How to be a successful investor

The other day, I had a gathering with a group of friends.  Inevitably, the discussion will shift to investments.  The topic most hotly talked about is "How to be a successful investor"! 

We have some friends who have worked so hard in their career that although they are reasonably well-off and comfortable in life, they also have medical problems, mostly high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Some even have kidney, liver, and heart problems.  One of them had gone for heart by-pass.  So, at the end of the day, to be successful in life, you need to have a healthy body, and hence you need to have a healthy life style to stay healthy! 

To be a successful investor, you need to read widely, and have sharp analytical skills on what you read (Yes! - Read NEWS with EYES wide open, brain functioning!!!), regardless of the source (always assume what you read is only presented as "half-true"!)!

To have sharp analytical capability, you need to be healthy.
To stay healthy, you need to do the following:

1) Have enough good sleep everyday.
2) Lead a healthy life style (no smoking, no heavy drinking etc), and do not subject yourself to too much stress.
3) Eat healthily - More different variety of fruits and vegetables, and less high cholesterol food.  
4) Keep active and have moderate exercise everyday (if possible).

Research has shown that if you don't have enough good sleep for prolonged period of time, you are bound to develop health problems, particularly prone to mental problems.  Other than mental problems, you can also easily develop other health problems, like liver problems. 

Also, people should live a healthy life style that do not subject themselves to much stress.  Research have found that stress is the main cause of mutations in the human gene known as p53 gene.  It was found that about 11 Million people living with cancer have specific mutations in the p53 gene leading to the production of a faulty p53 protein, and this is half the cases of human cancer.  As such, stress seems seem to be the cause of more than 50% of cancer cases. 

It is also important to eat healthily, reducing intake of high cholesterol food and deep fried food (where oil has been recycled too many times) to a minimum. 

Last but not least, moderate exercise everyday is good for everyone.  Remember, I would like to stress the word "moderate", not "extreme" exercise.  Moderate exercise helps you to relax, while "extreme" exertion increases stress. 

Only when you have healthy body and a healthy mind can you then become a successful investor!