Author: Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

☆°▪︎ THE SEEMING ETERNITY (OF SPRING) ▪︎°☆

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

The

peaceful

ease

.

o

f

.

those

dancing

dreams

–

–

that

made

.

u

s

.

feel

.

s

o

.

effortlessly

free . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

would

sing

.

s

o

.

sweet

.

a

n

d

.

serene

.

f

o

r

.

all

the

days

–

–

that

would

seed

.

a

n

d

.

breed . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

breed

.

a

n

d

.

seed . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

t

h

e

–

–

–

seeming

eternity . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ the

seeming

eternity . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

o

f

–

–

–

spring . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

It

would

sing . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

It

would

sing . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

It

would

sing . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

o

r

–

–

–

the

seeming

eternity

.

o

f

.

spring . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ the

seeming

eternity

.

o

f

.

spring . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

now

sinking

carelessly . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ now

sinking

carelessly . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

beneath

.

t

h

e

.

storming

seas . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ beneath

.

t

h

e

.

storming

seas . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

o

f

–

–

–

reali~

tease.

Reflection: 

This is a reflection-themed poem largely associated with the melancholy of looking back on a past that once seemed so carefree, dreamy, vibrant, and free. The contemplator views his/her present life with a sense of dread that it is so filled with day-to-day tasks, work, and responsibilities that there is little or no time for fun, freedom, and dreams – and he/she wonders if that will ever change.

While on a trip to Portugal, I was listening to various musicians I hadn’t heard in a while. One of those was Bruce Springsteen. I had forgotten how moving his music and lyrics were. So, I thought I’d try to write something as a tribute to him while playing some of his songs in the background at low volume. The primary ones were: “Jungleland,” “Backstreets,” “Downbound Train,” “My Hometown,” “Point Blank,” “The River,” “One Step Up,” “Thunder Road,” and “Atlantic City.” I played these songs in the background to create the “moodset” for the poem and inspire the writing of the poem. So, if you listen to one or more of these songs at low volume while reading this poem, you might better get the “feel” of it.

HOW TO INVEST WELL AND CREATE A BRIGHTER FUTURE WITH MINIMAL EFFORT

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

Over the past couple of weeks, I have been traveling through Portugal and have met some very nice people. And once they find out I’m a life coach, many of them have become very interested in any financial advice I can provide to help them create a brighter future. So, this inspired me to write the “Joe Brennan 5-Step Process to Financial Success” with minimal effort:

1. Get into the practice of automatically saving a minimum of 20% of everything you earn – wages, gifts, tips, whatever and open an online brokerage trading/investing account to place your money in such that it earns a decent interest rate (I earn about 5% interest via my Fidelity standard trading account). The reason this is important is because you don’t want to fall behind inflation when saving money. A lot of banks pay much less interest than online brokerage trading/investment accounts do. The 20%+ automatic savings is important because it forces financial discipline – resulting in a greater ability to accumulate financial wealth and achieve financial freedom much sooner than would be experienced otherwise. In fact, if you have kids and get them into this practice at a very young age, then this would serve to not only benefit them, but you as well since you won’t have to worry so much about their finances, and they won’t have to rely on you as much in the years and decades to come. The earlier you start saving, the less of your overall income percentage-wise you would need to save over the years of your life. I generally recommend 20% for people who start at the age of 20 and increase it by 1% per year if they start later than age 20. So, if you start at age 24 you need to save 24%, if you start at age 31 you need to save 31%, and if you start at age 41 you need to save 41% for the rest of your life. So, the earlier you start, the less of your overall income you have to save percentage-wise over the years of your life. So, if you start at age 20, you can save 20% for the rest of your life and be in good shape financially speaking – but if you start at age 34, you’ll need to save 34% for the rest of your life. So, the earlier you start, the better. And the percentages above include any matching funds or financial incentives your employer might provide (some employers provide up to 5% or so of matching funds and such for retirement plans so be sure to always do this first – this is free money!).

2. When you’re ready to start buying investments, become an expert by reviewing, understanding, and executing this structured, market-based, investment buying strategy: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/a-structured-market-based-buying-strategy-for-investing-well-with-minimal-effort/.

3. Become an expert on selling investments by reviewing, understanding, and executing this structured, market-based, investment selling strategy: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/a-structured-market-based-selling-strategy-for-investing-well-with-minimal-effort/.

4. Only pull money from your investment accounts when substantial gains are experienced and only for that which invests in your future such as a down payment for a house, educational expenses likely to lead to a higher paying job, rental properties as an investment, a new business you want for yourself, or after reaching your long-term financial freedom or retirement goal.

5. Repeat steps 1-4 for any new savings accumulated.

The above is a good process for getting your finances and investments in order. If you are in your mid-thirties or so (or even less – the younger you are, the better you will likely do over time), then this process will get you where you need to be in your life financially speaking. However, there is never a guarantee, and you might want to adjust this process over time. If you elect to take a higher risk approach, then you can earn substantial gains if you wait things out – although you might experience substantial losses in the near term. If you elect to take a lower risk approach, then you may not experience substantial losses in the near term but will probably not make as much in gains over the longer term.

The reason the above process works so well for so many people is that in the first few years of investing, the amount saved matters much more than the actual gains or losses experienced in the stock market. As such, people can just save and wait for a substantial stock market drop to invest and will probably do pretty well over the longer run. Once savings have been accumulated for a few years or so, then the gains and losses experienced matter increasingly more over time and a lower risk investment approach will probably be more appropriate.

February 2025 update: Investing expert Charlie Munger’s advice back in 1998 was to do whatever it takes to get to $100,000 and the rest of your investing growth will be easy over the years due to the power of compound interest (you can read about that here: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/charlie-munger-said-hardest-part-193015265.html). I wholeheartedly agree with him except $200,000 is the number you need to get to in today’s 2025 dollars. It’s very difficult getting to that number, but once you do, you’ll experience substantial growth in your investments. So, do that for yourself if you can. Because once you get to $200,000, it will only take about 21 years to grow that to $1.6M if you stay invested in a stock market that earns the long-term average of 10% per year (including dividends).

The above process is not perfect, but give it a try, make adjustments over time, and if you need help with any of this just ask.

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 2024 (and beyond!).

selfimprovement #selfhelp #selfdevelopment #intention #fulfillment #success #inspiration #happiness #mindfulness #peace #joy #positivethinking #balance #finance #stocks #investing #stockmarket #bonds #bondmarket

☆°▪︎ BLINDED BY THE SMILE ▪︎°☆

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

Tonight,

I

wear

–

–

the

smile

–

–

that

lies . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ the

smile

–

–

that

hides

.

a

n

d

.

denies

.

t

h

e

.

darkness

–

–

behind

.

t

h

e

.

light . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ the

bitter

–

–

behind

.

t

h

e

.

bright . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ the

rye

–

–

behind

.

t

h

e

.

rhyme . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

you

.

w

i

l

l

.

bite . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

you

.

w

i

l

l

.

buy . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ you

.

w

i

l

l

.

bite

.

a

n

d

.

buy . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

blinded

.

b

y

.

the

wine . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ blinded

.

b

y

.

the

promise

.

o

f

.

daylight . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

o

r

–

–

–

tonight,

I

wear

–

–

the

smile

–

–

that

lies . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ the

smile

–

–

that

hides

.

a

n

d

.

denies . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

smile.

Reflection: This is a personal struggle-themed poem written largely a reflection on those who routinely hide the pain and struggles they might be going through because they fear judgment or rejection. It’s sad that so many would rather suffer, and struggle alone – creating distance instead of risking allowing others to get close to them or to do or say something which might be helpful and depriving these potential helpers the joy of being a friend and doing something they could feel good about.

I wrote most of this poem by listening to the wonderful song “Disarm” by The Smashing Pumpkins which I played in the background to create the “moodset” for the poem and inspire the writing of the poem. So, if you listen to the song at low volume while reading this poem, you might better get the “feel” of it.

☆°▪︎ THE FALL OF WINTERTIME ▪︎°☆

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

I

still

–

–

recall

the

.

f

a

l

l

.

of

wintertime . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

o

r

–

–

–

it

.

w

a

s

.

the

.

f

a

l

l

.

of

wintertime . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

when

.

y

o

u

r

.

eyes

–

–

burned

.

s

o

.

bright . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ when

.

y

o

u

r

.

eyes

–

–

burned

.

s

o

.

bright . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

with

a

smile . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

o

r

–

–

–

another

guy . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Your

eyes

–

–

burned

bright . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Your

eyes

–

–

burned

bright . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Your

eyes

–

–

burned

bright . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

with

a

smile . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

o

r

–

–

–

another

guy . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

still

–

–

recall

the

.

f

a

l

l

.

of

wintertime . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

still

–

–

recall

the

.

f

a

l

l

.

of

wintertime . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

still

–

–

recall

the

.

f

a

l

l

.

of

wintertime . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

o

r

–

–

–

that

.

w

a

s

.

the

.

l

a

s

t

.

time . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ yes,

that

.

w

a

s

.

the

.

l

a

s

t

.

time . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

saw

–

–

your

eyes

–

–

burn

.

s

o

.

bright . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

with

a

smile.

Reflection:  This was a popular melancholy-themed poem written back in March of 2024 about a fading romance and the sinking feelings that can come with it. I wrote most of this poem by listening to the wonderful, haunting gem of a song “Your Worst Song is Your Greatest Hit” by The Reds, the Pinks and Purples which I played in the background to create the “moodset” and inspire the writing of the poem. If you listen to the song at low volume while reading this poem, you might better get the “feel” of it.

☆°▪︎ BURIED IN THE DEEP (A PEACE WITHIN REACH) ▪︎°☆

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

It

.

w

a

s

.

hard

.

t

o

.

tell

you . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

everything

that

.

w

a

s

.

badly

burned

.

a

n

d

.

buried

.

i

n

.

the

deep . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

It

.

w

a

s

.

hard

.

t

o

.

tell

you . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

b

u

t

–

–

–

now,

I

.

c

a

n

.

see

.

a

n

d

.

feel

a

peace

–

–

within

reach . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ I

.

c

a

n

.

see

.

a

n

d

.

feel

a

peace

–

–

within

reach . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

beneath

the

seas

–

–

where

anxiety

sleeps . . . 

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

I

can

.

n

o

w

.

believe . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ I

can

.

n

o

w

.

believe . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

i

n

–

–

–

the

dream . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ I

can

.

n

o

w

.

believe . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

i

n

–

–

–

the

dream . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

while

.

i

t

.

still

–

–

newly

breathes . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ while

.

i

t

.

still

–

–

newly

breathes . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ while

.

i

t

.

still

–

–

newly

breathes . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

before

.

i

t

.

begins

.

t

o

.

bleed . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

It

.

w

a

s

.

hard

.

t

o

.

tell

you . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

everything

that

.

w

a

s

.

badly

burned

.

a

n

d

.

buried

.

i

n

.

the

deep . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

It

.

w

a

s

.

hard

–

t

o

–

tell

you . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

b

u

t

–

–

–

now,

I

.

c

a

n

.

see

.

a

n

d

.

feel

a

peace

–

–

within

reach.

Reflection: This was an inspirational/hope-themed poem which largely reflects the rush of hope and relief a sufferer secretly carrying a heavy burden can experience when he/she is finally able to find someone to share it with. I wrote most of this poem by listening to the wonderful song “Hard to Tell You” by Warpaint which I played in the background to create the “moodset” for the poem and inspire the writing of the poem. So, if you listen to the song at low volume while reading this poem, you might better get the “feel” of it.

☆°▪︎ CURIOSITY CLEARLY SEES (AND WARMLY BELIEVES) ▪︎°☆

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

Curiosity

crumbles

.

t

h

e

.

walls

.

o

f

.

hostility,

–

–

–

.

.

.

judgment,

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

jealousy . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Curiosity

leaps

.

f

a

r

.

beyond

.

t

h

e

.

valleys

–

–

that

blame . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

shame . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

defame . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

demean . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Curiosity

celebrates

–

–

every

direction

.

o

f

.

differing . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

every

color

.

o

f

.

diversity . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Curiosity

loves

.

a

n

d

.

values

–

–

everyone

.

a

n

d

.

everything . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Curiosity

clearly

sees

.

a

n

d

.

warmly

believes

–

–

that

every

–

–

form

.

o

f

.

humanity

.

i

s

.

free . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Curiosity

clearly

sees

.

a

n

d

.

warmly

believes . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Curiosity

clearly

sees

.

a

n

d

.

warmly

believes . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Curiosity

clearly

sees

.

a

n

d

.

warmly

believes . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

i

n

–

–

–

every

life

–

–

that

breathes.

Reflection: This was an inspiration/hope-themed poem. I wrote most of this poem by reflecting on a Yahoo Finance article featuring an interview with Scott Shigeoka – a curiosity expert and author of the new book “Seek: How Curiosity Can Transform Your Life and Change the World.”

☆°▪︎ BLISTERS, BURNS, AND BLURS (A SCREAM BEHIND THE DOOR) ▪︎°☆

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

I

remember

feeling . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ I

remember

feeling

.

t

h

i

s

.

way

before . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

felt

.

t

h

i

s

.

way

before . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

w

h

e

n

–

–

–

I

.

f

e

l

l

.

beneath

.

t

h

e

.

floor . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ I

.

f

e

l

l

.

beneath

.

t

h

e

.

floor . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

screamed

behind

.

t

h

e

.

door . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ I

screamed

behind

.

t

h

e

.

door . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

b

u

t

–

–

–

could

.

n

o

t

.

rise

above

.

t

h

e

.

roar . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ I

could

.

n

o

t

.

rise

above

.

t

h

e

.

roar . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

s

o

–

–

–

I

continued

.

t

o

.

fight

.

t

h

e

.

war . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ I

continued

.

t

o

.

fight

.

t

h

e

.

war . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

now

I

stand

upon

–

–

a

distant

shore . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ I

stand

upon

–

–

a

distant

shore . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

far

away

.

f

r

o

m

.

the

blisters,

–

–

burns,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

blurs . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ far

away

.

f

r

o

m

.

the

whispered

words

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

hurts . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

arguing

.

f

o

r

.

less

than

.

m

y

.

worth . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

b

u

t

–

–

–

for

more

–

–

than

I

deserved . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ they

argued

.

f

o

r

.

less

than

.

m

y

.

worth . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

b

u

t

–

–

–

for

more

–

–

than

I

deserved . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

It

was

–

–

more

than

–

–

I

deserved . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

It

was

–

–

more

than

–

–

I

deserved . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

It

was

–

–

more

than

–

–

I

deserved . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

o

r

–

–

–

I

was

.

a

t

.

my

worst . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

remember

feeling . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ I

remember

feeling

.

t

h

i

s

.

way

before . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

felt

.

t

h

i

s

.

way

before . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

w

h

e

n

–

–

–

I

.

f

e

l

l

.

beneath

.

t

h

e

.

floor . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ when

.

 I

.

f

e

l

l

.

beneath

.

t

h

e

.

floor . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

screamed

behind

.

t

h

e

.

door.

Reflection: This was a personal struggle-themed poem largely reflective of an ongoing, internal struggle – from some kind of trauma that was experienced previously. It continues to resurface and the anxious sufferer senses another episode is on the way. Many people who have either experienced trauma or who have helped others in these regards will probably relate strongly to this poem.

I wrote most of this poem by listening to the wonderful, haunting gem of a song “No End to Love” by Orlando Weeks which I played in the background to create the “moodset” for the poem, and inspire the writing of the poem. So, if you listen to the song at low volume while reading this poem, you might better get the “feel” of it.

☆°▪︎ LIVING THE LIES (OF PARADISE) ▪︎°☆

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

You

were

.

t

h

e

.

lows

–

–

chasing

highs

.

i

n

.

the

lamplight . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

You

were

.

t

h

e

.

rhythm

.

a

n

d

.

the

rhyme

.

i

n

.

the

lamplight . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

You

were

.

t

h

e

.

starshine

.

o

f

.

the

skies

.

i

n

.

the

lamplight . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

s

o

–

–

–

let’s

.

f

a

l

l

.

into

.

t

h

e

.

rise . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

dance

left

.

t

o

.

right . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

l

l

–

–

–

hours

.

o

f

.

the

night . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Let’s

.

f

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l

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.

into

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rise . . .

–

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.

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roll

side

.

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o

.

side . . .

–

–

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.

.

u

n

t

i

l

–

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we

waltz

–

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with

.

t

h

e

.

sunrise . . .

–

–

–

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.

.

Let’s

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f

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.

into

.

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e

.

rise . . .

–

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.

.

Let’s

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.

into

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.

rise . . .

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.

.

.

Let’s

.

f

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.

into

.

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e

.

rise . . .

–

–

–

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.

.

a

n

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–

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t

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.

skies

.

t

i

l

l

.

we

find

–

–

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place

.

t

o

.

hide . . .

–

–

–

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.

.

Let’s

climb

–

t

h

e

–

skies . . .

–

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–

.

.

.

Let’s

climb

.

t

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.

skies . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Let’s

climb

.

t

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skies . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

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d

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–

–

–

.

.

.

Let’s

climb

.

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.

skies . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Let’s

climb

.

t

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e

.

skies . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Let’s

climb

.

t

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e

.

skies . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

d

i

v

e

–

–

–

.

.

.

i

n

t

o

–

–

–

the

wine . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

race

.

t

h

e

.

tides

.

o

f

.

time . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Let’s

race

.

t

h

e

.

tides

.

o

f

.

time . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Let’s

race

.

t

h

e

.

tides

.

o

f

.

time . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Let’s

race

.

t

h

e

.

tides

.

o

f

.

time . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

leave

.

i

t

.

all

behind . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Let’s

leave

.

i

t

.

all

behind . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ the

wrongs

.

a

n

d

.

the

rights . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Let’s

leave

.

i

t

.

all

behind . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ the

lines

.

a

n

d

.

the

divides . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Let’s

leave

.

i

t

.

all

behind . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ the

sighs

.

a

n

d

.

the

cries

.

o

f

.

wintertime . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Let’s

leave

.

i

t

.

all

behind . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Let’s

leave

.

i

t

.

all

behind . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Let’s

leave

.

i

t

.

all

behind . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

because

.

w

e

.

have

.

a

l

l

.

night

.

t

o

.

make

.

i

t

.

shine . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

We

have

.

a

l

l

.

night

.

t

o

.

live

.

a

l

l

.

the

lies . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ to

live

.

a

l

l

.

the

lies . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

o

f

–

–

–

paradise . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

You

were

.

t

h

e

.

lows

–

–

chasing

highs

.

i

n

.

the

lamplight . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

You

were

.

t

h

e

.

rhythm

.

a

n

d

.

the

rhyme

.

i

n

.

the

lamplight . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

You

were

.

t

h

e

.

starshine

.

o

f

.

the

skies

.

i

n

.

the

lamplight . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

s

o

–

–

–

let’s

close

.

t

h

e

.

blinds . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

.

f

a

l

l

.

.

.

into

.

t

h

e

.

rise . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ let’s

.

.

.

f

a

l

l

.

.

.

into

.

t

h

e

.

rise . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

roll

side

.

t

o

.

side . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

l

l

–

–

–

hours

.

o

f

.

the

night . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ all

hours

.

o

f

.

the

night . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

leave

.

i

t

.

all

behind . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Let’s

leave

.

i

t

.

all

behind . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Let’s

leave

.

i

t

.

all

behind . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Let’s

leave

.

i

t

.

all

behind . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

this

time . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

live

.

a

l

l

.

the

lies . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

o

f

–

–

–

paradise . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Let’s

roll

.

t

h

e

.

dice . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

live

.

a

l

l

.

the

lies . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

o

f

–

–

–

paradise . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

We

can

–

–

roll

.

t

h

e

.

dice . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

We

can

–

–

roll

.

t

h

e

.

dice . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

We

can

–

–

roll

.

t

h

e

.

dice . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

tonight,

–

–

you

.

a

n

d

.

I . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

We

can

–

–

roll

.

t

h

e

.

dice . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

We

can

–

–

roll

.

t

h

e

.

dice . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

We

can

–

–

roll

.

t

h

e

.

dice . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

tonight,

–

–

you

.

a

n

d

.

I . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

then

.

l

e

t

.

tomorrow

decide.

Reflection: This was a romantic-themed poem. I wrote most of this poem by reflecting on a hot, hot night I had with someone who shall go by the name of JT. What a wonderful experience! I think about it all the time.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2024! A FEW HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2023!

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

Happy New Year everyone! 2023 was a pretty good year for me (much better than 2022). Here are some of my highlights (by the numbers):

9: The number of times I provided special gifts to people for “Make a Friend Smile Day”. That’s the special occasion I created 20 years ago as the perfect excuse to offer guilt-free giving to people going through significant financial difficulties and hardships but are just too proud to ask or accept this help. The only catch is the friend must smile when using the gift because, well, there’d be no reason to have a “Make a Friend Smile Day” if the friend didn’t smile. I bought someone a computer, bought someone a smart phone, paid someone’s rent, and gave out several Publix gift cards and prepaid credit cards this year to people!

$68k: the amount I added to my “Beneficiaries Reserve Fund” due to my investment gains and budget projections based on these. This is the fund I use to help others. Most people who know me understand that whenever I have a good year in the stock market, I always set aside some of the proceeds to share with others to contribute as my gift to them – it’s a promise I make every year to God, higher power, the universe, or whatever it is you believe in (I happen to believe in all the above). You can read more about that here: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/a-guilt-free-way-to…/

21: The number of poems I wrote and published throughout the year. The ones people seemed to resonate most with were: To Ignite a Life (A Determined Drive): https://www.facebook.com/joe.brennan.1806/posts/pfbid0QNUBeFVm9Jw6Gtp943UsnXD4AzEjHCtnwXSTtTgM4Nq6D1gZZPZ6CGbtAaNeT8nhl , The Wingman: https://www.facebook.com/joe.brennan.1806/posts/pfbid0dsPxyBC4dGeCbouj1Q5HXigmr6saJHMHS3K4HigYauRzdnt4Uj5eHecfzuc4trfBl , and Regret Sings Relentlessly (The Haunting Tunes of Truth): https://www.facebook.com/joe.brennan.1806/posts/pfbid08ynYbeHxehSAGsNdqtdRfoSDKik4Q3cSsnmgZFYMUiXd4TWVbU48hy9AJrTNdMHxl

4300: The number of photos I took on travel this year. My biggest trip was my summer road trip (1400 miles, 3 weeks which, 13 places). My favorite places during this year’s travel were Dunedin FL, Tarpon Springs FL, and Sebring FL.

391: The percentage gain of my best performing stock this year: Coinbase (COIN).

279: The total number of places I have explored and spent quality time in to date (including the above road trip).

57: The percentage I gained in the stock market this year which more than made up the 24% loss I experienced last year (2022 was my first down year in 11 years). Over the past 12 years my average annual gain is 35%. So, that’s not too bad. This is about a 5 year gain on average for every year over the past 12 years. I improved my investment strategies this year as I try to do every year. https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/how-to-lose-your…/ and https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/a-break-in-the…/ are two notable examples. 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. So, use any downtime you might have to your advantage by gaining this knowledge and learning these skills and techniques (https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/published-books-and…/). Also, you can read all about my stock market activities here: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/stock-market-activities

34: the number of people I helped live happier lives throughout this year.

59: The number of times I posted about my stock market activities and strategies to offer others a chance to capitalize on these. You can read about most of them here: https://www.brighterdayslifecoaching.com/stock-market…/

93: The number of posts I wrote and published, throughout the year, focused on helping people live happier, offering hope and inspiration, keeping people informed, and making people more successful in life.

12: The number of books I read and shared my notes on throughout the year. These were primarily in the areas of self-help and self-improvement. Each of these were towards the top of the “100 Best Self-Help Books of All Time” list I’ve been reading from (So, over the years I’ve currently read the top 89 books on this list of 100 so 11 more to go!).

212: The number of days I spent on Duo Lingo learning and practicing Spanish and Portuguese throughout the year. I’ve been learning various languages on Duo Lingo for 10 years now including Spanish, Portuguese, and a tiny bit of Italian.

11 – the number of hours I spent on fitness activities in a typical week between weight training, running, stretching, and yoga.

So, 2023 was a pretty good year overall. Going forward I plan to focus on creating an electronic version of my first book of poetry (“A Farewell to Reason”) which has been out of print for several years now and some of the poetry I’ve written since then.

I’m looking forward to seeing what 2024 brings! Happy New Year Everyone! May 2024 be the best year of our lives EVER!

selfimprovement #selfhelp #selfdevelopment #intention #fulfillment #success #inspiration #happiness #mindfulness #peace #joy #positivethinking #balance #finance #stocks #investing #stockmarket #bonds #bondmarket

FINAL STOCK MARKET SCORE =>>> JOE: 57.2%, SPX: 24.2%

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

I had a really great year in the stock market this year. I experienced my first down year in 11 years last year (in 2022) when I lost 23.6% but more than made up for it this year with a gain of 57.2% which is about an 8-year gain in a single year!

I beat all of the major market indexes this year by a wide margin such as the S&P 500 index (+24.2%), Russell 2000 index (+15.1%), and Nasdaq index (+43.4%). So, 2023 was a great year for me and demonstrated I can still do well as a high-risk investor (I unintentionally became a high-risk investor in 2022 with the large stock market drop and am finally getting back to being a low-risk investor which is where I’m supposed to be at this stage of my investing). Most of my portfolio is now invested in fixed income which fits much better with my low-risk investor profile. We’ll see what 2024 brings.

I’ve done extremely well overall from year-to-year. Over the past 12 years my average annual gain is 35% (including the losses from 2022). So, that’s pretty darn good. This is about a 5-year gain on average for every year over the past 12 years. Here’s what the specific percentage gains/losses were:

2023 +57.20%
2022 -23.60%
2021 +8.70%
2020 +164.00%
2019 +20.00%
2018 +14.00%
2017 +15.00%
2016 +22.00%
2015 +73.00%
2014 +19.20%
2013 +16.40%
2012 +34.90%

I improved my investment strategies this year as I try to do every year. https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/how-to-lose-your-shirt-in-the-stock-market-without-losing-your-shorts-too-part-four/
and https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/a-break-in-the-clouds-the-return-of-low-risk-safe-haven-investments-via-the-bond-market/ are two notable examples.

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. So, use any downtime you might have to your advantage by gaining this knowledge and learning these skills and techniques (https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/published-books-and-life-coaching-services/).

Make it your goal to learn these investment techniques so that you can progress towards achieving the financial freedom and independence you’ve always dreamed of. I would have done so much better if I had learned this stuff years ago! I wish you much investing success for 2024 (and beyond!).

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

I wish you much investing success for 2024 (and beyond!).

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