第21部分(第6/7 頁)

；　〃I　don't　want　to　lose　money。〃　Well；　what　makes　them　think　I　or　anyone　else　likes　losing　money？　They　don't　make　money　because　they　chose　to　not　lose　money。　Instead　of　analyzing；　they　close　their　minds　to　another　powerful　investment　vehicle；　the　stock　market。

In　December　1996；1　was　riding　with　a　friend　past　our　neighborhood　gas　station。　He　looked　up　and　saw　that　the　price　of　oil　was　going　up。　My　friend　is　a　worry　wart　or　a　〃Chicken　Little。〃　To　him；　the　sky　is　always　going　to　fall；　and　it　usually　does；　on　him。

When　we　got　home；　he　showed　me　all　the　stats　as　to　why　the　price　of　oil　was　going　to　go　up　over　the　next　few　years。　Statistics　I　had　never　seen　before；　even　though　I　already　owned　a　substantial　share　block　of　an　existing　oil　pany。　With　that　information；　I　immediately　began　looking　for　and　found　a　new　undervalued　oil　pany　that　was　about　to　find　some　oil　deposits。　My　broker　was　excited　about　this　new　pany；　and　I　bought　15；000　shares　for　65　cents　per　share。

In　February　1997；　this　same　friend　and　I　drove　by　the　same　gas　station；　and　sure　enough；　the　price　per　gallon　had　gone　up　nearly　15　percent。　Again；　the　〃Chicken　Little〃　worried　and　plained。 I　smiled　because　in　January　1997；　that　little　oil　pany　hit　oil　and　those　15；000　shares　went　up　to　more　than　3　per　share　since　he　had　first　given　me　the　tip。　And　the　price　of　gas　will　continue　to　go　up　if　what　my　friend　says　is　true。

Instead　of　analyzing；　their　little　chicken　closes　their　mind。　If　most　people　understood　how　a　〃stop〃　worked　in　stock…market　investing；　there　would　be　more　people　…investing　to　win　instead　of　investing　not　to　lose。　A　〃stop〃　is　simply　a　puter　mand　that　sells　your　stock　automatically　if　the　price　begins　to　drop；　helping　to　minimize　your　losses　and　maximize　some　gains。　It's　a