Author: Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

☆°▪︎ THE ARTIST IN THE SKY ▪︎°☆

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

The

artist

.

i

n

.

the

sky

–

–

paints

a

–

–

passing,

–

–

pleasure

–

–

paradise . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

The

artist

.

i

n

.

the

sky

–

–

tells

.

m

e

.

today

.

w

i

l

l

.

smile

.

s

o

.

wide

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

be

.

s

o

.

bright . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

The

artist

.

i

n

.

the

sky

–

–

makes

even

.

t

h

e

.

cold

.

a

n

d

.

contrite

–

–

seem

warm

.

a

n

d

.

kind . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

The

artist

.

i

n

.

the

sky . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

The

artist

.

i

n

.

the

sky . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

resides

solely

.

i

n

.

my

mind.

Reflection: This is a simple reflection-themed poem.

☆°▪︎ SUPERFICIAL SUNSHINE (I WOULD CLIMB THE SKIES) ▪︎°☆

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

I

loved

.

y

o

u

.

more . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

loved

.

y

o

u

.

more . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

loved

.

y

o

u

.

more . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

than

anyone . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

than

anywhere . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

than

anything . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

before . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

loved

.

y

o

u

.

more . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

loved

.

y

o

u

.

more . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

than

anyone . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

than

anywhere . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

than

anything . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

before . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

o

r

–

–

–

I

would

climb

.

i

n

t

o

.

the

highs

.

o

f

.

even

.

t

h

e

.

darkest,

.

d

e

e

p

e

s

t

.

dismal

skies . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

would

climb

.

i

n

t

o

.

the

highs . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

would

climb

.

i

n

t

o

.

the

highs . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

would

climb

.

i

n

t

o

.

the

highs

.

o

f

.

even

.

t

h

e

.

darkest,

.

d

e

e

p

e

s

t

.

dismal

skies . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

mile,

–

–

after

mile,

–

–

after

mile,

–

–

after

mile . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

time,

–

–

after

time,

–

–

after

time,

–

–

after

time . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

would

climb . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

would

climb . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

would

climb . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

o

r

–

–

–

those

smiling

lies . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

would

climb

.

i

n

t

o

.

the

sighs . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

o

f

–

–

–

superficial

sunshine . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

would

climb

.

i

n

t

o

.

the

sighs . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

would

climb

.

i

n

t

o

.

the

sighs . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

would

climb

.

i

n

t

o

.

the

sighs . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

o

f

–

–

–

superficial

sunshine . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

day,

–

–

after

night,

–

–

after

day . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

night,

–

–

after

day,

–

–

after

night . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

even

during

–

–

those

times

–

–

when

I

waited

.

o

n

.

stand-by . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

would

climb

.

f

o

r

.

those

lies . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

would

climb

.

f

o

r

.

those

lies . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

would

climb

.

f

o

r

.

the

lies,

–

–

–

that

smile,

–

–

behind

–

–

blinding

aisles . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ they

smile

–

–

behind

–

–

blinding

aisles . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

that

design

–

–

a

life

–

–

full

.

o

f

.

wintertime . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ they

design

–

–

a

life

–

–

full

.

o

f

.

wintertime . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

which

slides,

.

a

n

d

.

slips,

.

a

n

d

.

slides . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ it

slides,

.

a

n

d

.

slips,

.

a

n

d

.

slides . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

b

u

t

–

–

–

still

likes

.

t

o

.

climb . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

It

still

likes

.

t

o

.

climb . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

It

still

likes

.

t

o

.

climb . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

It

still

likes

.

t

o

.

climb . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

into

.

t

h

e

.

highs . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

into

.

t

h

e

.

lies . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

into

.

t

h

e

.

sighs . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

o

f

–

–

–

superficial

sunshine.

Reflection: This is a personal struggle-themed poem where the affected party has an addiction problem which he/she cannot seem to overcome. Part of the problem is that he/she focuses more on the “fun” and “excitement” of the more appetizing moments of the initial experience instead of the stress, anxiety, pain, and damage it causes after those initial, appetizing moments fade. I started thinking about how a love of drugs or addictions could be similar to love in a relationship and wrote the poem starting out with this idea in mind. I wrote this poem by listening to “Medicine” by Gus Dapperton which I played repeatedly in the background at low volume to create the “moodset” for the poem. And it worked well. If you listen to the song at low volume while reading this poem, you might better get the “feel” of it.

☆°▪︎ A RHAPSODY ON REPEAT (I NEVER KNEW YOUR NAME) ▪︎°☆

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

Every

new,

–

–

romantic

dream

–

–

becomes

–

–

a

rhapsody

.

o

n

.

repeat . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ a

rhapsody

.

o

n

.

repeat . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

w

h

e

n

–

–

–

you’re

playing

.

f

o

r

.

possibilities . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ playing

.

f

o

r

.

possibilities . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ playing

.

f

o

r

.

possibilities . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ playing

.

f

o

r

.

possibilities . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

o

f

–

–

–

a

rhapsody

.

o

n

.

repeat.

Reflection: This is a romantic-themed poem where the contemplator continually seeks opportunities and possibilities but never seems to be satisfied – leading to a rhapsody on repeat. This tiny poem came into being as I was walking home from a bar one night when the line “always playing for possibilities” came to mind, and really resonated with me. So, I modified it slightly and it really worked as a short poem.

☆°▪︎ A SECRET SMILE (OF A LIFE OTHERWISE) ▪︎°☆

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

We

stared

.

i

n

t

o

.

the

starshine

.

o

f

.

a

.

secret

smile . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

created

together

.

b

y

.

you

.

a

n

d

.

I . . .

.

.

.

.

.

.

We

created

.

i

t

.

together,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

savored

.

t

h

e

.

starshine

.

o

f

.

that

.

secret

smile . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

r

o

m

–

–

–

all

.

t

h

e

.

times

.

gone

by . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ from

all

.

t

h

e

.

times

.

gone

by . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

o

f

–

–

–

eyes,

.

teasing

eyes,

.

teasing

eyes,

.

teasing

eyes . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ all

.

t

h

e

.

times

.

gone

by . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

o

f

–

–

–

eyes,

.

teasing

eyes,

.

teasing

eyes,

.

teasing

eyes . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

o

v

e

r

–

–

–

romantic

rhyme

.

a

n

d

.

candlelight

wine . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ that

romantic

rhyme

.

a

n

d

.

candlelight

wine,

.

served

.

i

n

.

high,

.

midnight

style,

.

w

i

t

h

.

the

starshine

.

o

f

.

a

.

secret

smile . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ the

starshine

.

o

f

.

a

.

secret

smile . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

r

o

m

–

–

–

all

.

t

h

e

.

times

.

gone

by . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ from

all

.

t

h

e

.

times

.

gone

by . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

created

together . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

created

together . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

created

together . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

b

y

–

–

–

you

.

a

n

d

.

I . . .

.

.

.

.

.

.

i

n

–

–

–

the

days

.

o

f

.

delight,

.

once

kind

.

a

n

d

.

bright . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ the

days

.

o

f

.

delight,

.

once

kind

.

a

n

d

.

bright . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

n

o

w

–

–

–

dimming

behind . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

s

–

–

–

we

.

journey

.

through

.

our

.

n

e

w

.

lives . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ as

.

w

e

.

journey

.

through

.

our

.

n

e

w

.

lives . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

otherwise.

Reflection: This is a romantic-themed poem where a previous couple from an old romance run into each other again years later. For a moment they relive the cherished moments they shared together. This poem was inspired by the ending of “La La Land” where actress Emma Stone looks at Ryan Gosling playing the piano who both now have separate new lives (especially her with a husband and child) – they share a secret smile for the times gone by that her husband/child know nothing about.  It was a great moment in the movie.

HOW TO LOSE YOUR SHIRT IN THE STOCK MARKET WITHOUT LOSING YOUR SHORTS TOO (PART FOUR)!

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

It’s always a good idea to adjust your investment strategies over time. Those of you who have been following me closely know that I had a real “knack” back in 2022 for picking losing stocks. However, I refused to let them go and continued buying into them as the buy signals got stronger with every drop, and they became more and more attractive, with respect to all of the indicators I use to make investment decisions. And, as usual, I generally refuse to sell on “buy” signals and frequently do the opposite. I wrote about this back in March and April and didn’t realize at the time that this would become a multi-part series but that is how things played out. Here it is many months later and I am still fighting the downs and ups and downs of what has been a highly volatile stock market over the past year (most of which have been downs). The fight continues but it appears my latest strategies have worked extremely well.

The strategy I used for much of 2022 involved continuing to buy stocks I owned which dropped substantially. However, later in the year I changed this strategy by trying to find new stocks which appeared to be just as attractive and buying those instead. That allowed me to take losses – when sensible to do so on the losing stocks – without invoking the wash sale rule – plus it didn’t allow certain stocks to dominate the performance of my portfolio as much as they had in the past. You can read about my previous strategies and how they evolved throughout 2022 by seeing part one, part two, and part three of this series.

There’s no question about me having a pretty lousy year in 2022 – it was my first down year in 11 years – but sometimes that will happen as an investor. The low point for me was when I was 142% invested (yes – I was using margin) and down 41.19% for 2022. At the end of 2022 I was 96% invested and down 23.6% for the year. So, things improved as the year progressed.

Is there any guarantee a given strategy will work? Of course not. Investing is primarily about making decisions based on various indicators, the associated likelihoods, and employing strategies accordingly. So, at best you can position yourself for a potential favorable return, but there is never a guarantee.

If I had not evolved my techniques and continued using my previous investment strategies, I would have been down 70% by the end of 2022. So, I’m very thankful that I modified my investment strategies throughout the year. As a point of reference, Kathy Wood’s ARKK stock gained 150% back in 2020 (nearly as much as my 164% gain), lost 23% back in 2021 when I had earned an 8.7% gain, and lost 69% in 2022 when I had lost 23.6%. So, I feel pretty good about ending 2022 with not too bad of a loss relatively speaking.

Things have been very different in 2023 so far and – although I had an entire year of downs and ups and downs throughout 2022 – I have gained 36% this year in just a little over 4 weeks! That’s about a 5-year gain in just over 4 weeks time! So, I’ve recovered all of my losses from last year (and then some). I always tell people that it makes sense to stay invested and to continue buying into downturns – even when things go badly – because when it turns… it turns. And you want to be fully invested to the extent possible when that happens.

I’ve done so well this year that I am now in the mode of “selling every gain.” So, every time my overall portfolio experiences additional gains, I actively look for more stocks to sell. I’m about 50% invested right now so I am finally becoming more of a lower risk investor much to my relief.

I was a high risk investor throughout 2022 (much to my dismay). I moved from being a low risk investor (back in 2021 – which is the level of risk I am supposed to be at given my financial circumstances) to a high risk investor throughout 2022. That was never supposed to happen. However, I am very much relieved that I still have the ability to “fight it out” and survive as a high risk investor. Needless to say, I will be making additional changes to tighten my techniques so that I don’t become as much of a high risk investor in the future.

I’m happy that I had the foresight to continue modifying my investment strategies. It really has paid off. This is something you always want to get into the practice of doing. Observe what happens and make adjustments to your investment strategies so that you can work towards improving your investment performance over time in accordance with your risk profile. I happen to presently be a low risk investor (although throughout 2022 I was temporarily high risk) but many of you will probably be higher risk investors. So, your investment strategies will probably need to be a bit more aggressive than mine.

You can be a very successful investor if you effectively use all of the tools and techniques available to maximize your investment returns. It’s been an interesting investing experiment I’ve been running so far for 2022-2023. We’ll see how things go in the future.

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.

Happy investing everyone!

#finance #stocks #investing #stockmarket #success

☆°▪︎ A DANCE THAT COULD NOT LAST (THE HAUNTING STRANDS) ▪︎°☆

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

A

glance

–

–

became

–

–

a

dance

.

a

n

d

.

then

–

–

a

chance

.

a

t

.

romance . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

It

was

–

–

a

chance . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

It

was

–

–

a

chance . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

It

was

–

–

a

chance . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

t

–

–

–

romance . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

b

u

t

–

–

–

it

happened

.

s

o

.

sudden,

.

a

n

d

.

so

fast . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

that

.

i

t

.

could

.

n

o

t

.

last . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ it

could

.

n

o

t

.

last . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

the

moment

passed . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

The

moment

passed . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

The

moment

passed . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

The

moment

passed . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

leaving

only

.

t

h

e

.

haunting

strands

.

o

f

.

endearing

echoes

.

i

n

.

hopeful

hands . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

The

haunting

strands . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

The

haunting

strands . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

The

haunting

strands . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

o

f

–

–

–

a

glance . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

o

f

–

–

–

a

dance . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

of

a

chance . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

which

could

.

n

o

t

.

last.

Reflection: This was a popular romantic-themed poem that I wrote back in January of 2023. I was looking to write a poem that went well with the haunting gem of a song (“Ramona” by Beck). I came across a Facebook profile of a wonderful person I met years ago who was with his fiancé at the time. I looked at his photos and saw what a wonderful married and family life they had created together over the years. I then thought about how sad it would have been had the key, starting moments had never happened and wrote this poem from that perspective which went along very well with the Beck song. Come to think of it, even a more recent friend has started down the same wonderful path with his fiancé and I might have been subconsciously thinking about that when writing this as well. Inspiration can come from pretty much everywhere when you write. If you listen to the Beck song at low volume while reading this poem, you might better get the “feel” of it.

☆°▪︎ YOU LOOK GOOD IN BLUE (WHEN THE MEMORY MOVES) ▪︎°☆

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

You

.

l

o

o

k

.

good

.

i

n

.

blue . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

when

.

t

h

e

.

memory

.

moves . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

You

.

l

o

o

k

.

good

.

i

n

.

blue . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

when

.

t

h

e

.

memory

.

broods . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

~ when

.

t

h

e

.

memory

.

moves . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

the

.

memory

.

broods . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

you

.

l

o

o

k

.

good

.

i

n

.

blue . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

when

.

i

t

.

loves

.

m

e

.

too.

Reflection: This is a romantic-themed poem. I wrote the line: “you look good in blue,” and this simple poem wrote itself from that. I told an attractive neighbor that he looked good in blue, and that line stuck with me even though it is very common.

☆°▪︎ WHEN BEAUTY BLEEDS (I WISH I WAS LIKE YOU) ▪︎°☆

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

I

wish

–

–

I

was

–

–

more

.

l

i

k

e

.

you . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

wish

–

–

I

was

–

–

more

.

l

i

k

e

.

you . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

laughing

.

i

t

.

all

away . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Laughing

away

–

–

all

.

o

f

.

the

accumulating

–

–

payments

due . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Laughing

away

–

–

all

.

o

f

.

the

rumored

news

.

a

n

d

.

the

burdens

.

o

f

.

proof . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Laughing

away

–

–

the

gathering

gloom

.

i

n

.

the

middle

.

o

f

.

a

lonesome

room . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Laughing

away

–

–

all

.

o

f

.

the

phony

truths,

–

–

designed

.

t

o

.

pursue,

.

a

n

d

.

bruise,

.

a

n

d

.

ruin . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Laughing

.

i

t

.

all

away . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Laughing

.

i

t

.

all

away . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Laughing

.

i

t

.

all

away . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

with

glamor,

–

–

–

.

.

.

with

grit,

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

with

grace . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

day,

–

–

after

night,

–

–

after

day . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

gray,

–

–

after

blue,

–

–

after

gray . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

wish

–

–

I

was

–

–

more

.

l

i

k

e

.

you . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

wish

–

–

I

was

–

–

more

.

l

i

k

e

.

you . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

wish

–

–

I

was

–

–

more

.

l

i

k

e

.

you . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

right

here

.

i

n

.

the

shadows

.

o

f

.

this

room . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ right

here

.

i

n

.

the

shadows

.

o

f

.

this

room . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

where

.

t

h

e

.

whiskey

seethes

.

i

n

.

jealousy . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

The

whiskey

seethes . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

The

whiskey

seethes . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

The

whiskey

seethes . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

i

n

–

–

–

jealousy . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

swings,

.

a

n

d

.

pounds,

.

a

n

d

.

beats . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

It

swings,

.

a

n

d

.

pounds,

.

a

n

d

.

beats . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

It

swings,

.

a

n

d

.

pounds,

.

a

n

d

.

beats . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

every

part

.

a

n

d

.

piece . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ every

part

.

a

n

d

.

piece

.

o

f

.

memory . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

the

belief

.

i

n

.

beauty . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ the

belief

.

i

n

.

a

.

beauty

–

–

which

bleeds.

Reflection: This was a popular reflective-themed poem that I wrote back in October of 2022 in which the contemplator expresses appreciation of someone who has the strength, resilience, and positivity to gracefully navigate the stresses, strifes, and ups and downs of life.

I love the live, acoustic version of the Joni Mitchell song “People’s Parties” and the line “Laughing it all away” really hit home so I used that and expanded on it. I also love the live, acoustic version of the Phil Ochs song “Pleasures of the Harbor” and loved the line “The whiskey’s loud” and changed that to “the whiskey seethes in jealousy” and expanded on that. I wasn’t really expecting both sections to fit together very well in a single poem but they did. I wrote this poem off and on over a couple of days or so. It only took about a couple of hours to complete in total. I used both songs alternatively playing in the background at low volume to create the “moodset” for this poem. If you listen these songs at low volume while reading this poem, you might better get the “feel” of it.

☆°▪︎ HALLOWEEN ON REPEAT (I SCREAM) ▪︎°☆

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

Halloween

–

–

comes

nearly

–

–

every

day

.

o

f

.

every

week . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ at

least

–

–

that’s

.

t

h

e

.

way

.

i

t

.

seems . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ yes,

that’s

.

t

h

e

.

way

.

i

t

.

seems

.

t

o

.

me . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

I

scream . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

scream

.

i

n

t

o

.

the

deep,

–

–

where

guilty

–

–

shadows

scheme . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

scream

.

i

n

t

o

.

the

deep,

–

–

where

.

t

h

e

.

haunting

–

–

never

sleeps . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

the

haunting

–

–

never

sleeps . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ it

whips

.

a

n

d

.

beats

–

–

until

.

I

.

bleed . . .

–

–

–

.

.

 ~ it

pounds

.

a

n

d

.

bruises

–

–

until

.

I

.

cannot

breathe . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ until

.

I

.

cannot

breathe . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

b

u

t

–

–

–

in

between

.

t

h

e

.

haunting

dreams . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

in

between

.

t

h

e

.

whips

.

a

n

d

.

beats . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

drown

.

i

n

.

the

defeat

.

o

f

.

what

might

–

–

have

been . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

drown

.

i

n

.

the

defeat . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

drown

.

i

n

.

the

defeat . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

drown

.

i

n

.

the

defeat . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

o

f

–

–

–

what

might

–

–

have

been . . .

–

–

–

.

.

h

a

d

–

–

–

it

been

–

–

another

day . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ had

.

i

t

.

been

–

–

another

place . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ had

.

i

t

.

been

–

–

another

page . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

I

would

.

d

o

.

anything . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

I

would

.

d

o

.

everything . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

just

.

t

o

.

be

free . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ yes,

I

would

.

d

o

.

anything . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

I

would

.

d

o

.

everything . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

just

.

t

o

.

be

free . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

b

u

t

.

.

.

I

.

a

m

.

married

.

t

o

.

the

disease . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

.

a

m

.

married

.

t

o

.

the

disease . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

.

a

m

.

married

.

t

o

.

the

disease . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

.

a

m

.

married

.

t

o

.

the

disease . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

called

PTSD . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

They

call

.

i

t

.

PTSD . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

They

call

.

i

t

.

PTSD . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

b

u

t

–

–

–

for

me

–

–

it’s

Halloween . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

hour

.

b

y

.

hour . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

week

.

b

y

.

week . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

It’s

Halloween . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

It’s

Halloween . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

It’s

Halloween

.

o

n

.

repeat . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

I

scream.

Reflection: This is a personal struggle-themed poem that I wrote back in October of 2022 in which the sufferer is stuck in a horrifying cycle which he or she cannot seem to escape. The line: “I scream into the deep,” then the opening lines came to me, and I wrote the poem starting from those. Another separate section came to me starting with “it whips and beats…” as did another separate section starting with “I drown in the defeat of what might have been” (this part came to me after hearing “Country Feedback” by REM – especially the part: “It’s crazy what you could have had.”). Somehow all of this blended together well. I started the poem on 15 October and finished it the very next day off and on without too much effort just in time for Halloween.

HAPPINESS/SUCCESS TIP: EMBRACE THE JOURNEY

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

Whenever I come across common expressions in life, I like to try to mindfully stop, reflect, and take a deeper, closer look. Because people frequently become numb to such expressions and these don’t have the influence and impact that they otherwise might. One such common expression is “enjoy the journey.” And, while I am very supportive of this idea, the truth of the matter is that not everything in life is enjoyable. However, that does not make them less valuable. So, a more encompassing expression might be “embrace the journey.”

Sure, for the subset of activities applicable (and to the extent possible), you will want to take steps to better “enjoy the journey.” But for everything else, you will simply want to “embrace the journey” by getting started, putting in the work, addressing or dealing with challenges, learning the lessons, doing some exploring, taking steps to engage in the life experiences you truly desire, and making any sacrifices needed to create a better and brighter future. So, there is much more to life than simply “enjoying the journey.” As such, make it a point to “embrace the journey” and by all means avoiding tendencies to resist the journey. Because resisting the journey will create a lot of unnecessary stress and negativity, delay the learning of key lessons in life, and limit you and hinder progress.

Prior to beginning any journey, it’s a good idea to take some time and put in the effort to figure out what specific pursuits you truly want to work towards or engage in (whether associated with goals, activities, people, purchases, work, addressing or dealing with challenges, and such) – especially those which require a substantial amount of money, time, effort, or energy. And here’s something you can do to help figure that out. And here’s something else which can be helpful along these lines as well as this and this. And for those bigger pursuits, try to find ways to test drive or simulate those experiences first to make sure they are what you truly want before putting in the money, time, effort, and energy. You can read about how to do that here. It’s also a good investment of time and effort to come up with plans for execution – even if they are initially only preliminary plans. You can always make refinements along the way.


The journey you start out on, at any given time, doesn’t have to be perfect because you can (and should) make adjustments as you go. And even if the path you are presently pursuing is not the exact right path for you right now, simply embrace the journey anyway and make any desired adjustments along the way. You will still gain valuable experiences, skills, insights, and knowledge, and you will learn valuable lessons. And learning what doesn’t work for you is also a valuable lesson to learn which can benefit you over your entire life journey. So, do some mindful planning, set out on your path, and embrace the journey all along the way.

Now, the above being said, there are also things you can do to better “enjoy the journey” for those specific activities which apply. One thing I like to do along these lines is mindfully incorporate “enjoying the journey” into what I do on a day-to-day basis. So, I make it a point to remind myself that my focus is happiness, peace, and enjoyment for whatever I am engaged in at the time (where applicable).

For example, if I need to drive or walk somewhere, I make it a point to leave early so that I can take a nice, relaxing, leisurely drive or walk, taking in the scenery (and perhaps even taking a different path to getting there), and reflecting or perhaps even smiling and daydreaming a bit when stopped in traffic or waiting at a stoplight or intersection. Because, anytime you are in a hurry or running late the opposite happens. You become so focused on getting there that you miss out on opportunities for happiness, peace, and enjoyment along the way – creating a lot of unnecessary stress and negativity in the process. Don’t do this to yourself.

As a another example, if I am engaged in reading or viewing something, I try to mindfully slow down and enjoy what I’m reading/viewing and take a more leisurely, thoughtful pace – reflecting on what I’m reading/viewing and how I might apply it – and taking mini-breaks to relax and take in the sunshine and sip a soothing, warm beverage before continuing on with my reading/viewing.

And, as a third example, if I am working out, I try to mindfully focus on the body part I am working on (or stretching) or the specific pose I’m presently doing when doing yoga. My workouts would not be nearly as enjoyable if I focused instead on rushing things and just getting it done so that I could get on with other things.

So, the point is to always “embrace the journey” to get the most out of life, make progress, and create a better and brighter future. And for the subset of activities where “enjoying the journey” applies, slow down a bit and make enjoyment a part of your regular, daily practice. Because once you start mindfully doing this on a day-to-day basis, it will grow from there from week-to-week, month-to-month, and year-to-year, and you will find yourself making happiness, peace, enjoyment, and progress a priority and a regular practice in your life. And that will feel wonderful. So, do this for yourself if you can.

This and other happiness and self-improvement related tips are provided throughout my self-help oriented books: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/published-books…/

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