Today taught me something crucial about navigating volatile markets. The difference between surviving a downturn and getting wrecked often comes down to two things: closing positions when you're ahead and having a hard floor where you exit. You can't predict every move, but you can control your own behavior. Taking profits incrementally instead of being greedy, combined with a clear stop loss strategy, keeps you in the game long term. The traders who compound wealth aren't the ones chasing 100x—they're the ones still standing after the next bear cycle.