parts, you free yourself up to be happier. You free yourself to see things as they really are—such as the market. And you put yourself in a place where it’s possible to just trade the markets. You respond to the markets in a flow state from which immense profits are possible. Are you interested?

Here's what some of my Super Traders said after the first Peak Performance 203 Workshop, in December 2009:

"If you want to experience glimpses for pure happiness, take this workshop. If you want to transform yourself, make these lessons part of your life." —Peter Godfrey

"This workshop has the potential to transform you. Enlightening."— Lars Jorgensen

"Every part of this workshop left a huge mask on me. It is not exaggerations to say that it transformed the way I look at myself." —Neil Abrams

"A day full of energy, joy and heightened awareness." —Bruno Serfaty

"This course made more difference to me than any other." —Jan Steensma

"This workshop has given me a lot of ideas for personal transformation and practical applications on the most important part of my life: being happy. Thank you!" —Curtis Wee

"This workshop is not just for traders but for anyone who wants to understand themselves." —T. N.

"The information and experiences are certainly life changing if one is open to them." —Beth Sime

"Best psychology class I’ve ever attended."— Jim Ehrestman

"How to see yourself as a good trader and investor."— John Lee

"Following your bliss—how easy it can be if we desire to choose it instead of living in fear."— Ashay Brahmbhatt

"It amazed me to find happiness could be such an easy choice to make. I don’t have to have all the things I want. I could simply choose to be happy now. I have known that but now I know how."— RJ Hixson

So where are you right now on the happiness scale?

Here is a test that you can take. There are 35 statements below; rank yourself on each statement according to the following scale:

1 = Not like me or my thoughts
2 = Rarely like me or my thoughts
3= Sometimes like me or my thoughts
4= Often like me or my thoughts
5= Always Like Me or my thoughts

Now take the test and be honest because the only person you can possibly cheat is yourself and you might be doing that all the time.

Write your answer in the column with the line.

1	I feel happy and satisfied for no reason.	1	2	3	4	5	_{____}
2	There is someone in my life I cannot forgive.	1	2	3	4	5	_{____}
3	I don’t blame others or complain	1	2	3	4	5	_{____}
4	I live in the moment.	1	2	3	4	5	_{____}
5	My head is full of internal chatter	1	2	3	4	5	_{____}
6	I feel alive, vital, and energetic	1	2	3	4	5	_{____}
7	I worry a lot	1	2	3	4	5	_{____}
8	I experience a deep sense of peace & well-being	1	2	3	4	5	_{____}
9	I don’t let bad situation keep me down.	1	2	3	4	5	_{____}
10	I feel inspired by a purpose in my life.	1	2	3	4	5	_{____}
11	Sometimes I feel like a victim.	1	2	3	4	5	_{____}
12	Life is a great adventure for me.	1	2	3	4	5	_{____}
13	The universe is not a very friendly place.	1	2	3	4	5	_{____}
14	I’m always looking for things to fix.	1	2	3	4	5	_{____}
15	I’m enthusiastic about what I do.	1	2	3	4	5	_{____}
16	I feel a lot of joy.	1	2	3	4	5	_{____}
17	There is a gift or lessons in everything that happens.	1	2	3	4	5	_{____}
18	People around me are not that supportive.	1	2	3	4	5	_{____}
19	My life is quite burdensome.	1	2	3	4	5	_{____}
20	I am able to let go and forgive.	1	2	3	4	5	_{____}
21	My negative thoughts don’t overshadow me.	1	2	3	4	5	_{____}
22	I tend to judge others a lot.	1	2	3	4	5	_{____}
23	I love myself.	1	2	3	4	5	_{____}
24	I feel at one with everything	1	2	3	4	5	_{____}
25	I am a God fearing person.	1	2	3	4	5	_{____}
26	I look for the good in every person I meet.	1	2	3	4	5	_{____}
27	I’m always trying to get the approval of others.	1	2	3	4	5	_{____}
28	I feel a general sense of gratitude.	1	2	3	4	5	_{____}
29	Inside I feel a little empty.	1	2	3	4	5	_{____}
30	I’m connected to something bigger than myself.	1	2	3	4	5	_{____}
31	I change what I can and accept what I cannot	1	2	3	4	5	_{____}
32	Everything in my life is perfect just as it is.	1	2	3	4	5	_{____}
33	I’m sensitive to criticism.	1	2	3	4	5	_{____}
34	I sometimes get angry, but for a good reason.	1	2	3	4	5	_{____}
35	Quite often bad things happen to good people.	1	2	3	4	5	_{____}

Now it’s time to score the test. First, total your scores to the following 20 questions and get a total.

A. Total and score for questions 1,3,4,6 8, 9, 10, 12, 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 23, 24, 26, 28, 30, 31, 32 (These are all the answer in the left column).

Okay, now record your score for the remaining questions and get a total for them.

B. Total score for questions 2,5,7,11,13,14,18,19,22,25,27,29,33,34,35. (These are all the answer in the far right column)

Now record your total for the A question _______ and then subtract your total for the B questions _______ and record the result here. ___________

Were you honest with yourself? Here is little test for that. What was your score for questions 1, 4, 24, 28, 32? __________. If the total of those five questions was more than 20, then you are either an incredibly advanced person or you were trying to get a good score and thus deluding yourself. It’s normal, but you won’t make any progress until you start being honest with yourself. As Walt Kelly’s cartoon character, Pogo, once said, “We have met the enemy and he is us.”

You could score as high as +85 on the test or as low as -55. An average score is between 20-25. Were you about average? If so, you have a lot of work to do and you have little idea of what it is like to be really happy. And you probably are not that successful either.

What would it be worth to you to raise your happiness quotient another 10 to 15 points? And what if you could do that in as little as six weeks? And what if you could raise it 25 points in about six months? Who would you be then? What would your life be like? What’s that worth to you? And what if your trading tended to improve as your raised your happiness quotient? Well that’s our goal in the new Peak Performance 203 workshop.

Like Peak 202, this workshop requires Peak Performance 101 as a pre-requisite. It’s an advanced course and your need to be ready for it. Also the initial course for the Super Traders was just two days plus a six week follow-up. But the full course will be three days plus the six-week follow-up.

Our Risk-Reversal Guarantee!

Dr. Tharp totally guarantees that you will be delighted with it. In fact, we'll take all of the risk ourselves. If you aren't totally satisfied by 12 PM on the second day of the course, you'll receive a full refund for what you paid for the course. Just return your notebook to an IITM staff member and we'll refund your course fee even though you've already had many of the benefits of the course.

Why are we willing to assume your risk? The key to our guarantee is, if you are ready to work on yourself, then there is no risk to us. We know you'll be delighted. On the other hand, if you're not ready for that kind of experience, then this course is not for you.

Dates, Pricing, Locations

Last revised: December 24, 2009