Staying Tough Through the Tough Times

Recently one of my largest positions (ECOTality -- ETLY) has been experiencing significant depreciation in stock price. Surprisingly this hasn't only negatively affected the value of my holdings but also my emotional state. I have felt my mood fluctuate along with the company's market cap. Although I have read and listened to countless experts claim that emotions must always be removed from intelligent investing; how does one keep feelings away from investing?

Two approaches have given me partial success and have given me a reasonable sense of comfort. The first has been rooted in doing further research and truly deep-diving into all possible minutia. I have attempted to explore all potential sources of secondary information -- investment websites, publications, magazines, blogs, etc. An addition to this has been primary research. I have actively contacted investor relations and even directly emailed with CEOs and other management staff. I participate in all company conference calls and make sure to ask the tough questions. I believe that this is absolutely necessary for me to continue to be comfortable with my decision, with my assumptions, and with my expectations for the future.

The second approach has involved the vetting of my research results and subsequent conclusions with countless other investors. Yahoo Finance, Google Finance, and most significantly Pinnacle Digest have given me the opportunity to test my theories, to pose tough questions, and to deal with the devil's advocates. This method lets me bounce-off ideas and find my personal biases. It's truly a valuable way to gain original insight.

For now I am very confident that my investment will rebound. The above-mentioned methods have only confirmed my beliefs and have empowered me to move ahead through the tough times.

Do others experience similar emotions? How do you deal with such events?