Sharing from my own experience only. I am a share investor not a trader. I bought my first share in 1986 and have been adding to my holdings for over 31 years now. I have not sold any shares other than those taken private or delisted.

Many, if not all, of my shares bought 20 to 30 years ago are now "freehold" shares. What does this mean? It means that the dividends I have collected from them have already broken even with the initial purchase price of the shares. 31 years old on, I am still hloding on to these "freehold" shares and collecting dividends.

If you bought shares of a strong company that gives 5% dividends each year, it will take 20 years for you to earn back the initial purchase price of the shares. After that, the shares become "freehold" and you still own the shares and earn the dividends each year.

Now you may think 20 to 30 years is a long time to wait, but hey, for me, its been 31 years and I am not that old - going to be 57 soon. Now enjoying the dividends from my freehold shares! And I am looking forward to enjoying the dividends for another 30 to 40 years and after that bequeath them to my children who can contniue to reap the dividends.

Warren Buffet said "The stock market takes money from the impatient and gives it to the patient".

As an investor, I pick my shares and sit back patiently collecting the yearly dividends and see them pay off the purchase price.