How to be smart in life?

There's no certain way. Being smart is just living life in a way that makes sense. There are no shortcuts.
You learn things as you go along in life and being smart is in making the right choices based on what you have learned.
It is avoiding pitfalls, avoiding common mistakes. It is doing things that are important and valuable. It is being sensible, not being addicted to harmful thoughts and substances. It is having sound and balanced psych, maintaining good physical condition, being able to make friends and keeping them, being reasonable in inter-personal encounters and pursing hobbies that leads to above.
It is having reasonable goals and aspirations and the means to achieve them. It is taking measured risks and recovering from failures.

More than a year has passed by since I last wrote anything here. There were lots to write about but not enough inclination to pen them. Now I the itch is back I can start writing again.
This past year I dabbled in investing, devoted enormous amounts of time and effort in pool, travelled to India and back and worked on a physical fitness routine that almost gave me a bronzed look. Yes, it has been an exciting year.

My last post was all about my immense optimism of getting rich in the stock market. Status update: things didnt work out as well as I had hoped. I am not a millionaire yet. In fact, I am a few thousand dollars poorer.
But, where I indeed lost in terms of money I hope I had traded them for wisdom. Because adversities are the fodder for sagacity. Every mistake made is an opportunity to avoid hundred others. Fair to say you wont find a whining looser here.
Optimism is still quite strong. I havent yet found a "perfect strategy" to trading yet. But, I am ever more cautious and patient.

I always wonder about this question: If I lost money in the stock market, who is the other person who took it away from me? That person may not be a single person but an entity composed of various market participants.
So, what happened to the money I lost. They must have gotten into the pockets of someone either in whole or in parts. Then, who is that awesome person? Is it Warren Buffett, the US government, China or something else?
If I could trace each and every dollar I lost to where they rest now, what would I find? If that someone is real then he does indeed know the "perfect strategy". This is where my optimism kicks in and says: "So that perfect strategy exists, and you can learn it!".
I am still searching.

This past year is also exciting because I picked up a new hobby: Pool. I am knee deep in it. It fascinates me and absorbs enormous amounts of my time. Besides playing regularly in a pool league I spend quite a bit of time practising it. I have reached a mid skill level ( a 5 in APA skill rankings ) and making rapid strides.

I also did some travelling. I went to India for a few weeks. It was nice to catch up with my family and friends. I wish I could do more of that but the distance is forbidding.

I will be updating more about these activities going forward...