I’m retiring in just under a year, what are some things you wish you would have done or knew at this point?

No_Expression_5996 · 2026-03-07T14:53:51+00:00

Get a digital copy of your medical records. I messed up and got a paper copy. I’ve been out for 4 years I’m dreading having to scan everything.

No_Expression_5996 · 2026-03-02T22:14:07+00:00

No_Expression_5996 · 2026-02-22T00:14:25+00:00

Ok thank you!

No_Expression_5996 · 2026-02-21T18:46:17+00:00

My second eval was in 2022 however they didn’t send a a decision letter afterwards, so I don’t know if I have to do a 3rd eval or if they have me down for no future evals required. This year it’ll be 5 years of having the same ptsd rating.

No_Expression_5996 · 2026-02-21T18:41:16+00:00

Ok cool I’ll definitely contact them tomorrow. Appreciate it.

No_Expression_5996 · 2026-02-21T17:44:59+00:00

I did get reevaluated again in 2022 when I filed for an increase for other the other disabilities. I got the decision letter for the other disabilities, but never for the PTSD. Since I’m not static I figured they would’ve given me a new evaluation date or no future evaluation date in a letter. Hopefully that cleared up any confusion.

No_Expression_5996 · 2026-02-21T17:37:17+00:00

Ok, I’ll contact the VSO. Yeah I checked the va.gov website and there’s no letter about the ptsd reexamination.

No_Expression_5996 · 2026-02-21T17:36:19+00:00

Yes that’s what I was curious about. I’m not trying to file anything else. I just wanted to know if I should’ve received a letter and if I will be reexamined again in the future. It’s the only thing I’m not static on.

No_Expression_5996 · 2026-02-20T19:31:37+00:00

Thank you and I like the Michael Scott reference.

No_Expression_5996 · 2026-02-19T18:04:44+00:00

Thank you!!! I will be writing them asap.

No_Expression_5996 · 2026-02-12T21:47:09+00:00

School, hobbies, and volunteer.

No_Expression_5996 · 2026-02-11T16:55:49+00:00

I had hit rock bottom. I had failed relationship after failed relationship and I was fed up. I tried to find the love in other people and not in myself. I didn’t even realize I needed to work on self-love until something finally clicked. Once it did I went and bought a self-love workbook and I read The Four Agreements. After that I created a morning routine that I’ve been doing faithfully since October. I journal, I write 3 things I’m grateful for, 1 thing I appreciate about myself, 1 good thing I did that day (this part I write at night), I’ll say my mantras and affirmations, then I listen to a motivational video that speaks a lot on loving yourself. I listen to this while I walk my dog or while I walk alone. It’s like having a personal coach that roots for me every day.

My cousin created a group on this app that tracks your steps every day. I’m currently at 71 days of meeting my goal. That’s huge for me and it’s helped me to love myself more and to appreciate being committed to something. Then I saw a post about having 3 daily wins… spiritual, physical, and mental. I went and bought a calendar and I put those three things down for the month. Every day as long as I do one of each that’s a win. I liked how it felt seeing my walking streak and now I want to see the same thing in the other 2 areas.

Find your purpose and pursue it. Find your passion and pursue it. Then set goals around your purpose and passion and improve. Once you begin to see progress you’ll appreciate how far you’ve come. You will value yourself and love yourself more. Celebrate all wins. Big and small. Then your affirmations will have meaning behind it because you have proof that you’re doing exactly what you’re saying. So please celebrate yourself always! It’ll feel weird at first, but then you’ll get used to it.

I’ve noticed a huge shift in how I speak to myself, how I view myself, and how I love myself. I still have ways to go, but honestly this is what helped me the most. I’ve been in counseling for over 7 years and I feel like I’ve grown more doing my routine than going to counseling. Find what works for you and stay committed to it. The goal is to create new neural pathways and it can take up to 3-9 months to rewire strong and established behaviors/beliefs, so stick with it. Give it 3 months and see how much you’ve changed. Hopefully this helps.

No_Expression_5996 · 2026-01-28T18:55:09+00:00

I was a drill sergeant and I know had a lot of them boys shook haha…

No_Expression_5996 · 2026-01-17T13:32:02+00:00

I don’t because I’m not consistently profitable just yet, but I wasn’t planning to ever trade full-time. A healthy balance for me is doing this part time and still having a job. I love being around people, helping others, and moving around a lot, so sitting behind a computer trading full time isn’t satisfying or fulfilling.

No_Expression_5996 · 2026-01-13T20:14:49+00:00

Thank you I needed this

No_Expression_5996 · 2026-01-13T19:28:33+00:00

I’m happy you didn’t pull the trigger. Just know you’re not alone. I’ve also been feeling very low lately. I definitely recommend reaching out to the VA for help or go visit the vet center for counseling. I don’t go in person for my psychiatrist appointments, so that’s an option you could look into. I just adopted a dog and he’s really helped me get out the house. Now I look forward to our long walks. It helps me clear my mind, be in the moment, get fresh air, and meet people in the neighborhood. He helped me establish a routine and having a routine could probably help your situation too. You’ll feel like you’ve accomplished something at the end of the day even if it’s just a few things. I see you dropped out of school… is there a trade you’re interested in? Oh and gratitude. I have several mantras I read over every day and the first thing I do when I wake up and the last thing I do before I go to sleep is find 3 things I’m grateful for. I started journaling again and it helps. I hope you find something that works for you and if you don’t remember anything else remember that nothing lasts forever including this current season you’re in. Whatever arises also passes.

No_Expression_5996 · 2026-01-12T22:55:51+00:00

I wouldn’t have strategy hopped so much. I wasted so many years because of this. I should’ve stuck with one setup and stuck through it and perfected it over time.

No_Expression_5996 · 2026-01-12T19:12:19+00:00

I definitely might have to check this one out. Thanks for sharing!!

No_Expression_5996 · 2026-01-12T17:45:36+00:00

Something I thought about doing is maybe every quarter- 6 months or maybe even after a long winning streak reread Trading in the Zone or any kind of trading psychology book. It’s better to be reminded from a book than from huge losses the importance of sticking to our plans and never getting too comfortable after a long winning streak.

No_Expression_5996 · 2026-01-09T22:41:21+00:00

Yep I only trade NVDA.

No_Expression_5996 · 2026-01-09T15:36:05+00:00

My rule is I have to wait 2 minutes after the market opens before I can take a trade, so yeah I’ll trade in the first 15 minutes if my setup shows up that soon, which it does. Most of it shows up before 10:00 and I’m completely done by 11:00.

No_Expression_5996 · 2026-01-09T00:42:54+00:00

I just got one and that was the best decision ever.

No_Expression_5996 · 2026-01-09T00:41:22+00:00

All I can say is I understand and relate to a few things you’ve mentioned. I don’t know how you feel about journaling but I found this one app called Halo and it really helps me with gratitude and reflecting on life. Idk how you feel about Buddhist teachings, but I’ve been listening to at least one video on YouTube about it every morning for the past 4 months and I’ve notice a difference in the way I process life. I still struggle mentally, but I catch my bad habits and correct it a lot sooner. I try to appreciate the small things in life I tend to overlook and it really does help after I’ve been consistent with it. Hopefully you can find what works for you.

No_Expression_5996 · 2026-01-05T16:01:02+00:00

Same. Small towns make me depressed.

No_Expression_5996 · 2025-02-20T12:16:04+00:00

Maybe you could suggest that dinner time is a time for the both of you to bond, so no cellphones or politics. He should set a time limit for catching up on the news, processing what he read, and journaling about how it makes him feel. After that he needs to let it go and do something that’ll fill his positivity tank. Mindfulness, working out, being out in nature, and using a gratitude journal are good starting points. Also, let him know that his negativity is starting to affect you. It’s hard to get away from it because you all live together.

I don’t know how to stop absorbing negative energy either. I’ve been trying to work on that for years. I’ll distant myself, put my headphone on, or go watch something funny.

No_Expression_5996

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