Many investors are very familiar with two oft-cited rules of investing:

• Rule 1: Never lose money.
• Rule 2: Remember Rule 1.

While these two simple rules are widely associated with Warren Buffett, there is a more direct and actionable rule laid forth by J. Paul Getty. Getty founded the Getty Oil Co. and by 1957 was anointed the richest living American by Fortune magazine. This businessman provided what may be the holy grail of successful investing:

"Buy when everyone else is selling and hold until everyone else is buying. This is not merely a catchy slogan. It is the very essence of successful investment."

As you prepare for some well-deserved holiday relief, take time to reflect on Getty's words of wisdom. This contrarian investment philosophy is one I work to execute when I make investments. As you begin to look ahead 2010, consider doing the same.

The market has become much more buyer-friendly in 2009, at least compared to the panic-driven selling of 2008. Naturally, the contrarian in me is waiting for the next shoe to drop. But while stocks are nowhere close to levels seen at the beginning of the year, there are still some names that investors should be thankful to have a chance to buy at great entry points.

Despite the pain wreaked by the housing bust, one should be thankful that Florida landowner St. Joe is selling at an incredibly cheap valuation. Before things headed south, Joe was trading for over $80. Now, it's a debt-free $26 stock. No matter how far back you want to go, land has always appreciated over time -- it just doesn't occur in a nice, straight line. This time it's no different. Own it today and the rewards will be bountiful.

You should also be grateful that farmers decided to load up on fertilizer a couple of years ago. By so doing, they were able to defer many future purchases, which led to a drop in fertilizer prices, which led to an even bigger drop in the share price of fertilizer stocks.

Shares of Mosaic hit a high of $161 last year; they now sit at $54. The same goes for CF Industries , which is off nearly 50% since last year. Both of these names sport debt-free balance sheets. Mosaic recently sprinkled a little holiday cheer for its shareholders by announcing a special cash dividend of $1.30 a share payable on Dec. 3.

Growth-chasers couldn't get enough of these stocks last year, but declining share prices have placed them in the lap of value investors today. Buy them now and you'll likely be selling them back at much higher prices to growth-chasers when the cycle turns -- and it's a matter of when, not if, the cycle turns.

For the past year, Canadian fertilizer company Agrium has been aggressively seeking to acquire CF Industries; during that year, Agrium has upped the proposed price three times, recently to $100 a share. CF's board has been vehemently opposed to such a deal, and I agree: Even at a $100 -- nearly a 18% premium to today's prices -- Agrium would be getting the company on the cheap. But because Agrium is offering a share of its stock as part of the deal, CF shareholders would benefit from any further upside.

As you sit at the Thanksgiving table this year, realize that fertilizer played an integral role in bring that food to your table at an attractive price -- just as it does for every other meal you consume. And as far as I know, people will still be eating years from now.

And when you're done with dinner, all that trash needs to be handled by someone. So be thankful for companies like Waste Management and Republic Services , the No. 1 and No. 2 waste disposal companies in the industry. Both happen to trade at discounts to long-term intrinsic value. No amount of technology will eliminate the fact that trash needs to be disposed of or recycled.

Investors should be thankful that Mr. Market left some names behind amid this historic rally. Ironically, these names offer investors great potential returns in 2010 with a relatively high degree of protection.