THE INTUITIVE INVESTOR THE INTUITIVE INVESTOR A radical guide for manifesting wealth Jason Apollo Voss Copyright © 2010 by Jason Apollo Voss All rights reserved Published in the United States of America No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage or retrieval system, without the permission in writing from the publisher This edition published by SelectBooks, Inc For information address SelectBooks, Inc., New York, New York First Edition ISBN 978-1-59079-206-3 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Voss, Jason Apollo The intuitive investor : a radical guide for manifesting wealth / Jason Apollo Voss 1st ed p cm Includes index Summary: “Successful Wall Street fund manager retired at age 35 guides investors to use intuitive and creative right-brained processes to complement traditional left-brain financial analysis Author describes his principles based on spiritual insights and provides professional anecdotes to support his theories” Provided by publisher ISBN 978-1-59079-206-3 (hardbound : alk paper) Finance, Personal Psychological aspects Investments Moral and ethical aspects Creative ability Psychological aspects I Title HG179.V67 2010 332.601′9 dc22 2010014826 Interior Design by Janice Benight Manufactured in the United States of America 10 DEDICATED TO EVERY PERSON WHO BELIEVES IN HIS OR HER EXPERIENCES ABOVE ALL ELSE Contents Acknowledgments Preface Introduction Who This Book Is For Overview of The Intuitive Investor You Can Do This, Too PART ONE Preparing the Ground for Your Creativity, Intuition, and Wealth Manifestation Foundations The Underlying Assumptions The Four Principles of the Intuitive Investor An Expanded Definition of Investing Why Intuition is Essential for Investing Success The Most Important Investment Skill: Understanding Information Investing Is as Much about Intuition as It Is Analysis Moving Beyond Conventional Descriptions of Our World Your Natural Intuitive Tool, the Right Brain The Intuitive Investor and You: Self-Assessment Exercises The Infinite Possibilities of the Information Landscape Principle I: Infinity The Gift of Ignorance: Separating the Unknown from the Known The Gift of Fear: How Fear Limits You and Distorts Your Intuition The Intuitive Investor and You: Self-Assessment Exercises The Narrow Probabilities of the Information Landscape Principle II: Paradox Contexts: Choosing a More Sensible Information Map Scale: How Far Above the Information Landscape to Fly Continuums: Zeroing in on Relevant Information The Intuitive Investor and You: Self-Assessment Exercises A Map for the Investor What Is Investing? Why Do You Invest? Who Is the Investor? The Investor Identity Where is Investment Information? When Do You Invest? The Intuitive Investor and You: Self-Assessment Exercises Section Review PART TWO Activating Your Creativity and Intuition for Wealth Manifestation Seven Essential Investor Attitudes Principle III: Harmonizing The Seven Essential Investor Attitudes Attitude 1: Focus on Risks before Opportunities Attitude 2: Comfort with Uncertainty Attitude 3: A Good Decision Is Most Often ≥ the “Perfect” Decision Attitude 4: Forgive Yourself for Not Being Perfect Attitude 5: You Are Holding Investment Interviews Attitude 6: Why Does It Have to Be This One? Attitude 7: Beware False Prophets The Intuitive Investor and You: Self-Assessment Exercises Seven Essential Investor Behaviors Principle IV: Action Behavior 1: Choose Responsibility Behavior 2: Honesty Behavior 3: Balance Intelligence and Wisdom Behavior 4: Judge, But Don’t Prejudge Behavior 5: Courage Behavior 6: Conviction Behavior 7: Assuming There Is a Why The Intuitive Investor and You: Self-Assessment Exercises The Intuitive Investor Tool Kit Context for Understanding Information before Buying: Your Cousin Vinny Context for Understanding Information while Holding: The Investment Thesis Context for Understanding Information after Selling: The Lessons Learned List Exercise: Creating “The Lessons Learned List” Section Review PART THREE Putting the Four Principles to Maximum Use Increasing the Potency of the Four Principles Principle I: Infinity Principle II: Paradox Principle III: Harmonizing Principle IV: Action Seamless Integration 10 Meditation: The Ultimate Intuitive Vehicle The Meditation Process Meditation Is a Natural State of Mind What Meditation Is A Powerful Analogy The Ego (The Jungle) The Meditative Practice (The Pathway) The Meditative State (The Temple) The Fruits of Meditation (The Treasures) A Sample Meditation Practice Further Exploration The Intuitive Investor and You: Self-Assessment Exercises 11 Cultivating Your Creativity Creativity Defined The Creative Process Improving Creativity The Intutive Investor and You: Self-Assessment Exercises 12 The Intuitive Investor Intuition Defined Where Intuition Takes Place Why Intuition Works: Unifying Principles I-IV The Intuitive Process Investor Applications The Intuitive Investor and You: Self-Assessment Exercises 13 A Radical Guide for Wealth Manifestation The Manifestation Process Radical Steps for Wealth Manifestation Finer Points The Intuitive Investor and You: Self-Assessment Exercises 14 Reports from the Field: Real World Stories Devon Energy, Part I Devon Energy, Part II General Growth Properties Enron Dot.com Bubble Bursting Calling the Financial Market Bottom Ground Covered and Action Steps Appendix: Sample Investment Thesis and Lessons Learned List Suggested Readings and Resources for the Intuitive Investor Index Acknowledgments My life has been blessed with many wonderful people who have each shared themselves with me Thank you … Family Mom, for raising me and teaching me so many of my life’s lessons Clyde, for your example of integrity and honesty Evelyn, for being the family glue Phil, for being such a great friend when I was young Kate, for teaching me humility Dawn, for teaching me the missing lessons, for your enduring support, for such pure love, you are my custom-made wife—I love you! And to any family members I didn’t name, your influence is honored and appreciated I love all of you Friends George, for your original elegant inspiration Marco T., for having been there so many times; I consider you to be a brother Rick W., for being such a powerful influence when I was young Shai S., for your continued friendship, laughter and support for my life Natalie V., for being my unswerving champion Raymond and Isaac, for being my furry friends Bob P., for being one of the best examples of a loving man Fiona P., for changing everything Chai, for teaching me patience Jon F., for your sincerity, erudition, and love of animals Jon A., for being an example of an adult and for your continued seismic influence Stephen J., for suggesting that a single book could be about investing and spirituality David W., for being my Brother Tigtigs, for demonstrating what a living god looks like Puka, thanks for showing others who I am Tug, thanks for being a bodhisattva Paula M., for being a living embodiment of profundity, your courage is an inspiration Kelly H., for your frivolity and support Michael J Gelb, for providing the outstanding structure of the book that I am certain will ensure its prosperity and perpetuity My beloved Friday Group, for the loving support and invaluable mirroring I apologize in advance if I have been remiss by excluding any of my spectacular friends Professional Joseph Piper, for your example of intuitive choices trumping analysis, your loving example, and your support Andrew Davis, for championing me, for your hands off management style, and for your living example of intelligence and heart in a business person Chandler Spears, thanks for being Statler to my Waldorf Lori D., thanks for your professional friendship and grace under fire Angelica V., for your sweet sincerity Christopher Davis, for carrying the Davis torch, your example of intelligence, and your efforts to always be better Andy Pritchard, for hours of conversations and for being one of Wall Street’s most decent human beings John Van Oast, for your levity and professional friendship William Eager, for the opportunity of a lucrative future Literary Stephan Pollan, for your initial “tipping point” support for my work Jeremy Katz, for insisting that this book be centered on principles Bill Gladstone, for your unswerving support, professional acumen, good nature, and deep desire to change it all Kenzi Sugihara, for your enduring belief in the possible Nancy Sugihara, for turning a manuscript into a book Kenichi Sugihara for introducing me to you non–linearity, 105, 107, 133, 219, 235–36 numbers, 14–16, 24, 174–75, 235, 238, 248 O Oklahoma, 88 Old Ironsides, 117–19 P Palm Springs, 139 Paradox, 8, 53–56, 75–76, 136, 138, 180–182, 188, 191–92, 199, 213, 218, 270, 282 Pathway, 194, 200, 203–09, 210–11, 213 PDA (personal digital assistant), 52–53, 60, 63, 65, 68, 133 perfection is expensive, 108, 203 personal power, 41, 82, 86, 99, 126, 128, 144, 183, 188–89 physical monism, 171–74 Plague Company, 117, 119 point of focus (see vector, meditative) Portfolio Management Consultants, 100 possibilities, 7, 29–31, 51, 53, 58–60, 70, 75, 97, 103, 105, 109, 127, 137, 152, 154, 175, 182, 184, 189, 211, 213, 215, 220, 230, 241, 251 prejudice, 20–21, 31, 49, 60–61, 72, 78, 87, 110, 115, 135, 136–37, 144, 187, 205, 207, 217, 262 Principles Principle I: Infinity, xxiii, 3, 7, 27, 29–31, 53, 58, 75, 82, 88, 134–35, 138, 143, 154, 170–79, 180, 182, 184–85, 188–91, 194, 213, 220–21, 223–24, 228, 234, 236–37, 241, 247, 250, 260, 265 Principle II: Paradox, xxiii, 4, 7–8, 51, 53–58, 74–75, 82, 88, 105, 128, 131, 134, 136, 154, 173, 179–83, 184–87, 189–91, 194, 213, 220, 223, 228, 236, 239, 248, 250, 260 Principle III: Harmonizing, xxiii, 8, 97, 99–101, 130, 134–35, 155, 173, 183–91, 194–95, 209–11, 213, 220, 223, 228, 231, 234, 236, 240–41, 243, 248, 251–52, 261, 263, 265 Principle IV: Action, xxiii, 8, 97, 125–27, 129, 131, 134–35, 138, 140, 142–43, 155–56, 188–191, 194, 213, 220, 224, 228, 236, 240–41, 244, 248, 252, 255–56 probabilities, 7–8, 51, 53–54, 58, 69–72, 74–76, 79, 99, 154, 173, 181, 189, 191, 223, 235–36, 243, 245, 253 Prophetissa, Maria, 169 Q quality and quantity, 55, 56, 225–26 quantum physics, 5, 30, 170–71, 173–74, 177–79, 219, 233 R Rand, Ayn, 126 rationalization (see ego) rejuvenate (including rejuvenation), 197–98, 204, 207, 209–10, 213, 222 relative and absolute, 55, 55–56 religion, 169, 172, 175, 214 responsibility, 86, 111, 125–28, 143, 190, 225 right brain, xvii, xix–xxiv, 3–4, 7–8, 11, 13, 18–25, 27, 29, 31, 49, 51–52, 54, 57, 65, 67, 71, 74–76, 90, 93, 97, 99, 101–02, 108–10, 113–14, 117, 123, 125, 130–31, 133, 136, 146, 163, 167, 170– 71, 175, 179, 182, 187–88, 191, 193, 199, 202, 207–08, 211, 215, 219, 221–225, 230–31, 233, 236–37, 239, 241, 247–48, 250, 262, 264, 271–72 risk, 104–05, 135, 153, 190 risk and return, 55, 57 Rocket Ship, 117–19 Russell, Bertrand, 180–81 S San Francisco, 28, 90, 267–68 Santa Fe, 88–90, 106, 131, 248 Santa Fe Institute, 106 scales, 4, 51–52, 64–69, 70–73, 76–78, 85, 210 Schrödinger, Erwin, 179 Schumpeter, Joseph, 58 science, xvii, 5–6, 9, 11, 18, 106, 125, 143, 167, 169, 171–79, 181, 184, 214, 272 scientists, 5–6, 30, 55, 79, 105–07, 171–74, 176–77, 179–80 SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission), 61, 104, 122, 267, 279 seeing your world differently, 87–90, 226 Selim, Richard, 264–65 Seven Attitudes of Intuitive Investing, xxiii, 97, 101–20 Seven Behaviors of Intuitive Investing, xxiii, 97, 126–44 shaven headed cave dweller, 194, 196 skepticism, 5, 174–75, 179 Spears, Chandler, 131, 264–65 Specificity, 256–57 speculators vs investors, 85–86, 153 spirituality, 6, 125, 136, 175, 179, 195, 201, 205, 214, 216, 248 Standard and Poors 500, xvi Stillness, 209, 222, 231 strong objectivity, 171–73 Sunset, The Greatest, 24–5, 174 Surrender, 201, 237–39 sword forging, 72, 74 T technology investments, 28, 52–53, 60, 65–67, 70–72, 74–75, 77–78, 80, 89, 103, 184–85, 211, 214, 267–68 Temple, 194, 200–01, 203–04, 207, 209–11, 213, 215, 223 theory of relativity, 177 there is no such thing as a future fact (see facts, and their limitations) thought, 247–48, 251, 254, 256 Three Kings, 139 Time-Warner, 140 Tower Automotive, 111 Translation, 239–40, 244–45 Treasure, 194, 200, 203, 207, 211–14, 215, 219–20, 224, 261 treating maybes as nos, 142 truth, the feeling of, 130, 145–46, 197, 213, 223, 233, 240, 267–68 tuning in, 143, 197, 233, 235, 237, 238–39, 243, 246, 266, 272 U U.S Restaurant Properties, 36 unconscious (see consciousness) underlying assumptions, 3, assumption 1, assumption 2, assumption 3, assumption 4, assumption 5, assumption 6, assumption 7, understanding information, 3, 4, 11–12, 17–18, 27, 29–30, 34, 51, 55, 58, 60, 62, 64, 68–69, 90, 97, 99, 102, 110–11, 116, 125, 130–31, 138, 142, 149, 156, 183, 186–87, 190–91, 193, 199, 221, 223, 225–26, 231, 235, 237, 251 Union Bank of Switzerland, xv University of Colorado, xvi, 266 V valuation, 154 value investors, 68 vector, meditative, 207–08, 212, 219–22, 231, 237, 241–42, 268 Vornado Realty, 28 W Wall Street, xv, 28, 60, 248, 260–62 Wal-Mart, 122 Waste Connections, 138 Wayman, Bob, 103 wealth manifestation (see manifestation) Whitehead, Alfred, 14, 180–81 who this book is for, xxi wisdom, 105, 130–32, 134–37, 143, 147, 153, 162–63, 181, 199, 224, 271 wisdom, components of, 135 word, 247–48, 252, 254, 256–57 words, 14–18, 24, 32, 174–75, 223, 234–35, 238–39, 244, 248, 252, 257 World Trade Center, 28 Y you can this, too, xxiv Your Cousin Vinny, 149–156 About the Author Before retiring at age 35, Jason Apollo Voss was co-Portfolio Manager of the Davis Appreciation and Income Fund (DAIF), one of the nation’s largest money-management firms and among the largest shareholders for several familiar brands During his tenure he bested the NASDAQ, S&P 500 and DJIA by staggering percentages Lipper Analytical Services named the Davis Appreciation and Income Fund a “Lipper Leader” and it was ranked number one in its investment category The Fund was also a regular Morningstar “Analyst Pick.” An active speaker and presenter in the realms of finance and academia, Jason now resides in Santa Fe, New Mexico with his wife Dawn Jacobson, who is well known in the fashion world for her work as a makeup artist For more information please visit www.jasonapollovoss.com Results include the effects of dividends and stock splits on total return Results were calculated based on data published by Yahoo! Finance; DAIF ticker symbol is DCSYX and covering the period of September 22, 2000 to August 18, 2005 Bennett W Goodspeed, The Tao Jones Averages: A Guide to Whole-Brained Investing (New York: Penguin, 1984), For example, the ancient Egyptian, Vedic, Buddhist and Hindu traditions American Heritage Dictionary of the English Dictionary, Fourth Edition; (New York: Houghton-Mifflin Company, 2006) Investopedia, http://www.investopedia.com/terms/i/investing.asp Note: this contravenes most standard meditative and/or spiritual practice But to deny the ego’s existence is to set oneself apart from it, which simply results in additional duality and, more egoic constructs Tom Kenyon and Virginia Essene, “Feeling and Human Evolution,” in The Hathor Material: Messages from an Ascended Civilzation: 7th Printing (Orca, Washington: ORB Communications, 2006), 45–6 Alex Vilenkin, Ph.D Many Worlds in One: The Search for Other Universes (New York: Hill & Wang, 2006), Alex Vilenkin, Ph.D., Many Worlds in One, a physicist; Dean Radin, Ph.D., The Conscious Universe, electrical engineer and psychologist; has an extensive summary of scientific opinion about the topic; Amit Goswami, Ph.D., The Self-Aware Universe, quantum physicist; has an extensive summary of scientific opinion about the topic; and Michael Talbot, The Holographic Universe, author; has an extensive summary of scientific opinion about the topic 10 Gavin De Becker, “In the Presence of Danger,” The Gift of Fear: and Other Survival Signals that Protect Us from Violence: 10th Printing (New York: Dell Publishing, 1998) 11 Gavin De Becker, The Gift of Fear: and Other Survival Signals that Protect Us from Violence: 10th Printing (New York: Dell Publishing, 1998), 12 John Selby, Seven Masters, One Path: Meditation Secrets from the World’s Greatest Teachers (New York: HarperSanFrancisco, 2004), 109 13 Alex Vinlenkin, Ph.D., Many Worlds in One: The Search for Other Universes (New York: Hill & Wang, 2006), 5-6 14 Received via meditation on March 6, 2005 in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA 15 American Heritage Dictionary of the English Dictionary, Fourth Edition (New York: Houghton-Mifflin Company, 2006 16 Internet Movie Database, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075686/quotes 17 Lynne McTaggart, The Field: the Quest for the Secret Force of the Universe, updated edition (New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 2008), 174 18 William Poundstone, Labyrinths of Reason: Paradoxes, Puzzles and the Frailty of Knowledge (New York: Doubleday, 1988), 18 After a classical paradox first described by Eubulides in the 4th Century B.C.E 20 Received via a dream on June 29, 2006 in Dayton, Ohio, USA 21 American Heritage Dictionary of the English Dictionary, Fourth Edition (New York: Houghton-Mifflin Company, 2006) 22 Securities and Exchange Commission, http://www.sec.gov/edgar; or see Appendix I: Resources for Intuitive Investors 23 James Gleick, Chaos: Making a New Science (New York: Penguin Books, 1987), 67–8 24 Fallacy Files, http://www.fallacyfiles.org/wanalogy.html 25 Received via meditations on January 3, 2006 in Dayton, Ohio, USA and March 1, 2006 in Dayton, Ohio, USA 26 American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition (New York: Houghton-Mifflin Company, 2006) 27 Amit Goswami, Ph.D., with Richard E Reed, and Maggie Goswami, The Self-Aware Universe: How Consciousness Creates the Material World (New York: Tarcher Penguin, 1995), 17 28 Alex Vilenkin, Ph.D., Many Worlds in One: The Search for Other Universes (New York: Hill & Wang, 2006), 204–5 29 Amit Goswami, Ph.D., Richard E Reed, and Maggie Goswami, The Self-Aware Universe: How Consciousness Creates the Material World (New York: Tarcher Penguin, 1995), 15–8 30 Amit Goswami, Ph.D., Richard E Reed, and Maggie Goswami, The Self-Aware Universe: How Consciousness Creates the Material World (New York: Tarcher Penguin, 1995), 45–7 31 Amit Goswami, Ph.D., Richard E Reed, and Maggie Goswami, The Self-Aware Universe: How Consciousness Creates the Material World (New York: Tarcher Penguin, 1995), 145 32 Dean Radin, Ph.D., The Conscious Universe: The Scientific Truth of Psychic Phenomena (New York: HarperSanFrancisco, 1997), 172 33 Dean Radin, Ph.D., The Conscious Universe: The Scientific Truth of Psychic Phenomena (New York: HarperSanFrancisco, 1997), 193 34 Michael Talbot, The Holographic Universe (New York: Harper Perrenial, 1992), 35 35 Michael Talbot, The Holographic Universe (New York: Harper Perrenial, 1992), 41 36 Michael Talbot, The Holographic Universe (New York: Harper Perrenial, 1992), 42 37 Michael Talbot, The Holographic Universe (New York: Harper Perrenial, 1992), 52 38 Michael Talbot, The Holographic Universe (New York: Harper Perrenial, 1992), 60 39 Michael Talbot, The Holographic Universe (New York: Harper Perrenial, 1992), 86 40 Received via two meditations: October 21, 2005 in Dayton, Ohio, USA and July 19, 2008 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA 41 Received via meditation on March 6, 2005 in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA 42 Amit Goswami, Ph.D., Richard E Reed, and Maggie Goswami, The Self-Aware Universe: How Consciousness Creates the Material World (New York: Tarcher Penguin, 1995), 183 43 Received via a dream on June 29, 2006 in Dayton, Ohio, USA 44 Michael Talbot, The Holographic Universe (New York: Harper Perrenial, 1992), 125 45 Michael Talbot, The Holographic Universe (New York: Harper Perrenial, 1992), 174 46 Received via meditations on January 3, 2006 in Dayton, Ohio, USA and March 1, 2006 in Dayton, Ohio, USA 47 Lynne McTaggart, The Field: the Quest for the Secret Force of the Universe (updated edition) (New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 2008), 134 48 American Heritage Dictionary of the English Dictionary, Fourth Edition (New York: Houghton-Mifflin Company, 2006) 49 Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meditation 50 Egoic mind means the state of mind where a sense of “I,” or a sense of separateness from the interconnectedness of the universe, exists 51 From the DVD “In the Shadow of the Moon;” directed by David Sington; Velocity/Thinkfilm; 2008; at the 1:32:00 mark 52 From the DVD “In the Shadow of the Moon;” directed by David Sington; Velocity/Thinkfilm; 2008; at the 1:25:15 mark 53 Lynne McTaggart, The Field: the Quest for the Secret Force of the Universe (updated edition) (New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 2008), 121 54 Random House Dictionary (New York: Random House Inc., 2009) ... Process Investor Applications The Intuitive Investor and You: Self-Assessment Exercises 13 A Radical Guide for Wealth Manifestation The Manifestation Process Radical Steps for Wealth Manifestation... LEFT-BRAINED ANALYTICAL PROCESS While the singular focus of The Intuitive Investor: A Radical Guide for Manifesting Wealth is on the right brain and its creative, intuitive, and wealth manifesting. .. brokers, and undergraduate and graduate students I thank them for being the guinea pigs for what I will share with you in The Intuitive Investor: A Radical Guide for Manifesting Wealth In addition