Author: Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

☆°▪︎ LOVE ON THE LINE ▪︎°☆

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

We

put

.

o

u

r

.

love

.

o

n

.

the

line . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

mile,

.

.

a

f

t

e

r

.

.

mile,

.

.

a

f

t

e

r

.

.

mile . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

We

put

.

o

u

r

.

love

.

o

n

.

the

line . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

time,

.

.

a

f

t

e

r

.

.

time,

.

.

a

f

t

e

r

.

.

time . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

We

put

.

o

u

r

.

love

.

o

n

.

the

line . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

We

put

.

o

u

r

.

love

.

o

n

.

the

line . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

hide . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

We

hide

.

b

e

h

i

n

d

.

the

smiles . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

We

hide

.

b

e

h

i

n

d

.

the

lies . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

We

hide

.

b

e

h

i

n

d

.

the

climbs

.

a

n

d

.

dives . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

the

lows

.

a

n

d

.

highs . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ we

hide

.

b

e

h

i

n

d

.

the

lows

.

a

n

d

.

highs . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

pretend

everything

.

i

s

.

fine . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ everything

.

i

s

.

fine,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

sometimes

.

j

u

s

t

.

alright . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ everything

.

i

s

.

fine,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

sometimes

.

j

u

s

t

.

alright . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

until

.

t

h

e

.

next

time . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ until

.

t

h

e

.

next

time . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

w

e

–

–

–

decide

.

t

o

.

be

blind . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ until

.

t

h

e

.

next

time . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

w

e

–

–

–

cannot

find

.

t

h

e

.

warming

light . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ until

.

t

h

e

.

next

time . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

t

h

e

–

–

–

air

is

.

t

o

o

.

tight,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

the

lanes

.

t

o

o

.

wide . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

even

.

w

h

i

l

e

.

walking

.

side

.

b

y

.

side . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ even

.

w

h

i

l

e

.

walking

.

side

.

b

y

.

side . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

.

I

can

.

o

n

l

y

.

sigh . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

can

.

o

n

l

y

.

sigh . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

We

put

.

o

u

r

.

love

.

o

n

.

the

line . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

We

put

.

o

u

r

.

love

.

o

n

.

the

line . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

We

put

.

o

u

r

.

love

.

o

n

.

the

line . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

mile,

.

.

a

f

t

e

r

.

.

mile,

.

.

a

f

t

e

r

.

.

mile . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

.

.

.

time,

.

.

a

f

t

e

r

.

.

time,

.

.

a

f

t

e

r

.

.

time . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

We

put

.

o

u

r

.

love

.

o

n

.

the

line . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

We

put

.

o

u

r

.

love

.

o

n

.

the

line . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

We

put

.

o

u

r

.

love

.

o

n

.

the

line . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

hide.

Reflection: This is romantic-themed poem where the affected parties in a once warm and passionate romance cannot seem to close the distance in a relationship that gets dimmer and colder over time. We get the feeling the clouds of bitterness, loneliness, and despair will continue to darken and consume until the relationship finally ends. I wrote much of this poem by listening to the wonderful, haunting gems of songs: “Good Love” by Zola Blood and “Birdsong” by Claptone featuring Zola Blood. I played these songs 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.

HAPPINESS TIP: DEFEAT ANXIETY EARLY ON

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

I used to have a lot of anxiety. The one thing that really helped me was coming to the realization that 99% of the things we worry about never happen, and the 1% that do, we deal with much better than we expect or help comes from places we did not anticipate.

One important thing about anxiety is you want to try to deal with it while it is in the thinking stages by choosing more positive thoughts, using meditation techniques, or using some other positive/relaxation-based approaches. Once anxiety gets into your body, it will stay with you until you do rigorous physical exercise to get rid of it. So, don’t ruin your entire days by holding on to anxiety. Take steps to get rid of it – the sooner the better.

Here are three things which might be helpful for dealing with anxiety:

1. https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/happiness-tip-focus-on-what-you-want-instead-of-what-you-dont/,

2. https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/happiness-success-tip-instead-of-finding-ways-to-live-with-stress-and-negativity-change-the-thoughts-and-behaviors-which-lead-to-it/, and

3. https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/how-to-defeat-any-distress-without-dope-drinks-drugs-debt-or-doctors/

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

☆°▪︎ A MOON TOO FULL (OF BLUE) ▪︎°☆

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

It

.

w

a

s

.

a

.

moon

.

t

o

o

.

full . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ a

moon

.

t

o

o

.

full

.

o

f

.

blue . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

o

r

.

.

.

I

want

.

t

o

.

see

.

y

o

u

.

want

me . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

believe

.

y

o

u

.

need

me . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

feel

.

y

o

u

.

love

me . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

(too) . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

want

.

t

o

.

see

.

y

o

u

.

want

me . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

believe

.

y

o

u

.

need

me . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

feel

.

y

o

u

.

love

me . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

(too) . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

want

.

t

o

.

see . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

believe . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

feel . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

we

.

w

e

r

e

.

all

.

a

n

d

.

everything . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

i

t

–

–

–

seemed . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ all

.

a

n

d

.

everything . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

i

t

–

–

–

seemed

.

t

o

.

be . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

o

r

–

–

–

me . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

want

.

t

o

.

see

.

y

o

u

.

want

me . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

believe

.

y

o

u

.

need

me . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

feel

.

y

o

u

.

love

me . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

(too) . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

want

.

t

o

.

see

.

y

o

u

.

want

me . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

believe

.

y

o

u

.

need

me . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

feel

.

y

o

u

.

love

me . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

(too) . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

even

though

.

t

h

e

.

moon’s

.

t

o

o

.

full . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ even

though

.

t

h

e

.

moon’s

.

t

o

o

.

full . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

o

f

–

–

–

blue . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

.

knowing

you

.

w

i

l

l

.

leave . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ knowing

you

.

w

i

l

l

.

leave

.

h

e

r

e

.

soon.

Reflection: This is a melancholy-themed poem where the affected party does not feel as wanted, needed, or loved by someone he or she would like to be closer to. It could be a family member, friend, or romantic partner. We get the feeling the affected party is willing to do anything to close the distance, but that time is getting short, and reconciliation elusive. I’ve had multiple experiences like this in my life as I’m sure many people have. Sometimes, all you can do is your best in doing your part – knowing you never control the end result. I wrote most of this poem by listening to the wonderful, gem of a song “WXW” by 1st Base Runner 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.

ALWAYS USE QUIET PERIODS OF THE STOCK MARKET TO REFINE TECHNIQUES AND PREPARE TO CAPITALIZE ON OPPORTUNITIES

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

Whenever I don’t have much going on in the stock market I use this as an opportunity to refine my overall techniques. For example, I just added VTI to the list of major stock market indexes I regularly track. The VTI is the total stock market index – sometimes it slightly outperforms the S&P 500 Index (the S&P 500 is about 80% of the total stock market), and other times the opposite happens. Both of these indexes suffer from concentration risk where the top 10 (or so) large cap stocks dominate – some investors/economists are greatly concerned about the concentration risk while others believe it’s appropriate since that is where most of the earnings growth is.

To help address the concentration risk of the S&P 500 and VTI, I am going to also add VTV (value stocks of large companies) and RSP (an equal weighted version of the S&P 500 Index) to my list of major stock market indexes I regularly track.

It’s always a productive use of time during quieter periods in the stock market to prepare for the next big move. Once a substantial decline happens – whenever that happens – I’ll be well-prepared to capitalize on it. I’ve updated my buy (https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/a-structured-market-based-buying-strategy-for-investing-well-with-minimal-effort/) and sell (https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/a-structured-market-based-selling-strategy-for-investing-well-with-minimal-effort/) strategies to reflect the above changes.

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.

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

☆°▪︎ WHEN YOU KNEW ME THEN ▪︎°☆

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

When

.

y

o

u

.

knew

.

m

e

.

then . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

it

.

w

a

s

.

easy

.

t

o

.

be

.

m

y

.

friend . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ it

.

w

a

s

.

easy

.

t

o

.

be

.

m

y

.

friend . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

when

.

y

o

u

.

knew

.

m

e

.

then . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

When

.

y

o

u

.

knew

.

m

e

.

then . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

it

felt

.

t

h

e

.

days

.

w

o

u

l

d

.

never

end . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ it

felt

.

t

h

e

.

days

.

w

o

u

l

d

.

never

end . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

when

.

y

o

u

.

knew

.

m

e

.

then . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

b

u

t

–

–

–

the

smiles

.

o

f

.

sunshine

.

a

n

d

.

summertime . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

r

e

–

–

–

not

.

a

s

.

bright . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

not

.

a

s

.

kind . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

when

.

y

o

u

.

learn

about

.

t

h

e

.

lies . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ when

.

y

o

u

.

learn

about

.

t

h

e

.

lies . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

that

.

h

i

d

e

.

right

.

i

n

.

front

.

o

f

.

the

eyes . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

They

hide . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

They

hide . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

They

hide . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

right

.

i

n

.

front

.

o

f

.

the

eyes . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

sometimes

behind . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ sometimes

they

.

h

i

d

e

.

behind . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

s

o

–

–

–

yes,

–

–

when

.

y

o

u

.

knew

.

m

e

.

then . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

it

.

w

a

s

.

easy

.

t

o

.

be

.

m

y

.

friend . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ it

.

w

a

s

.

easy

.

t

o

.

be

.

m

y

.

friend . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

when

.

y

o

u

.

knew

.

m

e

.

then.

Reflection: This is a melancholy-themed poem that came into being rather quickly. The opening lines came to me and the poem pretty much wrote itself from those. The poem largely reflects the naivety of my youth – I was able to like, love, and trust so easily back then. I sometimes miss the warmly open, happy, smiley, fun-spirited person I used to be but realize the difficult life lessons had to be learned.

☆°▪︎ THE ESCAPE FAKE-N-FADE (SO CHARMING IN THEIR WAYS) ▪︎°☆

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

Users

.

a

n

d

.

abusers

.

c

a

n

.

be

.

s

o

.

charming

.

i

n

.

their

ways . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ users

.

a

n

d

.

abusers

.

attract

.

m

e

.

to

.

t

h

i

s

.

day . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

.

I

engage . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

engage . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

engage . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

engage . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

engage . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

o

r

–

–

–

everyone

likes

.

t

o

.

feel . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Everyone

likes

.

t

o

.

feel . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Everyone

likes

.

t

o

.

feel . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Everyone

likes

.

t

o

.

feel . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

volcanic

vibrations . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ everyone

likes

.

t

o

.

feel . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Everyone

likes

.

t

o

.

feel . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

soothing

sensations . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ everyone

likes

.

t

o

.

feel . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Everyone

likes

.

t

o

.

feel . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

each,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

all,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

every

.

.

o

f

.

.

these . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

even

.

w

h

e

n

.

boarding

.

t

h

e

.

same

.

o

l

d

.

train . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ even

.

w

h

e

n

.

boarding

.

t

h

e

.

same

.

o

l

d

.

train . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

again . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

again . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

again . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

again . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

again . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

We

board

.

t

h

e

.

same

.

o

l

d

.

train . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

We

board

.

t

h

e

.

same

.

o

l

d

.

train . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

We

board

.

t

h

e

.

same

.

o

l

d

.

train . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

knowing

.

t

h

e

.

destination

.

w

i

l

l

.

remain

.

t

h

e

.

same . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

We

board

.

t

h

e

.

same

.

o

l

d

.

train . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

We

board

.

t

h

e

.

same

.

o

l

d

.

train . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

We

board

.

t

h

e

.

same

.

o

l

d

.

train . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

o

r

–

–

–

users

.

a

n

d

.

abusers

.

c

a

n

.

be

.

s

o

.

charming

.

i

n

.

their

ways.

Reflection: This is a personal struggle-themed poem that came into being after watching and reflecting on a recent Netflix movie: “On Swift Horses.” I sometimes never know when poetic inspiration will come – but it did today. The opening lines came to me and the poem pretty much wrote itself from there. I’m sure many people will be able to relate to this poem as many of us have probably had life experiences where we become drawn to that which is not good for us: craving the attention, passions, and experiences of the moment – even when they do not last.

☆°▪︎ CONSUMED BY THE CRACKS ▪︎°☆

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

There

might

.

b

e

.

times

.

when

.

t

h

e

.

cracks

reveal

.

t

h

e

.

fears . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ the

fears . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

o

f

–

–

–

not

coming

back . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

consumed

.

b

y

.

the

black . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

consumed

.

b

y

.

the

lack . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

consumed

.

b

y

.

the

cracks . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

the

fears

.

o

f

.

not

coming

back . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ the

fears

.

o

f

.

not

coming

back . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

b

u

t

.

.

.

I

smile . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

o

r

.

.

.

as

night

arrives . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

find

.

.

I

still

.

c

a

n

.

buy . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

.

c

a

n

.

buy

.

t

h

e

.

peace

.

a

n

d

.

confidence

.

I

.

need . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ I

.

c

a

n

.

buy . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

.

c

a

n

.

buy . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

while

Illusions

.

a

r

e

.

charming

.

a

n

d

.

sweet . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ I

.

c

a

n

.

buy . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

.

c

a

n

.

buy . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

while

time

.

i

s

.

kind,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

fantasies

free . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ I

.

c

a

n

.

buy . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

.

c

a

n

.

buy . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

.

c

a

n

.

buy . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

.

c

a

n

.

buy . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

.

c

a

n

.

buy . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

A

.

f

e

w

.

more

minutes

.

u

n

t

i

l

.

everything

aligns . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

A

.

f

e

w

.

more

minutes

.

u

n

t

i

l

.

you

see

.

t

h

e

.

me

.

e

y

e

s

.

recognize . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ the

.

m

e

.

seen

.

a

l

l

.

the

while . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

l

l

–

–

–

the

while

.

I

.

live

.

t

h

e

.

lie . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

l

l

–

–

–

the

while

.

I

.

hide

behind . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

l

l

–

–

–

the

while

.

I

.

try

.

t

o

.

deny . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

All

.

t

h

e

.

while . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

All

.

t

h

e

.

while . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

All

.

t

h

e

.

while . . .

–

–

–

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.

.

All

.

t

h

e

.

while . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

A

.

f

e

w

.

more

minutes . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

A

.

f

e

w

.

more

minutes . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

A

.

f

e

w

.

minutes

more

.

u

n

t

i

l

.

the

.

n

e

w

.

arrives . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

A

.

f

e

w

.

minutes

more

.

u

n

t

i

l

.

the

me

.

e

y

e

s

.

recognize . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

–

–

–

.

.

.

–

–

–

–

–

–

.

.

.

–

–

–

–

–

–

.

.

.

–

–

–

–

–

–

.

.

.

–

–

–

Five

.

d

a

y

s

.

later

.

t

h

e

.

deep

decline . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Five

.

d

a

y

s

.

later

regrets

.

i

t

.

every

time . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Five

.

d

a

y

s

.

later . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Five

.

d

a

y

s

.

later . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Five

.

d

a

y

s

.

later . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Five

.

d

a

y

s

.

later . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

strive

.

t

o

.

rewrite

.

t

h

e

.

lines

.

a

n

d

.

signs . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ I

strive

.

t

o

.

rewrite . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

b

u

t

–

–

–

the

cracks

reveal

.

t

h

e

.

fears

each

.

a

n

d

.

every

time . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

The

cracks

reveal

.

t

h

e

.

fears . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

The

cracks

reveal

.

t

h

e

.

fears . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

The

cracks

reveal

.

t

h

e

.

fears . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

o

f

–

–

–

not

coming

back . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

consumed

.

b

y

.

the

black . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

consumed

.

b

y

.

the

lack . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

consumed

.

b

y

.

the

cracks . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

the

fears

.

o

f

.

not

coming

back . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ the

fears

.

o

f

.

not

coming

back . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

b

u

t

.

.

.

for

.

n

o

w

.

I

close

.

m

y

.

eyes,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

cast

.

i

t

.

all

aside . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ I

close

.

m

y

.

eyes,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

cast

.

i

t

.

all

aside . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

o

r

.

.

.

as

night

arrives . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

smile . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

find

.

I

.

still

.

c

a

n

.

buy.

Reflection: This is a personal struggle-themed poem that I wrote where the affected party repeatedly struggles with the ups and downs and fears and declines of a relentless, negative addiction or compulsion cycle. This poem was initially inspired by the song “Image” by Magdalena Bay and was refined listening to this song as well as two other songs “Waiting for the Night” by Depeche Mode and “Drifter” by Siouxsie & the Banshees. I played these songs on repeat rotation, at low volume, in the background to create the “moodset” for the poem. If you listen to these songs at low volume while reading this poem, you might better get the “feel” of it.

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 . . .

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–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

.

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I

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c

a

n

.

just

leave . . .

–

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.

c

a

n

.

leave . . .

–

–

–

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.

I

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c

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n

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leave . . .

–

–

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I

.

c

a

n

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just

leave . . .

–

–

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.

.

.

f

o

r

–

–

–

all

.

y

o

u

.

mean

.

t

o

.

me . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ I

.

c

a

n

.

just

leave . . .

–

–

–

.

.

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a

n

d

–

–

–

believe . . .

–

–

–

.

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.

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.