How Elliott Wave Changed the Way I See Markets — and Myself
I graduated from BBU in Cluj, Romania, in 1998 with a major in Psychology. I never practiced.
Life brought me to the United States that same year — and everything changed.
I was always fascinated by the human mind — our cognitive framework, what makes us do certain things, and how we can adjust behaviors.
In school, I connected most with behavioral therapy. I think that’s what drew me to markets later on… and why I got fascinated by Elliott Wave Theory.
It’s funny how life puts these things together.
From Indicators to Understanding
I started, probably like many of you, with basic technical analysis — mainly trendlines.
Then I added every kind of indicator I could find, read books, tried setups.
I’d make some money, lose some, make some again, lose it again.
I wasn’t thinking about price behavior — I was boxing everything in, relying on indicators to tell me what to do.
It made sense for a while… until it didn’t.
Eventually, I got bored — and then I stumbled upon Elliott Wave.
Once I read it, I was hooked.
It just made sense.
At first, it seemed almost mystical — a promise that hidden patterns existed beneath all that chaos.
But the more I studied it, the more it felt like learning a language the crowd didn’t even know they were speaking.
Seeing the Market Differently
Elliott Wave taught me that markets don’t move because of news — they move because of people.
Hope, fear, euphoria, despair — all of it shows up on a chart.
Once you start seeing that rhythm, you can’t unsee it.
Wave 1 is optimism reborn.
Wave 2 is doubt.
Wave 3 is pure conviction.
Wave 4 is hesitation.
Wave 5 is greed.
Then comes the hangover — A, B, C — as the crowd sobers up.
When you realize every candle is a reflection of emotion, you stop trying to outsmart the market — and start trying to understand it.
The Moment It Clicked
There was a time early on when I was convinced my count was perfect.
Everything lined up — Fibonacci levels, structure, momentum.
Then the market broke right through my invalidation line.
It was frustrating. But that moment taught me one of the most important lessons in trading:
The market doesn’t care about your opinion — but it will always teach you something if you’re listening.
That’s when I stopped treating Elliott Wave as prediction and started using it as a framework for probabilities.
Not “this must happen,” but “if this happens, here’s what’s likely next.”
That mindset shift changed everything — my results, my confidence, and even my patience.
Patterns in Life
Over time, I realized the waves aren’t just in charts. They’re everywhere.
We move in impulses and corrections too — moments of drive and moments of rest, growth and reflection.
You can’t stay in a Wave 3 forever — in trading or in life.
Corrections are necessary; they’re what prepare us for the next push higher.
When you see that, you start treating setbacks differently.
You stop labeling them as failures — they’re just part of your structure.
Freedom Through Understanding
People often think trading is about money.
For me, it became about freedom — not just financial, but mental.
Freedom from reacting emotionally.
Freedom from being tossed around by every tick.
Freedom through understanding the cycle you’re in.
Elliott Wave gave me a way to stay centered — to know where I am in the structure and what it means to wait.
There’s something deeply calming about realizing that uncertainty itself follows a pattern.
The Takeaway
I still get counts wrong. Everyone does.
But each invalidation sharpens my eye and humbles me.
And every time I label a new chart, I’m reminded that the market is just a reflection of us — endlessly repeating the same emotions in new forms.
Markets move in waves, and so do we.
The key is to learn to surf them — not fight them.
—
Cris
Elliott Wave Café
Beautiful post Cris. The markets are a mirror and I think it’s also a teacher for our emotions and habits.