I was out of the office for four days last week; I worked from home on Tuesday, and then took the rest of the week off so that my Dad and I could take our annual "father and son trip" to the Weak Signals model airplane and drone show in Toledo, Ohio.
We had a blast - we always do.
We looked at all the exhibits, scoured the "swap meet" for bargains, and had dinner with close friends from Sullivan Products, an innovative Baltimore firm that started out as a model airplane products firm but is now blazing trails into drones.
I also covered the show closely on Twitter (you can see my posts here).
At the show, I saw this model of probably my single favorite fighter plane of World War II - the P-51B Mustang, nicknamed "Shangri-La," the personal plane of U.S. ace Don Gentile. 
Well, it's amazing what you miss when you take a few days' break...
...like the growing concern folks are feeling over the uncertain stock market.
Indeed, in the span of just eight hours the other day, there was one worry I kept hearing over and over and over again.
At the gas station convenience store I stop at each day...
In text messages from friends...
In "water cooler chats" with young colleagues here at Money Map Press...
From the marketers who pitch our products...
And even from some of the strategy-crafting managers here...
It was all the same. The question: What do you think is happening with the financial markets - with stocks - and what should (I/investors/our subscribers) be doing in response?
My short answer: Ignore it. I am.
Indeed, if you want an investment strategy that'll get you through whatever comes next, I have it for you.
Be like Dory.
Dory is the regal blue tang who's one of the main characters in the blockbuster "Finding Nemo" and "Finding Dory" films from Pixar Animation Studios. Dory suffers from short-term memory loss - which keeps her from worrying about much.
And Dory has an exceptionally upbeat life view - bolstered by her personal mantra - "Just keep swimming."
Now that's an investment strategy that will get you from A to B, and by "B," I mean "extremely wealthy."
I'm going to show you why this works. And I'll even give you a couple strategies to augment the "Be Like Dory" approach to wealth creation.
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Here's to Getting You Back on Track
I was thinking about all this on Monday afternoon after I ran into a marketer who's also a friend of mine here at Money Map.
I'd left my office (yes, the folks here late last year were kind enough to give me my first "real" office in my 34-year career as a writer, editor, author, and stock picker) and was heading for the elevators to retrieve a book I'd left in my pickup when the marketer buttonholed me with her concerns.
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Be like Dory, I told her. Just keep swimming.
Calmly navigate market turbulence. Don't get flustered. Don't make knee-jerk decisions after succumbing to emotion. Don't worry about being an "independent thinker."
I underscored the "Be Like Dory" mindset, and then I shared my six rules for dealing with unruly markets.
Be Like Dory, Rule No. 1: Everyone Else Is Crazy - Only You Are Sane
The secret to investing success is about as simple as can be - and is a formula each and every one of us knows by heart.
That secret: "Buy low and sell high."
Despite knowing that rule, very few folks follow it.
Here's what happens instead...
Investors buy stocks with the best of intentions. They intend to buy them low and sell them at much higher prices much later on, or hold them forever.
But as soon as stocks start to wiggle, as soon as bad news mounts, or as soon as they see a loss, investors panic.
Too often, that ends up with folks buying stocks at their highs and selling them for a loss at much lower prices.
That's not how you make money. That's not how you build wealth.
The solution: Be your own person. Don't succumb to the "madness of crowds." Create a "game plan" for every stock you buy - and stick to that plan. To help, consider the "Accumulate" strategy, which I'll get into shortly.
Be Like Dory, Rule No. 2: Be a Smart "Gunfighter" - Don't Waste Bullets
In the Old West - back in the days before semiautomatic pistols with expanded magazines were invented - gunfighters carried six-guns. And that meant that, unless there was a (rare) gunfight lull that allowed them to reload, those gunfighters had a limited number of bullets.
So they had to make every bullet count.
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In short, they didn't waste bullets.
Too many investors today waste "bullets." I'll hear someone say, "Well, this stock is just a few bucks - I can afford to take a flyer on it."
Wrong.
With your "nest egg" money - the capital you hope to build wealth with - there are no "flyers."
In other words, don't waste bullets.
Gunfighters scuffling for their lives didn't take wild shots or attempt to "prang" someone from long range. They held their fire until they saw the whites of their enemy's eyes.
And so should you.
The solution: For the pool of money you're investing for retirement, for your child's education, to buy that new house, or to achieve other important life goals, make every bullet count.
Be Like Dory, Rule No. 3: Get Rich Automatically
Twenty years ago, when I was working as a business reporter in Upstate New York and covering Eastman Kodak Co. (NYSE: KODK) for Gannett Newspapers, I decided it was time to start saving for a house.
So I concocted a plan.
I wasn't getting rich as a journalist, but I was doing OK. Even so, I knew I'd need a detailed plan that I could commit to if I really was going to amass the needed down payment.
My plan was simple. In the years that followed, every time my bosses gave me a raise, I started a new mutual fund.
By the time I got a job at The Baltimore Sun in 1998 - and my wife-to-be, Robin, and I moved to Maryland - I had more than $25,000 set aside from this plan... as well as some other money I'd saved.
Robin and I were planning to get married and start a family. And we wanted a house.
That money I'd saved meant we could start looking immediately.
I learned a valuable lesson: A little discipline can take you a long way. I "automated" my savings and amassed a big pot of money - by saving money I never even missed.
The solution: In addition to your purchase of individual stocks, set up a fund or a couple of funds that you're automatically investing in every month. Even if you start with as little as $25, it is money that you're saving. And since it comes "off the top" - right out of your paycheck or bank account - you'll never miss it.
Be Like Dory, Rule No. 4: Ignore the Headlines
All the questions I was being asked Monday - from the friendly store clerk, from the marketers and bosses here, and from my friends - were all triggered by the same issue: the news headlines.
Bitcoin has been hammered.
The Nasdaq is down 8%.
Politics are dividing the country more than at any time in recent memory.
A trade war with China looms.
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And those are just for starters.
Well, here are some other things to consider.
The definition is debated, but a "bear market" is generally defined as a market decline of 20%, while a "correction" is 10% or more. So the Nasdaq sell-off isn't even a correction.
And the fact is that there are always problems - in the markets, in the economy, in politics, and with individual companies.
And the markets always come back.
But think of it this way.
Go back to 1900, when the U.S. economy was a paltry $20.7 billion (nearly $500 billion in today's dollars).
And then think about all that we've traversed since then.
We've had two world wars and such "lesser" military actions as Korea, Vietnam, and the two Gulf Wars. There was a Great Depression and a Great Recession.
Investors need to ignore any near-term turbulence - it's inevitable - and focus on the big opportunities there will be in the long run. If you find it tough to keep that in mind - or if something that seems "really bad" plays out in the markets - keep this in mind...
We've seen two severe financial "panics" (1907, and 1910 to 1911) and the savings & loan crisis in the eighties. We've had political assassinations, the race riots of the 1960s, and the terrorist attacks of 9/11.
And I could easily cite plenty of other events, scandals, and scares.
Even with such obstacles, the U.S. economy has grown from the $21 billion pipsqueak of 1900 to the $18 trillion behemoth it is today.
The solution: Investors who stayed in the game - or who "bought low and sold high" - got rich.
Those who panicked and "bought high and sold low" didn't.
Be Like Dory, Rule No. 5: Be an Optimist
The United Kingdom's legendary wartime Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, was much more than just a politician.
He was a leader.
And he once made a statement every investor should take to heart - indeed, it's one of my favorite quotes of all time.
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity," Churchill said. "An optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
Be an optimist: Accumulate your way to wealth.
We did this with The Boeing Co. (NYSE: BA). Since first recommending the company back in September 2011, the shares skyrocketed as much as 500% (even before we factor in dividends).
And we didn't shy away in early 2013 - after the stock was "knocked out" by the whole Dreamliner battery mess. When we reiterated our "Buy" call on Boeing, the shares zoomed from $75 to a high of $372 - a 400% gain (not including dividends).
The solution: Assemble a list of stocks that you'd like to own for the long haul (my paid-up Private Briefing subscribers get access to my recommendations - learn how you can get them here). Research them carefully. Establish a foundation position in them now. And "Accumulate" more shares on pullbacks.
Be Like Dory, Rule No. 6: Focus on the Goal
I'm going to let you in on a little secret... getting rich isn't that tough.
In fact, if you "just keep swimming," the journey to wealth can be downright boring.
And it should be.
If you tune out the noise and focus on the goal, becoming a millionaire is all about discipline, independent thinking, consistency, and a long-term view.
It's about being confident in your goal.
Done properly, the journey is dull.
But the destination is thrilling.
The solution: Focus on your goal - becoming a millionaire - and don't let anyone tell you it's not possible.
You'll get there. We'll help you.
And so will Dory.
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About the Author
Before he moved into the investment-research business in 2005, William (Bill) Patalon III spent 22 years as an award-winning financial reporter, columnist, and editor. Today he is the Executive Editor and Senior Research Analyst for Money Morning at Money Map Press.