Bangalore: “What is Dev Anand doing on a website dedicated to stock market investing?” you might be thinking. “Agreed, people are remembering the most romantic hero of Indian cinema after his demise, but still, what lessons can an investor take from him?”

See, it is human nature to overlook the importance of those who are here and now. Those who are great and live among us seem more normal because they’re breathing the same air that we are.

But we realize the greatness of such people only when they are gone. Like now, when Dev Anand is no longer with us, I realize some important life lessons that he epitomized.

So, I’ll pause today and remind myself of the 3 important lessons I, as an investor, can take from the legend that was Dev Saab.

Lesson #1: Never fear failure

In the later part of his career, Dev Anand directed 19 films and produced 31 films, a majority of which did no wonders at the box office.

But these failures say a lot about his never-say-die attitude, and his willingness to carry on in the face of adversity and criticism.

It seemed every time one of his movies flopped, he picked up the lost pieces and got back to work on the next venture, and with complete passion.

Over the past nine years of my investing life, I have rather frequently – and on occasion, quite spectacularly – failed. But that is something I’ve always expected to happen.

No one really knows what is going to happen in the future. This is especially true when it comes to the stock markets. So why pretend otherwise?

I believe if you really want to succeed as an investor, first expect to fail…expect to be wrong. And then, when you really go wrong, don’t waste time laying the blame on others.

Instead, collect the broken pieces, fix them, and start investing again – with your mistakes not behind you, but right beside you as hard lessons you’ve learnt on investing.