Author: Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

☆°▪︎ DREAMING OF YOU (AND ALL WE COULD BE AND DO) ▪︎°☆

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

Almond

mousse,

–

–

Tiramisu,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

chocolate

fondue . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

everything

.

i

n

.

one,

–

–

makes

.

i

t

.

easy

.

t

o

.

choose . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ it

makes

.

i

t

.

easy

.

t

o

.

choose . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

w

h

e

n

–

–

–

I’m

thinking

.

o

f

.

you . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Music

blends

.

a

n

d

.

brews,

.

.

s

m

o

o

t

h

.

.

romantic

moves . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

w

h

e

n

–

–

–

wanted

whispers

.

a

n

d

.

words,

–

–

fire

.

a

n

d

.

flame

.

passionate

pursuit . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

They

fire

.

a

n

d

.

flame . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

They

fire

.

a

n

d

.

flame . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

They

fire

.

a

n

d

.

flame . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

passionate

pursuit . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ a

passionate

pursuit . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

o

f

–

–

–

wanted

whispers

.

a

n

d

.

words. . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Green

loves

blue,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

tangerine

too . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

s

o

–

–

–

although,

it’s

easy

. 

t

o

.

choose . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

where

each,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

all,

.

.

o

f

.

.

every . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

i

s

–

–

–

you . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

it’s

difficult

.

t

o

.

discern

.

t

h

e

.

truth . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ it’s

easy

. 

t

o

.

choose . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

where

each,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

all,

.

o

f

.

.

every . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

i

s

–

–

–

you . . .  

–

–

–

.

.

.

b

u

t

–

–

–

difficult

.

t

o

.

discern

.

t

h

e

.

truth . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

w

h

e

n

–

–

–

I’m

dreaming

.

o

f

.

you . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

dreaming

.

o

f

.

you . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

dreaming

.

o

f

.

you . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

all

.

w

e

.

could

be

.

a

n

d

.

do . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ dreaming

.

o

f

.

you . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

dreaming

.

o

f

.

you . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

dreaming

.

o

f

.

you . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

every

moon

.

until

noon . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

it

consumes . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Smiles

.

a

n

d

.

laughter . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Laughter

.

a

n

d

.

smiles . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

design

.

a

.

summertime

.

f

u

l

l

.

of

rhyme . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ a

summertime

.

f

u

l

l

.

of

rhyme . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

i

n

–

–

–

mere

moments

.

o

f

.

time . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Warmth

.

a

n

d

.

wonder . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Wonder

.

a

n

d

.

warmth . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

waltz

.

w

i

t

h

.

sand

.

a

n

d

.

sky . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

They

waltz

.

w

i

t

h

.

sand

.

a

n

d

.

sky . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

They

waltz

.

w

i

t

h

.

sand

.

a

n

d

.

sky . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

i

n

–

–

–

passion

paradise . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ in

passion

paradise . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

o

f

–

–

–

the

mind . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

s

o

–

–

–

yes,

.

It’s

easy

. 

t

o

.

choose . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

where

each,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

all,

.

.

o

f

.

.

every . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

i

s

–

–

–

you . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

b

u

t

–

–

–

difficult

.

t

o

.

discern

.

t

h

e

.

truth . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

It’s

easy

. 

t

o

.

choose . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

where

each,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

all,

.

.

o

f

.

.

every . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

i

s

–

–

–

you . .  

–

–

–

.

.

.

b

u

t

–

–

–

difficult

.

t

o

.

discern

.

t

h

e

.

truth . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

It’s

easy

. 

t

o

.

choose . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

where

each,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

all,

.

.

o

f

.

.

every . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

i

s

–

–

–

you . .  

–

–

–

.

.

.

b

u

t

–

–

–

difficult

.

t

o

.

discern

.

t

h

e

.

truth . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

w

h

e

n

–

–

–

I’m

dreaming

.

o

f

.

you . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

dreaming

.

o

f

.

you . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

dreaming

.

o

f

.

you . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

all

.

w

e

.

could

be

.

a

n

d

.

do . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ dreaming

.

o

f

.

you . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

dreaming

.

o

f

.

you . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

dreaming

.

o

f

.

you . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

every

moon

.

until

noon . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

it

consumes . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

It

consumes

.

t

h

e

.

mood . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

It

consumes

.

t

h

e

.

proof . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

It

consumes

.

t

h

e

.

room . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

It

consumes

.

t

h

e

.

moon . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

It

consumes

.

t

h

e

.

new . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

It

consumes

.

t

h

e

.

blues . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

It

consumes

.

t

h

e

.

tunes . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

It

consumes

.

t

h

e

.

dues . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

o

r

–

–

–

I’m

dreaming

.

o

f

.

you . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

dreaming

.

o

f

.

you . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

dreaming

.

o

f

.

you . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

all

.

w

e

.

could

be

.

a

n

d

.

do . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ dreaming

.

o

f

.

you . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

dreaming

.

o

f

.

you . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

dreaming

.

o

f

.

you . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

every

moon

.

until

noon . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

this

.

i

s

.

all

.

I

.

want

.

t

o

.

do . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

This

.

i

s

.

all

.

I

.

want

.

t

o

.

do . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

This

.

i

s

.

all

.

I

.

want

.

t

o

.

do . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

This

.

i

s

.

all

.

I

.

want

.

t

o

.

do . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

right

now . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

it

consumes.

Reflection:  This is a romantic-themed poem that I wrote in May of 2025 based on a passionate experience which may or may not have happened in Barcelona, Spain. I’m sure many of us have had experiences like this. I wrote part of this poem sitting on a plane, and the rest after I got home reflecting back.

☆°▪︎ WHEN EYES MEET EYES (THAT SMILE) ▪︎°☆

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

I

saw

.

y

o

u

.

on

.

a

.

train,

.

.

w

h

e

r

e

.

.

eyes,

–

–

meet

eyes . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

saw

.

y

o

u

.

on

.

a

.

train,

.

.

w

h

e

r

e

.

.

eyes,

–

–

meet

eyes . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

smile . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

s

o

.

.

.

I

.

d

i

d

.

ride

.

t

h

e

.

highs,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

lows,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

highs . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

o

f

–

–

–

tossing,

–

–

tumbling

tides . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

.

d

i

d

.

ride . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

.

d

i

d

.

ride . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

.

d

i

d

.

ride . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

t

h

e

–

–

–

highs,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

lows,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

highs . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

o

f

–

–

–

tossing,

–

–

tumbling

tides . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

l

l

–

–

–

hours

.

o

f

.

the

days

.

a

n

d

.

nights . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

o

v

e

r

–

–

–

the

space

.

o

f

.

mere

moments

.

i

n

.

time . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

.

d

i

d

.

ride . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

.

d

i

d

.

ride . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

.

d

i

d

.

ride . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

l

l

–

–

–

hours

.

o

f

.

the

days

.

a

n

d

.

nights . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

o

v

e

r

–

–

–

the

space

.

o

f

.

mere

moments

.

i

n

.

time . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

o

v

e

r

–

–

–

the

space

.

o

f

.

mere

moments

.

i

n

.

time . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

o

v

e

r

–

–

–

the

space

.

o

f

.

mere

moments

.

i

n

.

time . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

l

l

–

–

–

the

while . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ all

.

t

h

e

.

while,

–

–

there

.

w

a

s

.

you

.

a

n

d

.

I . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ all

.

t

h

e

.

while,

–

–

there

.

w

a

s

.

you

.

a

n

d

.

I . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

until

.

t

h

e

.

moment

.

I

.

opened

.

m

y

.

eyes . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ until

.

t

h

e

.

moment

.

I

.

opened

.

m

y

.

eyes . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

came

.

t

o

.

realize,

.

.

w

e

.

.

were

.

n

o

.

longer

sitting

.

side

.

b

y

.

side . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

saw

.

y

o

u

.

on

.

a

.

train,

.

.

w

h

e

r

e

.

.

eyes,

–

–

meet

eyes . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

saw

.

y

o

u

.

on

.

a

.

train,

.

.

w

h

e

r

e

.

.

eyes,

–

–

meet

eyes . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

saw

.

y

o

u

.

on

.

a

.

train,

.

.

w

h

e

r

e

.

.

eyes,

–

–

meet

eyes . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

smile . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

s

o

.

.

.

I

.

d

i

d

.

ride

.

t

h

e

.

highs,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

lows,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

highs . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

o

f

–

–

–

tossing,

–

–

tumbling

tides . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

.

d

i

d

.

fantasize,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

ride

.

t

h

e

.

highs,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

lows,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

highs . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

o

f

–

–

–

tossing,

–

–

tumbling

tides . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

l

l

–

–

–

hours

.

o

f

.

the

days

.

a

n

d

.

nights . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

o

v

e

r

–

–

–

the

space

.

o

f

.

mere

moments

.

i

n

.

time . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ over

.

t

h

e

.

space

.

o

f

.

mere

moments

.

i

n

.

time . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

l

l

–

–

–

the

while . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ all

.

t

h

e

.

while,

–

–

there

.

w

a

s

.

you

.

a

n

d

.

I . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ all

.

t

h

e

.

while,

–

–

there

.

w

a

s

.

you

.

a

n

d

.

I . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

it

made

.

m

e

.

smile . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ yes,

.

i

t

.

made

.

m

e

.

smile . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

l

l

–

–

–

the

while . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

s

o

.

.

.

I

.

w

o

u

l

d

.

never

.

b

e

.

able

.

t

o

.

trade

.

t

h

e

.

lie . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

even

.

i

n

.

new

places

.

.

w

h

e

r

e

.

.

eyes,

–

–

meet

eyes . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

~ even

.

i

n

.

new

places

.

.

w

h

e

r

e

.

.

eyes,

–

–

meet

eyes . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

smile.

Reflection:  This is a romantic-themed poem that I wrote in May of 2025 while I was in Girona, Spain based on a real experience I had on a train while in Spain. I’m sure many of us have had passionate kinds of experiences like this. I wrote most of this poem in my hotel in Girona, Spain reflecting back, and later refined it using two haunting gems of songs: “The Strangest Thing” by George Michael and “Wicked Game” by Chris Isaak. I played these songs in the background on repeat at low volume to create the “moodset” and refine the poem. If you listen to these songs at low volume while reading this poem, you might better get the “feel” of it.

☆°▪︎ A HEARTBREAK PAVES THE WAY (FOR BETTER, BRIGHTER DAYS) ▪︎°☆

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

You

.

s

a

y

.

it’s

.

a

.

heartbreak

.

.

t

h

a

t

.

.

makes

.

y

o

u

.

feel

.

t

h

i

s

.

way . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ a

heartache

.

t

h

a

t

.

you

.

w

i

s

h

.

would

.

g

o

.

away . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

b

u

t

–

–

–

your

smile

.

w

i

l

l

.

shine

again

.

m

y

.

friend . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

o

r

.

.

.

a

heartbreak

.

i

s

.

what

.

i

t

.

takes,

.

.

t

o

.

.

turn

.

t

h

e

.

page . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

pave

.

t

h

e

.

way . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

o

r

–

–

–

better

.

a

n

d

.

brighter

–

–

future

days . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ for

better

.

a

n

d

.

brighter

–

–

future

days . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

o

f

–

–

–

endless

laughter

.

a

n

d

.

play . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

w

i

t

h

–

–

–

the

.

n

e

x

t

.

love

.

y

o

u

.

create . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

appreciate . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

warmly

embrace . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ the

.

n

e

x

t

.

love

.

y

o

u

.

create . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

appreciate . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

warmly

embrace . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

b

u

t

–

–

–

the

.

o

n

l

y

.

way

.

y

o

u

.

can

arrive

.

i

n

.

that

place,

.

.

i

s

.

.

through

.

t

h

e

.

heartbreaks

.

o

f

.

yesterday . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

o

r

–

–

–

the

heartaches

.

o

f

.

yesterday

.

a

r

e

.

what

.

i

t

.

takes,

.

.

t

o

.

.

turn

.

t

h

e

.

page . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

pave

.

t

h

e

.

way . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

They

turn

.

t

h

e

.

page . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

They

turn

.

t

h

e

.

page . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

They

turn

.

t

h

e

.

page . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

pave

.

t

h

e

.

way . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

o

r

–

–

–

better

.

a

n

d

.

brighter

days . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ for

better

.

a

n

d

.

brighter

days . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

w

i

t

h

–

–

–

the

.

n

e

x

t

.

love

.

y

o

u

.

create . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

appreciate . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

warmly

embrace.

Reflection:  This is a hope/inspiration-themed poem that I wrote in April of 2025 when I was in Valencia Spain. One night when I was out, I met a group of five friends aged between 18 and 20. One of them said hello to me as I was walking by, so I stopped to talk with them. They were all so different, with very different personalities, but just wonderful people overall. And they were so curious after I told them I was a life coach. They said they had all gone through recent heartbreaks with relationship break-ups and really needed to hear something positive – and they were so happy to have someone to talk to about it. Regarding the breakups, I told them to be thankful they found out early on that their relationships were not working as well as they could have because they will now be available when someone truly amazing comes along, and that their future relationships will tend to get better over time because they will gain a better sense of what they want in a relationship and who they might be most compatible with. In reflection of this and what they were going through I wrote this poem to try to offer encouragement, hope, and inspiration. I wrote most of this poem sitting on a bench in Plaza de la Reina in Valencia. Spain. I later refined it by listening to the songs: “I Won’t Hold You Back” and “I’ll Be Over You” by Toto which I played in the background to create the “moodset” and inspire the refining of the poem. If you listen to these songs at low volume while reading this poem, you might better get the “feel” of it.

AN AMAZING THOUGHT GUARANTEED TO IMPROVE PERSPECTIVE: YOU ARE SPECIAL!

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

Love and appreciate your life. You are SPECIAL. Do you know why?

Well, everything had to happen and align PERFECTLY over hundreds of thousands of years for you to even be here:

Your parents had to meet, have a relationship that worked, and want kids. And so did each of their 2 sets of parents (4 people). And so did each of their 4 sets of parents (8 people). And so did each of their 8 sets of parents (16 people). And so on, and so on, and so on, for hundreds of thousands of years. Hundreds of thousands of years where there were many wars, premature deaths, violence, disease, starvation/famine, persecution, etc., etc., etc. Any one small, trivial change in all those hundreds of thousands of years and you would not be here. Any one broken link, for whatever reason, in those hundreds of billions of links and you would not be here.

So, the odds of you not being here is something on the order of one trillion to one (and just to emphasize the numerical magnitude of that – one trillion is 1,000,000,000,000). So, yes, you are special and your life is a gift – because you won the lottery of life against overwhelming odds: you are that 1 out of 1,000,000,000,000 that is here today living and breathing.

As such, there’s no reason to be stressed or otherwise negative about your life. And there’s no reason to treat others badly. Your life is a gift, and you are special because you are here – and that goes for everyone else that is here today as well. So, don’t forget it. And make it a point to always remember this.

Do something special, wonderful, and amazing with your life. And love, appreciate, and cherish your life each and every day. Because you are here. And nothing else matters. 

I wrote a similar post back in 2018 – but when I shared this with my new Spanish friends, I simplified things a bit and think this version might be better. They really seemed to like it, so I thought I’d share this version with you as well.

This and other happiness and self-improvement related tips are provided throughout my self-help oriented books: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/published-books-and-life-coaching-services/ and posts: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/category/personal-improvement-development-and-growth-related-posts/

#selfimprovement #selfhelp #selfdevelopment #intention #fulfillment #success #inspiration #happiness

7th EXECUTION OF MARKET-BASED BUY STRATEGY

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

For those who wanted to follow along, the S&P 500 index as of the market close today has fallen within 1% of the threshold for the 7th execution of my refined, structured Market-Based Buying Strategy for investing well with minimal effort: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/a-structured-market-based-buying-strategy-for-investing-well-with-minimal-effort/.

This post is for all investors whether in higher or lower risk categories (if you aren’t sure what your investment risk category is, scroll down to the bottom of this post). As of today’s close, the S&P 500 index dropped about 19% from its all-time high (a 3-5% drop in the S&P 500 index generally happens about three times a year, a 10% drop generally happens about once every two years, and a 20%+ drop generally happens once every five years on average). So, if it drops to anywhere near or below 490 for the SPY ETF or 4915 for the S&P 500 index over the next couple of days or so (whichever you prefer to track – the drop doesn’t have to be very precise – it’s only about a 1% drop from today’s closing price), you might consider buying:

a. Very High Risk (VHR) Investors might consider buying up to 100% of their overall investment account (or up to 100% of the cash available to invest) into one of the major market index Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) (or you can split that across multiple major market indexes if you prefer).

b. High Risk (HR) Investors might consider buying up to 100% of their overall investment account (or up to 100% of the cash available to invest) into one of the major market index Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) (or you can split that across multiple major market indexes if you prefer).

c. Medium Risk (MR) Investors might consider buying up to 100% of their overall investment account (or up to 100% of the cash available to invest) into one of the major market index Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) (or you can split that across multiple major market indexes if you prefer).

d. Low Risk (LR) Investors might consider buying up to 55% of their overall investment account (or up to 55% of the cash available to invest) into one of the major market index Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) (or you can split that across multiple major market indexes if you prefer).

d. Very Low Risk (VLR) Investors might consider buying up to 25% of their overall investment account (or up to 25% of the cash available to invest) into one of the major market index Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) (or you can split that across multiple major market indexes if you prefer).

The drop in the overall S&P 500 index could continue, but the longer and the deeper the drop you wait for, the greater the likelihood you’ll miss the rebound. So, you might want to get ready to buy. It’s your financial future so do what you think is best for you.

I currently track five major market index ETFs: S&P 500 index (e.g., SPY ETF), the Nasdaq (e.g., QQQ ETF), a Mid-Cap Stock Index ETF (e.g., IJH ETF), Russell 2000 index (e.g., IWM ETF), and the EFA ETF (or something similar). The first four are major US-based indexes, while the last one tracks international stocks of developed countries outside the U.S. and Canada.

Of the above five major market index ETFs, the most attractive right now appears to be: IWM based on my analysis – which tracks the Russell 2000 index (I actually prefer the SPSM which is similar to IWM but only includes the profitable small businesses contained in the Russell 2000 index). As of today’s close, the IWM dropped 28% and the calculated EIRY is the highest among the highest across the 4 U.S. index ETFs I track – at 8.17%. The IWM is not without risk, however. In a slowing economy, the IWM tends to drop the fastest and the deepest but usually rebounds sharply at some point. So, if you are very concerned about a potential slowing economy, then you might want to choose a different index to invest in or split your investment across different indexes. The next best index ETF overall is the IJH ETF. However, every index has fallen so much you can pick any major index you are comfortable with at this point if you prefer or perhaps just split your investment across multiple indexes.

Feel free to start buying in one or more of the aforementioned major market index ETFs if the S&P 500 remains close to where it closed at today or drops a little more below that level – you might even want to buy in the after-hours market today if you like. You can use the specific major market indexes above or use a different one that is suits you. Just ensure the fees are at least as low as the ones identified above when buying.

You can learn about all of my investing techniques via my “Invest Like a Pro in 10 Minutes a Day!” series of 4 books where you can learn the “end to end” process to investing: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/published-books-and-life-coaching-services/.

Also, you can read all about my stock market activities here: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/stock-market-activities

I wish you much investing success for 2025 (and beyond!).

selfimprovement #selfhelp #selfdevelopment #success #finance #stocks #investing #stockmarket #bonds #bondmarket

==== INVESTMENT RISK CATEGORIES ====

Important Note: When adding up what you have across your investment accounts, I recommend making the following adjustment for pre-tax type investment accounts (e.g., 401Ks and IRAs without the word “Roth” attached): reduce the total amount by 24% for a conservative overall estimate. We have to pay taxes when withdrawing from these kinds of accounts so this will help to account for that. Feel free to use a different percentage reduction depending on what tax bracket you believe you will fall into when withdrawing money from these accounts.

VERY HIGH-RISK INVESTOR (your investment goal is 8+ times what you presently have in total across your investment accounts – after making adjustments in accordance with the note above). For example, if your investment goal is $2M and you presently have $250k or less in total across your investment accounts then you would be a very high-risk investor.

HIGH-RISK INVESTOR (your investment goal is roughly 4-8 times what you presently have in total across your investment accounts – after making adjustments in accordance with the note above). For example, if your investment goal is $2M and you presently have $250k-$500k in total across your investment accounts then you would be a high-risk investor.

MEDIUM-RISK INVESTOR (your investment goal is roughly 2-4 times what you presently have in total across your investment accounts – after making adjustments in accordance with the note above). For example, if your investment goal is $2M and you presently have $500k-$1M in total across your investment accounts then you would be a medium-risk investor.

LOW-RISK INVESTOR (your investment goal is roughly 1-2 times what you presently have in total across your investment accounts – after making adjustments in accordance with the note above). For example, if your investment goal is $2M and you presently have $1M-$2M in total across your investment accounts then you would be a low-risk investor.

VERY LOW-RISK INVESTOR (what you presently have in total across your investment accounts equals or exceeds your investment goal – after making adjustments in accordance with the note above). For example, if your investment goal is $2M and you presently have $2M or more in total across your investment accounts then you would be a very low-risk investor.

6th EXECUTION OF MARKET-BASED BUY STRATEGY

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

For those who wanted to follow along, this will be the 6th execution of my refined, structured Market-Based Buying Strategy for investing well with minimal effort: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/a-structured-market-based-buying-strategy-for-investing-well-with-minimal-effort/. The markets have fallen so deep and so fast that I’ve had a difficult time keeping up. I sent out my 5th execution of this strategy earlier today only to find that by the market close the next threshold had been reached which is why I am now posting the 6th execution of this strategy.

This post is for all investors whether in higher or lower risk categories (if you aren’t sure what your investment risk category is, scroll down to the bottom of this post). As of today’s close, the S&P 500 index dropped about 17.5% from its all-time high (a 3-5% drop in the S&P 500 index generally happens about three times a year, a 10% drop generally happens about once every two years, and a 20%+ drop generally happens once every five years on average). So, if it remains anywhere near or below 506 for the SPY ETF or 5069 for the S&P 500 index over the next couple of days or so (whichever you prefer to track – the drop doesn’t have to be very precise), you might consider buying:

a. Very High Risk (VHR) Investors might consider buying up to 100% of their overall investment account (or up to 100% of the cash available to invest) into one of the major market index Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) (or you can split that across multiple major market indexes if you prefer).

b. High Risk (HR) Investors might consider buying up to 100% of their overall investment account (or up to 100% of the cash available to invest) into one of the major market index Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) (or you can split that across multiple major market indexes if you prefer).

c. Medium Risk (MR) Investors might consider buying up to 80% of their overall investment account (or up to 80% of the cash available to invest) into one of the major market index Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) (or you can split that across multiple major market indexes if you prefer).

d. Low Risk (LR) Investors might consider buying up to 40% of their overall investment account (or up to 40% of the cash available to invest) into one of the major market index Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) (or you can split that across multiple major market indexes if you prefer).

d. Very Low Risk (VLR) Investors might consider buying up to 17.5% of their overall investment account (or up to 17.5% of the cash available to invest) into one of the major market index Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) (or you can split that across multiple major market indexes if you prefer).

The drop in the overall S&P 500 index could continue, but the longer and the deeper the drop you wait for, the greater the likelihood you’ll miss the rebound. So, you might want to get ready to buy. It’s your financial future so do what you think is best for you.

I currently track five major market index ETFs: S&P 500 index (e.g., SPY ETF), the Nasdaq (e.g., QQQ ETF), a Mid-Cap Stock Index ETF (e.g., IJH ETF), Russell 2000 index (e.g., IWM ETF), and the EFA ETF (or something similar). The first four are major US-based indexes, while the last one tracks international stocks of developed countries outside the U.S. and Canada.

Of the above five major market index ETFs, the most attractive right now appears to be: IWM based on my analysis – which tracks the Russell 2000 index (I actually prefer the SPSM which is similar to IWM but only includes the profitable small businesses contained in the Russell 2000 index). As of today’s close, the IWM dropped 25% and the calculated EIRY is the highest among the highest across the 4 U.S. index ETFs I track – at 7.92%. The IWM is not without risk, however. In a slowing economy, the IWM tends to drop the fastest and the deepest but usually rebounds sharply at some point. So, if you are very concerned about a potential slowing economy, then you might want to choose a different index to invest in or split your investment across different indexes. The next best index ETF overall is the IJH ETF. However, every index has fallen so much you can pick any major index you are comfortable with at this point.

Feel free to start buying in one or more of the aforementioned major market index ETFs if the S&P 500 remains close to where it closed at today – you might even want to buy in the after-hours market today if you like. You can use the specific major market indexes above or use a different one that is suits you. Just ensure the fees are at least as low as the ones identified above when buying.

You can learn about all of my investing techniques via my “Invest Like a Pro in 10 Minutes a Day!” series of 4 books where you can learn the “end to end” process to investing: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/published-books-and-life-coaching-services/.

Also, you can read all about my stock market activities here: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/stock-market-activities

I wish you much investing success for 2025 (and beyond!).

selfimprovement #selfhelp #selfdevelopment #success #finance #stocks #investing #stockmarket #bonds #bondmarket

==== INVESTMENT RISK CATEGORIES ====

Important Note: When adding up what you have across your investment accounts, I recommend making the following adjustment for pre-tax type investment accounts (e.g., 401Ks and IRAs without the word “Roth” attached): reduce the total amount by 24% for a conservative overall estimate. We have to pay taxes when withdrawing from these kinds of accounts so this will help to account for that. Feel free to use a different percentage reduction depending on what tax bracket you believe you will fall into when withdrawing money from these accounts.

VERY HIGH-RISK INVESTOR (your investment goal is 8+ times what you presently have in total across your investment accounts – after making adjustments in accordance with the note above). For example, if your investment goal is $2M and you presently have $250k or less in total across your investment accounts then you would be a very high-risk investor.

HIGH-RISK INVESTOR (your investment goal is roughly 4-8 times what you presently have in total across your investment accounts – after making adjustments in accordance with the note above). For example, if your investment goal is $2M and you presently have $250k-$500k in total across your investment accounts then you would be a high-risk investor.

MEDIUM-RISK INVESTOR (your investment goal is roughly 2-4 times what you presently have in total across your investment accounts – after making adjustments in accordance with the note above). For example, if your investment goal is $2M and you presently have $500k-$1M in total across your investment accounts then you would be a medium-risk investor.

LOW-RISK INVESTOR (your investment goal is roughly 1-2 times what you presently have in total across your investment accounts – after making adjustments in accordance with the note above). For example, if your investment goal is $2M and you presently have $1M-$2M in total across your investment accounts then you would be a low-risk investor.

VERY LOW-RISK INVESTOR (what you presently have in total across your investment accounts equals or exceeds your investment goal – after making adjustments in accordance with the note above). For example, if your investment goal is $2M and you presently have $2M or more in total across your investment accounts then you would be a very low-risk investor.

5th EXECUTION OF MARKET-BASED BUY STRATEGY

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

For those who wanted to follow along, this will be the 5th execution of my refined, structured Market-Based Buying Strategy for investing well with minimal effort: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/a-structured-market-based-buying-strategy-for-investing-well-with-minimal-effort/.

This post is for all investors whether in higher or lower risk categories (if you aren’t sure what your investment risk category is, scroll down to the bottom of this post). As of today’s low, the S&P 500 index dropped over 16% from its all-time high (a 3-5% drop in the S&P 500 index generally happens about three times a year, a 10% drop generally happens about once every two years, and a 20%+ drop generally happens once every five years on average). So if it remains anywhere near or below 521 for the SPY ETF or 5225 for the S&P 500 index (whichever you prefer to track – the drop doesn’t have to be very precise), you might consider buying:

a. Very High Risk (VHR) Investors might consider buying up to 100% of their overall investment account (or up to 100% of the cash available to invest) into one of the major market index Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) (or you can split that across multiple major market indexes if you prefer).

b. High Risk (HR) Investors might consider buying up to 100% of their overall investment account (or up to 100% of the cash available to invest) into one of the major market index Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) (or you can split that across multiple major market indexes if you prefer).

c. Medium Risk (MR) Investors might consider buying up to 60% of their overall investment account (or up to 60% of the cash available to invest) into one of the major market index Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) (or you can split that across multiple major market indexes if you prefer).

d. Low Risk (LR) Investors might consider buying up to 30% of their overall investment account (or up to 30% of the cash available to invest) into one of the major market index Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) (or you can split that across multiple major market indexes if you prefer).

d. Very Low Risk (VLR) Investors might consider buying up to 10% of their overall investment account (or up to 10% of the cash available to invest) into one of the major market index Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) (or you can split that across multiple major market indexes if you prefer).

The drop in the overall S&P 500 index could continue, but the longer and the deeper the drop you wait for, the greater the likelihood you’ll miss the rebound. So, you might want to get ready to buy. It’s your financial future so do what you think is best for you.

I currently track five major market index ETFs: S&P 500 index (e.g., SPY ETF), the Nasdaq (e.g., QQQ ETF), a Mid-Cap Stock Index ETF (e.g., IJH ETF), Russell 2000 index (e.g., IWM ETF), and the EFA ETF (or something similar). The first four are major US-based indexes, while the last one tracks international stocks of developed countries outside the U.S. and Canada.

Of the above five major market index ETFs, the most attractive right now appears to be: IWM based on my analysis – which tracks the Russell 2000 index (I actually prefer the SPSM which is similar to IWM but only includes the profitable small businesses contained in the Russell 2000 index). As of today’s low, the IWM dropped 27% and the calculated EIRY is the highest among the highest across the 4 U.S. index ETFs I track – at 7.99%. The IWM is not without risk, however. In a slowing economy, the IWM tends to drop the fastest and the deepest but usually rebounds sharply at some point. So, if you are very concerned about a potential slowing economy, then you might want to choose a different index to invest in or split your investment across different indexes. The next best index ETF overall is the IJH ETF.

Feel free to start buying in one or more of the aforementioned major market index ETFs if the S&P 500 continues to fall. You can use the ones specifically above or use a different one that is similar. Just ensure the fees are at least as low as the ones identified above when buying.

You can learn about all of my investing techniques via my “Invest Like a Pro in 10 Minutes a Day!” series of 4 books where you can learn the “end to end” process to investing: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/published-books-and-life-coaching-services/.

Also, you can read all about my stock market activities here: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/stock-market-activities

I wish you much investing success for 2025 (and beyond!).

selfimprovement #selfhelp #selfdevelopment #success #finance #stocks #investing #stockmarket #bonds #bondmarket

==== INVESTMENT RISK CATEGORIES ====

Important Note: When adding up what you have across your investment accounts, I recommend making the following adjustment for pre-tax type investment accounts (e.g., 401Ks and IRAs without the word “Roth” attached): reduce the total amount by 24% for a conservative overall estimate. We have to pay taxes when withdrawing from these kinds of accounts so this will help to account for that. Feel free to use a different percentage reduction depending on what tax bracket you believe you will fall into when withdrawing money from these accounts.

VERY HIGH-RISK INVESTOR (your investment goal is 8+ times what you presently have in total across your investment accounts – after making adjustments in accordance with the note above). For example, if your investment goal is $2M and you presently have $250k or less in total across your investment accounts then you would be a very high-risk investor.

HIGH-RISK INVESTOR (your investment goal is roughly 4-8 times what you presently have in total across your investment accounts – after making adjustments in accordance with the note above). For example, if your investment goal is $2M and you presently have $250k-$500k in total across your investment accounts then you would be a high-risk investor.

MEDIUM-RISK INVESTOR (your investment goal is roughly 2-4 times what you presently have in total across your investment accounts – after making adjustments in accordance with the note above). For example, if your investment goal is $2M and you presently have $500k-$1M in total across your investment accounts then you would be a medium-risk investor.

LOW-RISK INVESTOR (your investment goal is roughly 1-2 times what you presently have in total across your investment accounts – after making adjustments in accordance with the note above). For example, if your investment goal is $2M and you presently have $1M-$2M in total across your investment accounts then you would be a low-risk investor.

VERY LOW-RISK INVESTOR (what you presently have in total across your investment accounts equals or exceeds your investment goal – after making adjustments in accordance with the note above). For example, if your investment goal is $2M and you presently have $2M or more in total across your investment accounts then you would be a very low-risk investor.

4th EXECUTION OF MARKET-BASED BUY STRATEGY

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

For those who wanted to follow along, this will be the 4th execution of my refined, structured Market-Based Buying Strategy for investing well with minimal effort: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/a-structured-market-based-buying-strategy-for-investing-well-with-minimal-effort/.

This post is for all investors whether in higher or lower risk categories (if you aren’t sure what your investment risk category is, scroll down to the bottom of this post). As of today’s low, the S&P 500 index dropped about 12% from its all-time high (a 3-5% drop in the S&P 500 index generally happens about three times a year, a 10% drop generally happens about once every two years, and a 20%+ drop generally happens once every five years on average). If it falls anywhere in the vicinity of 536 for the SPY ETF or 5376 for the S&P 500 index (whichever you prefer to track – the drop doesn’t have to be very precise), you might consider buying:

a. Very High Risk (VHR) Investors might consider buying up to 100% of their overall investment account (or up to 100% of the cash available to invest) into one of the major market index Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) (or you can split that across multiple major market indexes if you prefer).

b. High Risk (HR) Investors might consider buying up to 100% of their overall investment account (or up to 100% of the cash available to invest) into one of the major market index Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) (or you can split that across multiple major market indexes if you prefer).

c. Medium Risk (MR) Investors might consider buying up to 45% of their overall investment account (or up to 45% of the cash available to invest) into one of the major market index Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) (or you can split that across multiple major market indexes if you prefer).

d. Low Risk (LR) Investors might consider buying up to 20% of their overall investment account (or up to 20% of the cash available to invest) into one of the major market index Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) (or you can split that across multiple major market indexes if you prefer).

d. Very Low Risk (VLR) Investors might consider buying up to 5% of their overall investment account (or up to 5% of the cash available to invest) into one of the major market index Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) (or you can split that across multiple major market indexes if you prefer).

The drop in the overall S&P 500 index could continue, but the longer and the deeper the drop you wait for, the greater the likelihood you’ll miss the rebound. So, you might want to get ready to buy. It’s your financial future so do what you think is best for you.

I currently track five major market index ETFs: S&P 500 index (e.g., SPY ETF), the Nasdaq (e.g., QQQ ETF), a Mid-Cap Stock Index ETF (e.g., IJH ETF), Russell 2000 index (e.g., IWM ETF), and the EFA ETF (or something similar). The first four are major US-based indexes, while the last one tracks international stocks of developed countries outside the U.S. and Canada.

Of the above five major market index ETFs, the most attractive right now appears to be: IWM based on my analysis – which tracks the Russell 2000 index (I actually prefer the SPSM which is similar to IWM but only includes the profitable small businesses contained in the Russell 2000 index). As of today’s low, the IWM dropped 22% and the calculated EIRY is the highest among the highest across the 4 U.S. index ETFs I track – at 7.75%. The IWM is not without risk, however. In a slowing economy, the IWM tends to drop the fastest and the deepest but usually rebounds sharply at some point. So, if you are very concerned about a potential slowing economy, then you might want to choose a different index to invest in or split your investment across different indexes. The next best index ETF overall is the IJH ETF.

Feel free to start buying in one or more of the aforementioned major market index ETFs if the S&P 500 continues to fall. You can use the ones specifically above or use a different one that is similar. Just ensure the fees are at least as low as the ones identified above when buying.

You can learn about all of my investing techniques via my “Invest Like a Pro in 10 Minutes a Day!” series of 4 books where you can learn the “end to end” process to investing: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/published-books-and-life-coaching-services/.

Also, you can read all about my stock market activities here: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/stock-market-activities

I wish you much investing success for 2025 (and beyond!).

selfimprovement #selfhelp #selfdevelopment #success #finance #stocks #investing #stockmarket #bonds #bondmarket

==== INVESTMENT RISK CATEGORIES ====

Important Note: When adding up what you have across your investment accounts, I recommend making the following adjustment for pre-tax type investment accounts (e.g., 401Ks and IRAs without the word “Roth” attached): reduce the total amount by 24% for a conservative overall estimate. We have to pay taxes when withdrawing from these kinds of accounts so this will help to account for that. Feel free to use a different percentage reduction depending on what tax bracket you believe you will fall into when withdrawing money from these accounts.

VERY HIGH-RISK INVESTOR (your investment goal is 8+ times what you presently have in total across your investment accounts – after making adjustments in accordance with the note above). For example, if your investment goal is $2M and you presently have $250k or less in total across your investment accounts then you would be a very high-risk investor.

HIGH-RISK INVESTOR (your investment goal is roughly 4-8 times what you presently have in total across your investment accounts – after making adjustments in accordance with the note above). For example, if your investment goal is $2M and you presently have $250k-$500k in total across your investment accounts then you would be a high-risk investor.

MEDIUM-RISK INVESTOR (your investment goal is roughly 2-4 times what you presently have in total across your investment accounts – after making adjustments in accordance with the note above). For example, if your investment goal is $2M and you presently have $500k-$1M in total across your investment accounts then you would be a medium-risk investor.

LOW-RISK INVESTOR (your investment goal is roughly 1-2 times what you presently have in total across your investment accounts – after making adjustments in accordance with the note above). For example, if your investment goal is $2M and you presently have $1M-$2M in total across your investment accounts then you would be a low-risk investor.

VERY LOW-RISK INVESTOR (what you presently have in total across your investment accounts equals or exceeds your investment goal – after making adjustments in accordance with the note above). For example, if your investment goal is $2M and you presently have $2M or more in total across your investment accounts then you would be a very low-risk investor.

3RD EXECUTION OF MARKET-BASED BUY STRATEGY

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

For those who wanted to follow along, this will be the 3rd execution of my refined, structured Market-Based Buying Strategy for investing well with minimal effort: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/a-structured-market-based-buying-strategy-for-investing-well-with-minimal-effort/.

If you are a Very High Risk (VHR), High Risk (HR), Medium Risk (MR), or Low Risk (LR), investor, this post is for you – Very Low Risk (VLR) investors can wait and do nothing if you want. If you aren’t sure what your investment risk category is, scroll down to the bottom of this post.

VHR/HR/MR/LR Investors: As of today’s close, the S&P 500 index dropped about 8.6% from its all-time high (a 3-5% drop in the S&P 500 index generally happens about three times a year and 10% drop generally happens about once every two years) – so if it continues falling to around 551.5 for the SPY ETF or 5529 for the S&P 500 index (whichever you prefer to track – the drop doesn’t have to be very precise), you might consider buying:

a. VHR Investors might consider buying up to 100% of their overall investment account (or up to 100% of the cash available to invest) into one of the major market index Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) (or you can split that across multiple major market indexes if you prefer).

b. HR Investors might consider buying up to 66.7% of their overall investment account (or up to 66.7% of the cash available to invest) into one of the major market index Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) (or you can split that across multiple major market indexes if you prefer).

c. MR Investors might consider buying up to 30% of their overall investment account (or up to 30% of the cash available to invest) into one of the major market index Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) (or you can split that across multiple major market indexes if you prefer). I forgot to include MR investors in my previous post during the 2nd execution of this strategy which I will update shortly – so MR investors should probably immediately buy 15% of their overall investment account (or up to 15% of the cash available to invest) and buy the remaining 15% if the S&P 500 index falls further.

d. LR Investors might consider buying up to 10% of their overall investment account (or up to 10% of the cash available to invest) into one of the major market index Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) (or you can split that across multiple major market indexes if you prefer).

I anticipate there could be an even more substantial decline in the overall S&P 500 index, but I could be wrong – and the longer and the deeper the drop you wait for, the greater the likelihood you’ll miss the rebound. So, investors in the above risk categories might want to get ready to buy – VLR investors might be more inclined to take their chances by waiting for a deeper drop. It’s your financial future so do what you think is best for you.

I currently track five major market index ETFs: S&P 500 index (e.g., SPY ETF), the Nasdaq (e.g., QQQ ETF), a Mid-Cap Stock Index ETF (e.g., IJH ETF), Russell 2000 index (e.g., IWM ETF), and the EFA ETF (or something similar). The first four are major US-based indexes, while the last one tracks international stocks of developed countries outside the U.S. and Canada.

Of the above five major market index ETFs, the most attractive right now appears to be: IWM based on my analysis – which tracks the Russell 2000 index (I actually prefer the SPSM which is similar to IWM but only includes the profitable small businesses contained in the Russell 2000 index). As of today’s close, the IWM dropped 17.2% and the calculated EIRY is the highest among the highest across the 4 U.S. index ETFs I track – at 7.42%. The IWM is not without risk, however. In a slowing economy, the IWM tends to drop the fastest and the deepest but usually rebounds sharply at some point. So, if you are very concerned about a potential slowing economy, then you might want to choose a different index to invest in or split your investment across different indexes. The next best index ETF overall is the IJH ETF.

Feel free to start buying in one or more of the aforementioned major market index ETFs if the S&P 500 continues to fall and you are a VHR, HR, MR, or LR, investor. You can use the ones specifically above or use a different one that is similar. Just ensure the fees are at least as low as the ones identified above when buying.

You can learn about all of my investing techniques via my “Invest Like a Pro in 10 Minutes a Day!” series of 4 books where you can learn the “end to end” process to investing: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/published-books-and-life-coaching-services/.

Also, you can read all about my stock market activities here: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/stock-market-activities

I wish you much investing success for 2025 (and beyond!).

selfimprovement #selfhelp #selfdevelopment #success #finance #stocks #investing #stockmarket #bonds #bondmarket

==== INVESTMENT RISK CATEGORIES ====

Important Note: When adding up what you have across your investment accounts, I recommend making the following adjustment for pre-tax type investment accounts (e.g., 401Ks and IRAs without the word “Roth” attached): reduce the total amount by 24% for a conservative overall estimate. We have to pay taxes when withdrawing from these kinds of accounts so this will help to account for that. Feel free to use a different percentage reduction depending on what tax bracket you believe you will fall into when withdrawing money from these accounts.

VERY HIGH-RISK INVESTOR (your investment goal is 8+ times what you presently have in total across your investment accounts – after making adjustments in accordance with the note above). For example, if your investment goal is $2M and you presently have $250k or less in total across your investment accounts then you would be a very high-risk investor.

HIGH-RISK INVESTOR (your investment goal is roughly 4-8 times what you presently have in total across your investment accounts – after making adjustments in accordance with the note above). For example, if your investment goal is $2M and you presently have $250k-$500k in total across your investment accounts then you would be a high-risk investor.

MEDIUM-RISK INVESTOR (your investment goal is roughly 2-4 times what you presently have in total across your investment accounts – after making adjustments in accordance with the note above). For example, if your investment goal is $2M and you presently have $500k-$1M in total across your investment accounts then you would be a medium-risk investor.

LOW-RISK INVESTOR (your investment goal is roughly 1-2 times what you presently have in total across your investment accounts – after making adjustments in accordance with the note above). For example, if your investment goal is $2M and you presently have $1M-$2M in total across your investment accounts then you would be a low-risk investor.

VERY LOW-RISK INVESTOR (what you presently have in total across your investment accounts equals or exceeds your investment goal – after making adjustments in accordance with the note above). For example, if your investment goal is $2M and you presently have $2M or more in total across your investment accounts then you would be a very low-risk investor.

☆°▪︎ SUMMER’S AUTUMN (AGED IN GRAY) ▪︎°☆

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

Intro:

We

played

.

u

p

o

n

.

the

sands . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

We

played

.

u

p

o

n

.

the

sands . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

o

f

–

–

–

sandcastle

days . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

.

warmed

.

b

y

.

the

golden

grace

.

o

f

.

endless

summer

rays . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ warmed

.

b

y

.

the

golden

grace

.

o

f

.

endless

summer

rays . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

We

played . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

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played . . .

–

–

–

.

.

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played . . .

–

–

–

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.

.

.

u

p

o

n

–

–

–

the

sands

.

o

f

.

sandcastle

days . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

.

 ~ of

sandcastle

days . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

forever

swept

away . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

b

y

–

–

–

the

wagering

waves . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ by

.

t

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wagering

waves . . .

–

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.

.

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blame . . .

–

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.

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–

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.

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pain . . .

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.

.

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f

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coming . . .

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.

.

l

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–

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before

.

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breath . . .

–

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.

.

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.

f

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it

coming . . .

–

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.

.

.

f

a

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beyond

.

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h

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bend . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

It

.

w

a

s

.

summer’s

.

.

.

f

a

l

l

.

.

.

when

.

w

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.

gave

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all . . .

–

–

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.

.

.

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w

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s

.

summer’s

.

.

.

f

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l

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.

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.

when

.

w

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.

made

.

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call . . .

–

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.

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o

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play

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game . . .

–

–

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.

.

 ~ we

played

.

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game . . .

–

–

–

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.

.

i

n

–

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shade . . .

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.

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played

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game . . .

–

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.

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n

–

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shade

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blame . . .

–

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.

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–

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.

.

.

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.

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played

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game . . .

–

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.

.

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game . . .

–

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.

.

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played

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game . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

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–

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aged

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a

.

love

.

i

n

.

gray . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

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aged

.

o

u

r

.

love . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

.

pushing

deeper,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

deeper,

.

.

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n

d

.

.

deeper

.

.

i

n

t

o

.

.

the

shade . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

until

there

.

w

a

s

.

no

.

m

o

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.

trace . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ until

there

.

w

a

s

.

nothing

more

.

t

o

.

save . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

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played

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.

game . . .

–

–

–

.

.

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game . . .

–

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.

.

.

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played

.

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.

game . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

deeper,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

deeper,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

deeper,

.

.

i

n

t

o

.

.

gray . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

until

there

.

w

a

s

.

nothing

more

.

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o

.

save . . .

–

–

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.

.

.

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more

.

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.

say . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ there

.

w

a

s

.

nothing

more

.

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o

.

save . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

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more

.

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o

.

say . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

We

played

.

t

h

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.

game . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

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played

.

t

h

a

t

.

game . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

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played

.

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h

a

t

.

game . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

i

n

–

–

–

the

shade . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

now

there

.

i

s

.

no

escape . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

There

.

i

s

.

no

escape

.

f

r

o

m

.

the

blame . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

There

.

i

s

.

no

escape

.

f

r

o

m

.

the

shame . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

There

.

i

s

.

no

escape

.

f

r

o

m

.

the

pain . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

o

f

.

.

.

a

.

l

o

v

e

.

aged

.

i

n

.

gray.

Reflection:  This is a romantic-themed poem that I wrote in March of 2025 where the contemplator looks back on a youthful, passionate courtship that could have been a wonderful, longstanding romance which ended primarily due to naivety, inexperience, and petty disagreements and behaviors. We get the feeling he/she would love to start again but the accumulating changes and distance over the years seem to prevent that from happening. I wrote most of this poem by listening to two wonderful songs: “Hotel Womb” and “Lost” by The Church which I played in the background to create the “moodset” and inspire the writing of the poem. If you listen to these songs at low volume while reading this poem, you might better get the “feel” of it. I used to love album “Starfish” by The Church and started listening to it again – these two songs were favorites of mine as were so many others on this amazing album.