Author: Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

HERE IT COMES AGAIN: 1ST EXECUTION OF MARKET-BASED BUY STRATEGY POTENTIALLY COMING SOON

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

The stock market has fallen about 2.5% from its most recent high. So, there might be another opportunity to buy into the stock market in the near future. Those of you who executed my Market-Based Buying Strategy for investing well with minimal effort back in the spring did very well for themselves (the overall stock market gained about 28% from its springtime low): https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/a-structured-market-based-buying-strategy-for-investing-well-with-minimal-effort/.

Higher risk investors might want to consider buying into the stock market after about a 5-10% decline from all-time highs. Medium risk and lower risk investors might want to wait and see if there’s a more substantial pullback. Just keep in mind that the lengthier drop you wait for, the more likely it is you’ll miss a substantial rebound.

For general awareness purposes, a 3-5% drop in the S&P 500 index (SPX) 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 far in 2025, the SPX has had nearly a 20% drop (or two 10% drops depending on how you count them since, back in spring, the first ~10% drop was followed by a nearly two-week period of gains before falling an additional ~10%). It’s also not clear whether it makes sense to count that previous drop since this was largely self-imposed by the ongoing and wildly fluctuating tariff and trade policy.

Right now, I’m anticipating at least a 7.5% drop in the SPX at some point in the near future but I could be wrong. Here are some of the reasons why I anticipate a drop of this magnitude (or greater):

1. August and September tend to be the worst months of the year for the stock market overall.

2. Inflation is starting to pick up again due to the ongoing tariff and trade war. This is likely to continue.

3. The overall economy appears to be weakening due to the ongoing tariff and trade war. This is likely to continue.

4. The combination of items 2 and 3 above is a recipe for a stagflationary economy (low or declining growth combined with higher inflation). The overall stock market tends to do poorly in stagflationary economic environments.

5. Many investors are highly leveraged right now (using margin debt in addition to all of their cash holdings to buy into the stock market – meaning they are much more than fully invested). This means any downturns are likely to be amplified – at least until much of the margin debt is cleared.

6. The quality of economic data appears to be deteriorating – reducing its overall effectiveness and predictive capabilities, and resulting in sharp revisions to previous months or continued uncertainties as the economic data plays catch-up with reality. This may not be as concerning for “good” economic data, but for “bad” economic data this means the economy could “sleepwalk” into a sharp downturn or recession, and large inflationary pressures could be experienced in the real economy long before getting reported – causing even greater inflationary pressures due to countermeasures being delayed and having to play catch-up. The overall atock market tends to not be very forgiving when it comes to negative surprises, and stock market declines frequently happen as a result.

7. Earnings season is largely over until mid-to-late October – so, there’s not much on the earnings front to help prop up the overall stock market in the near term.

8. Several overall stock market indicators indicate extreme highs or frothiness – see item 2 in the following link: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/a-structured-market-based-selling-strategy-for-investing-well-with-minimal-effort/

9. The combined effects of the above are likely to put downward pressure on the overall stock market in the near term.

So, all of the above means there might be another opportunity to buy into the stock market in the near future. Please let me know if you would like to be added to the list of people to contact when the thresholds of my Market-Based Strategy are reached so you can potentially capitalize on significant stock market declines when they happen.

If you are already fully invested, you might want to just stay the course since, as a whole, the overall stock market tends to go up over the longer term (https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/why-the-overall-stock-market-goes-up-over-the-longer-term/). Most investors do much better by buying and remaining invested in the stock market rather than being sellers except on the rarest of occasions. The primary exception to this would be for those who are lower risk investors approaching their financial goals of which taking a lower risk, more cautious approach would be warranted.

Lastly, for your planning purposes, I’ve provided the 5 different risk categories I presently use at the bottom of this post.

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

Happy investing everyone!

#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.

☆°▪︎ THE WARMING WINELIGHT ▪︎°☆

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

You

caught

.

m

y

.

eye . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

danced

.

w

i

t

h

.

a

smile . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

You

danced

.

w

I

t

h

.

a

smile . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

You

danced

.

w

I

t

h

.

a

smile . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

You

danced

.

w

I

t

h

.

a

smile . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

mesmerized . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

You

mesmerized . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

i

n

–

–

–

the

warming

winelight . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

You

mesmerized . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

i

n

–

–

–

the

dreamsicle

delight . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

You

mesmerized . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

All

night

.

y

o

u

.

danced

.

w

I

t

h

.

a

smile . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ a

smile

reserved

.

f

o

r

.

you

.

a

n

d

.

I . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

i

n

.

.

.

the

warming

winelight . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

i

n

–

–

–

the

dreamsicle

delight . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ a

smile

reserved

.

f

o

r

.

you

.

a

n

d

.

I . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

b

u

t

–

–

–

sometimes,

.

.

I

.

.

like

.

t

o

.

lie . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

like

.

t

o

.

lie . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

w

h

e

n

.

.

.

the

mood

.

i

s

.

high . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

the

feelings

nigh . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ I

like

.

t

o

.

lie . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

like

.

t

o

.

lie . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

w

h

e

n

.

.

.

runway

rhymes

.

o

f

.

the

mind,

.

.

r

i

s

e

.

.

into

romantic

skies . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ I

like

.

t

o

.

lie . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

like

.

t

o

.

lie . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

like

.

t

o

.

lie,

–

–

sometimes . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ sometimes,

.

.

I

.

.

like

.

t

o

.

lie,

–

–

alright . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

o

r

–

–

–

all

night

.

y

o

u

.

danced

.

w

i

t

h

.

a

smile . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

You

danced

.

w

i

t

h

.

a

smile . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

You

danced

.

w

i

t

h

.

a

smile . . .

–

–

–

.

.

You

danced

.

w

i

t

h

.

a

smile . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

i

n

–

–

–

the

dreamsicle

delight . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

i

n

–

–

–

the

warming

winelight . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

i

n

–

–

–

the

starshine . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

i

n

–

–

–

the

starshine . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ in

.

t

h

e

.

starshine

skies . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

o

f

–

–

–

another’s

eyes.

Reflection: This is a romantic-themed poem that I wrote in July of 2025. The opening lines came to me while I was out one night – you just never know when inspiration might arrive. In this poem the contemplator catches the eye of someone he or she desires and the person smiles – and everything takes off from there. Once I got home, I refined this poem by listening to the wonderful song: “Simple” by Homeshake which I played in the background to create the “moodset” and inspire the refinement of the poem – it really seemed to fit. If you listen to the song at low volume while reading this poem, you might better get the “feel” of it.

☆°▪︎ BREAKING THE NEED (TO REPEAT) ▪︎°☆

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

It’s 

.

m

y

.

life,

.

.

I

.

.

say

.

t

o

.

storming

seas . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

temptation

tease . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

It’s 

.

m

y

.

life,

.

.

I

.

.

say

.

t

o

.

outer

extremes . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

in-betweens . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

It’s

.

m

y

.

life . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

It’s

.

m

y

.

life . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

It’s

.

m

y

.

life . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

.

I

.

c

a

n

.

just

leave . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

.

c

a

n

.

leave . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

.

c

a

n

.

leave . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

.

c

a

n

.

just

leave . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

o

r

–

–

–

all

.

y

o

u

.

mean

.

t

o

.

me . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ I

.

c

a

n

.

just

leave . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

believe . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

.

c

a

n

.

leave . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

.

c

a

n

.

leave . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ I

.

c

a

n

.

leave . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

believe . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

become

free . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

b

y

–

–

–

releasing

.

t

h

e

.

need . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

.

c

a

n

.

become

free . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

.

c

a

n

.

become

free . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

.

c

a

n

.

become

free . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

b

y

–

–

–

releasing

.

t

h

e

.

need . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ by

releasing

.

t

h

e

.

need . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

t

o

–

–

–

repeat . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

.

c

a

n

.

release

.

t

h

e

.

need . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

t

o

–

–

–

repeat . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

live

.

m

y

.

life

.

f

o

r

.

me.

Reflection: This is a personal struggle-themed poem that I wrote back in July of 2025 where the affected party finally comes to realize he or she has the power to break the relentless, repeating, negative addiction or compulsion cycle – the question remains whether that step will be taken.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T IS THE KEY FOR RELATING TO OTHERS AND BUILDING STRONG RELATIONSHIPS

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

Aretha Franklin got it right. R-E-S-P-E-C-T is the key for being able to relate to others and building and maintaining strong relationships in life – whether friends, family, significant others, co-workers, acquaintances, or business associates. As a life coach, I frequently get asked for help on repairing old relationships, strengthening existing ones, and creating new, rewarding relationships. And mutual R-E-S-P-E-C-T, between you and others, is the absolute key for every kind of relationship.

For example, someone I was recently helping was struggling with a past, longstanding friendship that started going badly and kept getting worse. She informed me that their conversations got to the point they were becoming toxic and energy depleting in nature, and asked if there might be any way to salvage such a friendship.

Well, it depends. The best you can do is your part for re-establishing communications which are positive and constructive in nature and see what happens. If you do this in a repeated, consistent fashion it might actually help. However, always remember that all you control is your contribution – not the result. And that’s okay no matter how things go, because at least you can feel good in knowing you did your part in trying salvage the relationship – that is, you did at least try.

A good practice to get into is monitoring the polarity of your communications with others and taking immediate action anytime these start moving into negative or disrespectful territory. There are always kind and respectful ways to communicate most everything. So, don’t share anything with others until you find a kind, respectful way to communicate it. If the offending party is someone other than yourself, then get into the practice of pausing and postponing discussions that start moving into negative or disrespectful territory – in a polite but assertive fashion. For example, you might say something like: “This conversation appears to be getting a little negative, disrespectful, and unproductive in nature. Let’s take a break and continue this discussion at another time, okay?” If you do this consistently when communications enter negative or disrespectful territory, the parties you are communicating with will eventually get the message you are not going to allow them to treat you in a disrespectful manner. And that’s a great way to establish a strong foundation for mutual R-E-S-P-E-C-T.

So, mutual R-E-S-P-E-C-T – between you and others – is the absolute key for all kinds of relationships and for being able to relate well to others. The above provided an example regarding communications. However, this also applies to actions, behaviors, intentions, and nonverbal communications. So, if anything you are doing reflects negativity or disrespect towards others, then pause and make adjustments. Likewise, if anything others are doing reflects negativity or disrespect towards you, then politely – but assertively – call them out on it, and let them know you don’t appreciate it and are not going to stand for it. If you do this consistently, the offending parties will eventually get the message you are not going to allow them to treat you in a disrespectful manner. And that’s a great way to establish a strong foundation for mutual R-E-S-P-E-C-T.

So, the bottom line is always wait until you find a kind, respectful way to communicate something to others, and get into the regular practice of pausing and postponing discussions that move into negative or disrespectful territory. If you do this, you will develop and maintain strong, rewarding relationships with people you truly value, and create a warm and wonderful life for you and those you love and appreciate. So, do this for yourself (and others) if you can.

This and other happiness and self-improvement related tips are provided throughout my self-help-oriented books and posts: 

PUBLISHED BOOKS: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/published-books-and-life-coaching-services/

CREATING GREATER HAPPINESS-ORIENTED POSTS: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/category/personal-improvement-development-and-growth-related-posts/

CREATING A BRIGHTER FINANCIAL FUTURE-ORIENTED POSTS: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/category/financial-planning-management-and-investing-related-posts/

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

☆°▪︎ DEEP FREEZE (EVERY PART AND PIECE) ▪︎°☆

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

We

.

d

i

d

.

not

heed

.

t

h

e

.

woeful

warnings . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ we

.

d

i

d

.

not

heed . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

We

.

d

i

d

.

not

ease

.

t

h

e

.

reach

.

o

f

.

superpowers

storming . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ we

.

d

i

d

.

not

ease . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

s

o

–

–

–

it’s

the

.

.

d

e

e

p

.

.

freeze . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ the

.

.

d

e

e

p

.

.

freeze

.

o

f

.

history . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

It’s

the

.

.

d

e

e

p

.

.

freeze . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ the

.

.

d

e

e

p

.

.

freeze

.

o

f

.

ideology . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

It’s

the

.

.

d

e

e

p

.

.

freeze . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ the

.

.

d

e

e

p

.

.

freeze

.

o

f

.

humanity . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

It’s

the

.

.

d

e

e

p

.

.

freeze . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ the

.

.

d

e

e

p

.

.

freeze

.

o

f

.

brutality . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

when

.

e

y

e

s

.

cannot

see . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

when

.

m

i

n

d

s

.

cannot

meet . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

when

.

w

a

r

m

t

h

.

cannot

breathe . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

when

.

h

e

a

r

t

s

.

cannot

beat

.

o

r

.

bleed . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ when

.

h

e

a

r

t

s

.

cannot

beat

.

o

r

.

bleed . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

We

.

d

i

d

.

not

heed . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

we

.

d

i

d

.

not

ease . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

We

.

d

i

d

.

not

heed . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

we

.

d

i

d

.

not

ease . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

We

.

d

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d

.

not

heed . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

we

.

d

i

d

.

not

ease . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

s

o

–

–

–

it’s

the

.

.

d

e

e

p

.

.

freeze . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

It’s

the

.

.

d

e

e

p

.

.

freeze . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

o

r

–

–

–

you . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

It’s

the

.

.

d

e

e

p

.

.

freeze . . .

–

–

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me . . .

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d

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d

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–

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every

side . . .

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red

.

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–

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–

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time . . .

–

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.

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n

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–

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–

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ease . . .

–

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–

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–

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–

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the

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p

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freeze . . .

–

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you . . .

–

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r

–

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me . . .

–

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.

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a

n

d

–

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for

every

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part

.

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n

d

.

piece . . .

–

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.

.

 ~ for

every

.

part
.
a
n
d
.
piece . . .
–
–
–
.
.
.
pulse . . .
–
–
–
.
.
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page . . .
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.
.
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promise . . .
–
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–
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–
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o
f
–
–
–
we.

Reflection: 

This is a reflective-themed poem looking back on the cold war era. This was a very frightening period of time where many people expected inevitable and imminent nuclear annihilation (unfortunately, the threat is still there a half-century later). Much of the writings, movies, and music throughout that time reflected these fears. Many of us never dreamed we’d still be here 50+ years later – but here we are. So, do something special, wonderful, and amazing with your life – and love, appreciate, cherish, and make the most out of each and every day. Because we are still here. And that is all that truly matters today. 

I used several 1980s songs reflective of this theme to help create this poem: “Red Skies” and “Stand or Fall” by The Fixx, “Human Race” by Red Rider, “Static” by Planet P Project, “Red Sector A” and “Distant Early Warning” by Rush, and Sting’s “We Work the Black Seam” and “Russians.” I played these songs on repeat in the background at low volume to create the “moodset” and inspire the writing of this poem. If you listen to these songs at low volume while reading this poem, you might better get the “feel” of it.

STORM CLOUDS ON THE HORIZON: THE BOND MARKETS AND THE “LOW-RISK SAFE HAVEN” FACADE (PART 2: 2025)

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

I’ve recently been thinking about the implications of the “low-risk safe haven” bond market and bond fund investors losing a lot of money in those investments in the years to come, and the bond market (bonds and bond funds/ETFs) losing its “low-risk safe haven” status due to the presence of multiple risks to include:

1. The United States debt continues to grow and is approaching unsustainably high levels.

2. There has been a “buyers’ strike” over the past few months which is likely to continue. Fewer buyers mean bond yields rise (and bond prices fall). For example, foreign investors have greatly decreased their purchases of U.S. Treasury Bonds. Buyers’ strikes reflect a low confidence in the abilities of the U.S. government being able to service its debts resulting in a hesitancy of investors to buy bonds (government, municipal, and corporate) and bond funds/ETFs.

3. If at any time during Treasury Bond auctions (which usually happen several times a month), there are not enough buyers, then the Federal Reserve will probably need to “print money” to buy up the excess to prevent yields from spiking more than they otherwise would. “Printing money” tends to have an inflationary effect, and inflation tends to cause longer-term bond yields to rise (and bond prices to fall). Please understand that as debt grows, debt auction sizes increase – so the risk will continue to grow over time until the debt issue gets resolved (if ever).

4. Once they start experiencing substantial losses, existing bond holders are likely start selling their holdings which would make bond prices fall even further (and bond yields increase even more to entice new buyers).

5. The U.S. defaults at some point on one or more payments owed to Treasury Bond holders. The experts say this will never happen, but if it ever does bond yields will spike (and bond prices will crater).

6. The combined effects of the above risks are likely to put even greater upward pressure on bond yields (causing bond prices to fall) – creating a negative impact to the overall economy and government, corporate, and consumer finances.

In summary, the above risks are likely to result in substantial increases in bond yields (and bond price drops), higher inflation, and a deteriorating economy and government, corporate, and consumer finances due to the combination of two or more of these risks. So, as a low-risk investor, I will definitely be staying away from the Treasury Bond Market for a while (especially longer-term bonds, and particularly Bond Funds/ETFs – instead opting for cash drawing interest for my lowest risk holdings).

For those who don’t know the difference between bonds and bond funds/ETFs, here’s a brief summary:

A. Bonds pay yields on a regular basis and you get paid back the principal at the maturity date.

B. Bond Funds/ETFs have no maturity date so anything you invest is subject to losses if you sell when the prices are low.

So, you can potentially avoid losses for option A by holding the bonds until the maturity date. The primary exception would be if there is a default on those bonds and bond holders are only given a fraction of their principal back – this rarely happens but could. The only way to avoid losses for Option B is to sell when the prices are above what you initially paid – you can do the same for Option A. Many people are already invested in Option B because several “set it and forget it” retirement options such as target-date funds invest a portion of the money into Bond Funds/ETFs.

Now, I do presently own bonds that I purchased previously which mature within 3-5 years and pay a good interest rate. So, I plan to hold those until maturity unless an unforeseen event causes yields to drop (and prices to rise) substantially. However, I will not be buying any new Treasury Bonds for a while (especially longer-term bonds, and particularly Bond Funds/ETFs – instead opting for cash drawing interest for my lowest risk holdings).

I wrote a similar post about the bond market back in January 2021 and those that heeded that post avoided a 46% loss – something which is very unusual for the bond market, historically speaking, when considering its longer-term history as a low-risk, safe haven investment – these losses are more typical of a stock market decline than a bond market decline.

So, these are some of the dark clouds I’m again seeing on the horizon. Lots of things to ponder and position for – especially since the perceived, historical, low-risk investments might actually become high-risk investments in the years to come. So, as a low-risk investor, I will be staying away from the Treasury Bond Market for a while (especially, longer-term bonds – and particularly Bond Funds/ETFs) – at least until there is a substantial spike in yields.

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.

The bottom line is that the Treasury Bond Market appears to be high risk right now (especially, longer-term bonds – and particularly Bond Funds/ETFs) – which means significant losses could be experienced by bond market and bond fund investors in the years to come.

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 and gain key investing insights and skills (https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/published-books…/).

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

I wish you much success in creating a brighter financial future for yourself, your loved ones, and those who follow!

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

WHY THE OVERALL STOCK MARKET GOES UP OVER THE LONGER TERM

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

One question I frequently get is why the overall stock market tends to go up over the longer term. Well, the simplest way for me to explain this is demand exceeds supply for much of the time – that is, the only way for the overall stock market to trend higher over time is for demand to continually outpace supply, causing share price increases. The opposite can happen from time-to-time for shorter periods of time but – over the longer-term -demand exceeds supply for much of the time.

Demand can be created by several factors including population growth, increased participation in the stock market (something that continues to grow over time with increased access, tools, knowledge, etc.), a sense of optimism towards the economy and the future, excitement generated by upward trends and the successes of others, continual innovation, earnings growth, economic growth, and other factors. So, as long as these factors and trends continue, then it is probably a good bet that the overall stock market will continue advancing over the longer-term. I frequently use various averages, indicators, and such to help determine periodic buy or sell points – you can read about some of them here: 1) for the buy side (scroll down to item 4 in the post): https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/a-structured-market-based-buying-strategy-for-investing-well-with-minimal-effort/, and 2) for the sell side (scroll down to item 2 in the post): https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/a-structured-market-based-selling-strategy-for-investing-well-with-minimal-effort/.

So, as a whole, the overall stock market tends to go up over the longer-term which means most investors will do much better by buying and remaining invested in the stock market rather than being sellers in the stock market except on the rarest of occasions. The primary exception to this would be for those who are approaching their financial goals of which taking a lower risk, more cautious approach would be warranted.

Please understand that declines in the stock market do happen on a periodic basis and some last longer than others. However, the stock market remains undefeated over the longer term and that is likely to continue.

For example, as you can see from the following post, even when stock markets go down substantially, their gains tend to far exceed their losses. This is another reason why staying invested even during stock market downturns can greatly benefit investors who tend to ride out the ups and downs: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/the-simple-math-showing-the-stock-markets-asymmetric-upside-143129927.html.

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.

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

THOSE WHO EXECUTED MY MARKET-BASED BUY STRATEGY ACHEIVED SUBSTANTIAL GAINS OVER THE PAST TWO MONTHS

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

The stock market is within a couple percentage points from its all-time high after a 20% gain. Those of you who executed my Market-Based Buying Strategy for investing well with minimal effort did very well for themselves: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/a-structured-market-based-buying-strategy-for-investing-well-with-minimal-effort/.

For those who asked to be on my list, I ended up sending out 7 different executions of this strategy. You can read about those by scrolling down from here: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/category/financial-planning-management-and-investing-related-posts/.

It will probably be a while before this strategy gets executed again because 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. However, if you would like me to add you to the list of people to contact, then let me know so you can hopefully capitalize on the stock market decline the next time. I’ve provided the 5 different risk categories I presently use at the bottom of this post.

Happy investing everyone!

#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.

☆°▪︎ EYES THAT SMILE (WIDE WITH DELIGHT) ▪︎°☆

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

It

always

.

c

o

m

e

s

.

alive

.

a

t

.

night . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

when

.

e

y

e

s

.

smile

.

w

i

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.

with

delight . . .

–

–

–

.

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.

climb,

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r

.

.

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dive . . .

–

–

–

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It

always

.

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.

alive

.

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t

.

night . . .

–

–

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.

a

n

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–

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–

it’s

hard

.

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.

hide

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deny,

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.

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warming

wines

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.

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rhyme . . .

–

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.

.

.

 ~ the

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–

–

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.

.

.

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warming

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–

–

–

.

.

.

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.

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.

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.

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rhyme . . .

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–

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.

.

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combined

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w

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.

dreams

.

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a

t

.

dine

.

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y

.

candlelight,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

fantasize . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

eyes

smile

.

w

i

d

e

.

with

delight . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

eyes

smile

.

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.

with

delight . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

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–

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smile

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with

delight . . .

–

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.

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climb,

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climb . . .

–

–

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dive,

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dive . . .

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.

i

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comes

alive . . .

–

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.

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.

i

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–

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alive

.

a

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.

night . . .

–

–

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.

.

.

at

night

.

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comes

alive . . .

–

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–

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.

.

at

night

.

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t

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comes

alive . . .

–

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–

.

.

.

at

night

.

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t

.

comes

alive . . .

–

–

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.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

eyes

.

s

m

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.

wide

.

a

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.

high . . .

–

–

–

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a

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d

–

–

–

eyes

.

s

m

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l

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.

wide

.

a

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d

.

high . . .

–

–

–

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.

a

n

d

–

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–

eyes

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m

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l

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.

wide

.

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d

.

high . . .

–

–

–

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.

.

w

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t

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–

–

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delight . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Eyes

.

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m

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l

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.

wide

.

a

n

d

.

high . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Eyes

.

s

m

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l

e

.

wide

.

a

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d

.

high . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Eyes

.

s

m

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l

e

.

wide

.

a

n

d

.

high . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

crystalize.

Reflection: This is a personal struggle-themed poem that I wrote back in May of 2025 where the affected party cannot seem to break out of the relentless, repeating, taunting tease of competing temptations – creating a negative cycle which consumes the soul. This poem came into being while listening to three favorite Duran Duran songs: “Rio,” “Save a Prayer,” and “My Own Way.” I played these songs on repeat, at low volume, in the background to create the “moodset” for the poem which conjured up images of neon night scenes and the relentless, taunting tease of competing temptations that often accompany these. If you listen to the songs at low volume while reading this poem, you might better get the “feel” of it.

☆°▪︎ TO STRAY AND PLAY (AMONG THE CLOUDS) ▪︎°☆

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

I

like

.

t

o

.

stray,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

dance,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

play

–

–

among

.

t

h

e

.

clouds . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

where

directions,

–

–

delays,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

destinations

.

a

r

e

.

always

.

i

n

.

doubt . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ where

nothing

.

c

a

n

.

be

assured

.

o

r

.

secured,

–

–

except

.

t

h

e

.

now . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ where

nothing

.

c

a

n

.

be

assured

.

o

r

.

secured,

–

–

except

.

t

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e

.

now . . .

–

–

–

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I

like

.

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now . . .

–

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–

.

.

.

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n

d

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.

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I

like

.

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.

doubt . . .

–

–

–

.

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like

.

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now . . .

–

–

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.

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d

.

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I

like

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.

doubt . . .

–

–

–

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like

.

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now . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

.

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I

like

.

t

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e

.

doubt . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

b

o

u

t

–

–

–

clouds . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

whether

storming

rains . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

o

r

–

–

–

hurricanes . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ whether

shades

.

o

f

.

gray . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

o

r

–

–

–

sunny

days

–

–

escaping

.

t

h

e

.

haze . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

something

new

.

c

a

n

.

happen

.

e

v

e

r

y

.

day . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ something

new

.

c

a

n

.

happen

.

e

v

e

r

y

.

day . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

o

r

–

–

–

clouds 

care

.

n

o

t

.

about

.

t

h

e

.

route . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

n

o

r

–

–

–

about

.

t

h

e

.

how . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Clouds

care

.

n

o

t

.

about

what

.

i

s

.

out,

.

.

o

r

.

.

in,

.

.

o

r

.

.

out . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

n

o

r

–

–

–

about

what

.

i

s

.

allowed

.

b

y

.

the

crowd . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

They

stray,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

dance,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

play . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

They

stray,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

dance,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

play . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

They

stray,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

dance,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

play . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

i

n

.

–

–

–

their

.

o

w

n

.

way . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

t

–

–

–

their

.

o

w

n

.

pace . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

w

i

t

h

–

–

–

their

.

o

w

n

.

grace . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

r

o

m

–

–

–

day,

.

.

t

o

.

.

day,

.

.

t

o

.

.

day . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

from

place,

.

.

t

o

.

.

place,

.

.

t

o

.

.

place . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

like

.

t

h

e

.

now . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

.

I

like

.

t

h

e

.

doubt . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

like

.

t

h

e

.

now . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

.

I

like

.

t

h

e

.

doubt . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

like

.

t

h

e

.

now . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

.

I

like

.

t

h

e

.

doubt . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

b

o

u

t

–

–

–

clouds.

Reflection: This is a reflective-themed poem I wrote in May of 2025 while listening to another favorite 80s song from my earlier years: “I Still Believe (Great Design)” by The Call. I played this song on repeat, at low volume, in the background to create the “moodset” for the poem which greatly inspired me: conjuring up feelings and images of boundless hope, peace, and freedom – something perhaps best represented by clouds. If you listen to the song at low volume while reading this poem, you might better get the “feel” of it.