Trade Secrets

Some readers may already know this, but I'm big into fantasy football, baseball, hockey, basketball, etc etc etc. It all started when I lived in a small town that offered very little in entertainment - and when a family member (Mark S.) introduced me to his football matchup sheet, I was instantly intrigued.

Years later, I may not be a rookie at fantasy sports anymore, but I still have the hardest time pulling the trigger on a trade. It seems that sometimes I feel the player on my roster has untapped potential, just waiting to bust out - or that the player I'd be acquiring must have something wrong with him that I am unaware of, I mean, why is the other guy trading him to me?

Here's what I do now -
1. Know my trading partner (no trust, no trade)
2. Don't go on a hunch (player X isn't suddenly going to become a superstar)
3. Remember it's a game (if I like the trade ... go for it! why not???)

I kinda wish life were so easy. But in some ways it is! If I would KNOW who I'm talking with, I could KNOW what they need/want from me or what they need/want to give me. Also, I try to take in information at face-value. Reading between the lines gets me into trouble! If I can trust someone, then I can avoid the 'hunch' and believe that their yes means yes and that their no means no. Lastly, because we take life so seriously at times, we become paralyzed by fear - fear of failure. Hey, I have made bad trades in fantasy sports at times - but that doesn't mean I lose the competition! I've made poor decisions in life, but there's no need to beat myself up over it. I've just decided to make good choices from here on out - and not worry about the mistakes along the way ... I either try to learn from the mistakes and try to not repeat them, or, at the very least, use them for great sermon illustrations!