BEN’S BLOG: ‘Don’t worry, you’ve just got a bad case of money-depression’

[dropcap]B[/dropcap]log, I regularly have people come and see me for a chat.

They tell me that they are feeling a little lost. They’re suffering from depression and don’t know what’s wrong. They want to go travelling; to ‘find themselves’. Maybe even have a life-change. Or start taking some happy-pills.

However, when I prod their unlucky-face, with the slightest touch, like a crème caramel, I quickly break through to the real crux of the matter: Life’s fine. What’s really fucking them off, is that they’re backing too many losers, or laying too many winners, or both (I specialise in that type of unlucky-face!).

Being a world-expert in doing one’s bollocks, they look at me, as if I am a fountain of knowledge, to send them out for an immediate recovery.

Well, Dr Ben prescribes the following:

1) Put each area of your life into a different box. March on, everyday, in each and every mission, separately, and surely one will have gone well, when you go to bed that night and reflect. Take solace from that victory. You’re going to be pushing the others forward again tomorrow.

2) Stop making major life and financial decisions on the back of pub-and-curry-house gossip. Climb to the top of the tree, to source the best opinion and counsel, you possibly can. A mug can accidentally say something interesting. To proceed with major action, its got to be a lead, from a proven, long-term winner, for me.

3) Desperate for some cash? Try not to liquidate what’s going well, to feed the future, of the things that are crap. So often, people sell all the good stuff in bad times, because it has a realisable value, to continue trying to save the rubbish. Do all you can, to get out of the losing moves, and hold on to the good stuff.

4) Are you a bookie that keeps laying too many winners? Are you doing a bit too much ‘Trusting and Believing’ of your Punters? Oh dear, oh dear. We all know how that self-harming ends up, don’t we, Blog? The sounds that come out of their mouths are specifically designed to lead you astray. To gain a little bit more credit, to smash-out with, or to serve you up, as a favour, to a professional-punter. That’s all they want. Nothing more. Nothing more, my friend…

5) Backing too many losers? Tony Morris, the legendary bookmaker, who was my mentor, used to say, when I was suffering, ‘Ben, don’t do it to yourself.’. Hard words. But no-one else is doing it to you, are they? Is somebody else going to magically appear and start paying your bills for you? Probably best to take control of the situation then, isn’t it..??

6) Make a considered decision and stick to it. SO many people in the game, like completely changing the game-plan, on the back of an odd result, in a one-off race, or after a tough week’s business. Make your gambling plans, having studied many thousands of results. Winning and losing runs can go on for a VERY long time, whether you’re having value or not. If you’re doing it right, you’ll eventually hit the front. If you’re doing it wrong, you won’t. And if you keep changing the battle-plan; you’ll DEFINITELY end up skint.

7) You MUST keep going. If you stop trying in this game, you will sink; so, so quickly. Don’t worry about the lawyers, banks, accountants, and all the other parasites you’ve got wrapped around you. There’s only one person with his finger over the stop-button – and that’s you. No-one else. Whatever you’re hit with, however much it hurts and unfair it feels in the moment – YOU MUST MARCH ON. It’ll all feel better in the morning.

8) Do the right thing. Don’t be a dog. Its a long road and there are few hiding places later on. Getting to know yourself isn’t fun, but if you keep doing the right thing, eventually you’ll get to know a very nice person, that you’ll trust and respect. And so will others.

So, there you go, Blog. Don’t worry too much. Chin up, now. You’ve just got a bad case of money-depression.

Over and out, B x