The stock market is centuries old and remains one of the most historically proven methods of building wealth. The concept of investing in stocks -- purchasing small pieces of businesses -- is simple, but a lot more goes into having success in the stock market. One big problem is that people can get ahead of themselves, and just like diving into deep waters before you've mastered the shallows, you can quickly get in trouble.

So before investing in stocks, ask yourself: Can I afford to lose this money? It's a simple question you can approach from multiple angles. I'll unpack the mindset that goes into answering this question and explain how to prepare yourself to invest in a way that's sustainable and won't keep you awake at night.

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Source Fool.com