For investors just getting into the game, the process can seem a
little bit like a middle school dance. Awkward and
inexperienced, they suction-cup themselves to the walls and poke
around the punch bowl while bullish professionals stampede the
floor and steal all the good deals.  Ever thought you might be
selling yourself a little bit short there?   True, most of the
competition out there could probably wipe the floor with you on
a daily basis. But if you learn to play to your own strengths,
there's a good chance you can keep up.   Here are your
strengths:   You're not obsessed with trying to beat the market
Unlike professionals whose livelihoods depend on trading, you
don't have to beat the market.  While they go after risky
options with a near-term payoff, you can settle back for safer
options with long term prospects. You can buy and hold or even
just stick to an index fund.  "You can just buy low-cost passive
funds," Henry Blodget writes in his book, "The Wall Street Self-
defense Manual." "This will guar