The stock market is famously long-term generous.
History shows it rewards patience, discipline, and a good plan like almost nothing else can.

But in the short term? It’s famously unpredictable, often unkind, and rarely easy on your nerves.

In the short term, the market throws tantrums.
It tests your resolve with sudden corrections, scary headlines, and dramatic ups and downs that make your stomach turn.
It shakes you awake at night with what-ifs.
It makes you question your plan.
It tempts you to abandon your course when you feel even a little uncomfortable.

But here’s the truth every real investor learns sooner or later:
The market’s short-term mood swings are the price you pay for its long-term generosity.

It’s not a bug in the system; it is the system.
Volatility is the toll gate that opens the path to real wealth creation.

So, when things feel shaky, when your mind whispers “do something” just to ease the discomfort: pause.

Ask yourself: Has anything changed about my goals?
Has anything changed about the process I trust?
Has anything changed about the fundamental rules that have always rewarded patience over panic?

Most times, the honest answer is no.
Nothing real has changed except your feelings in this moment.
And feelings as important as they are, should not be your investment compass.

The key question then is not: “Should I panic?”
It is: “Do I trust the long-term plan I chose when my head was clear?”

Because abandoning a time-tested strategy just to feel comfortable today is the surest way to feel deeply uncomfortable tomorrow.

Stay the course.

The stock market is long-term generous, but only to those who stay in line for their turn.