Most of you come here each market day for the charts and (hopefully) stay for the analysis. For that, I’m deeply grateful for your time and support.
The vast majority of you – somewhere around 98% – I’ve never met. The Sandbox Daily is read across 46 states and 83 countries around the globe. Absolutely wild.
Today I’m stepping away from the usual market insights to share something much more personal and, at times, quite difficult: my annual reunion with Sober October.
For the past month, I’ve traded in my traditional daily vices for physical and emotional betterment. That’s right, cold turkey on alcohol, drugs, and medications – everything the doctors tell you not to do.
What started as a simple health and wellness experiment has, in reality, morphed into a profound and necessary reset in my own personal journey through life, one that’s taught me as much about character and resilience as any market trend ever has.
As the month comes to a close, I’m reflecting on the growth and clarity that came about from confronting my inner-self head on.
The reason for this hard break from substances is twofold: control and health.
Control
This one is quite simple.
Alcoholism, and to a lesser extent drugs, are present in my family tree. My dad suffered from alcohol abuse in the later years of his life. My brother nearly lost his life right after college from drunk-driving in what the paramedics later explained as surviving on his last drops of blood while the rest consumed his body internally. There are examples elsewhere, but you get the point.
So, this problem hits very close to home. While its difficult to say that out loud, it’s the truth.
I also have friends and acquaintances over the years that have succumbed to their own devices. Only a couple lost their lives, while the vast majority were fortunate to make it out on the other side.
Like most of us, I’ve seen first-hand how alcohol and drugs can take over a person's life, leading to physical and mental health deterioration that hinders their ability to work, maintain healthy relationships, and make sound decisions. These destructive behaviors and dependencies often result in broken relationships, financial struggles, and a cycle of hardship that can feel incredibly difficult to escape.
A hard month-long reset reminds me that I’m still in control. It tells me that I have power over my body, my decisions, and my compass.
Health and Wellness
This annual reset has also been about my health, which I always took for granted until my father passed away suddenly back in the spring. Next month I’ll be celebrating 40, so the arbitrary milestone has somehow permeated into my thoughts that I’m no longer a spring chicken and should start prioritizing this aspect of my life.
About a month ago, during the annual jaunt to the Future Proof Wealth Festival in Huntington Beach, CA, Ben Carlson shared this powerful chart about his career path that I’ve been thinking through on a deeply introspective personal level about my own odyssey through life.
Not about my career, but rather who I am as a person, a husband, a dad, a brother, a son, a friend, a coworker, and a member of the Annapolis community.
Where I’ve been, where I’m at, where I’m going.
How I feel. What motivates me. What makes me happy. How I fit into this world.
Each passing day is the gift of life. Each passing day, we are provided an opportunity.
The past is just that; it’s behind us. We live with the consequences of our actions and choices, both the good and the bad. The highest of highs, the lowest of lows.
The future, on the other hand, is all but secure: full of twists and turns, unknowns and 2nd chances, successes and failures, Yin and Yang.
But, it’s today that we have a choice.
Over the past month, I’ve tried to heighten my awareness around that small kernel of opportunity and make decisions decidedly more deliberate.
Here are some examples:
movement: 20 minutes each day on the Peloton (yes, the coat rack of America) is good cardiovascular fitness, improves strength and endurance, helps reduce the risk of major health roadblocks (such as heart attacks, strokes, and diabetes), and the accompanying weight loss is a fantastic feeling when sliding into shorts/pants that normally feel snug
physical exercise: I’ve been hitting the gym nearly every day. I’m no longer concerned about the amount I bench press or how much weight goes on the bar. I’m comfortable trading weight for reps.
stretching: I’m 6’4”. I live in a perpetual state of lower back pain and neck stiffness. Someone introduced me to the app Bend, and after 15 minutes a day, I’m loose, focused, and reinvigorated. I won’t be competing at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, but touching my toes for the first time in a decade feels wonderful. The pose Upward Dog may have changed my life. Oh, and this little tool for five minutes a day is reshaping my posture, bringing immediate pain relief, and assisting in cervical spine alignment.
Twitter holiday: I’ve largely taken a break from doom scrolling on the Twitter platform. As in, I’ve checked Twitter between zero and two times on average per day. Wow, that has been refreshing !!
presence of mind: Being present in the moment is something we all struggle with; I’m no different. Mike Posner’s message has had a profound impact on me here. I’ve tried two techniques to help me improve focus in the present moment: 1) guided meditations with Headspace and 2) moving my cell phone from the palm of my hand to the depths of my short pockets (h/t Phil Pearlman, more on that here and here).
sleep: 7-8 hours a day and don’t short change yourself. Our mind and body needs to recover from all the shit we endure throughout the day. If you think these rules don’t apply to you, you’re a fool. Tangential to sleep is the quality of your mattress and pillow. You spend more time in bed than any other physical space throughout your life, so prioritize your health.
reading books: I’m slowly emerging from a deep bear market in book reading. I’ve whipped through several excellent books recently, including Anthony Pompliano’s How To Live an Extraordinary Life, Josh Brown’s You Weren’t Supposed To See That, and Scott Galloway’s The Algebra of Wealth. Next up is Ryan Holiday’s The Daily Dad: 366 Meditations on Parenting, Love, and Raising Great Kids. For more ideas, check out my Friday editions of 🧁 Weekend Sprinkles 🧁. If you have ideas, please send them my way !!!
investing in yourself: I bought a new pair of gym shoes for the first time in a decade. For others, it might be a seminar, a degree, a professional license, a new office, or a wardrobe overhaul. Whatever it may be, the highest ROI in life is investing in yourself now to better our outcomes later.
When I step back and survey the last month, the important message is this: health benefits compound in the same way wealth does.
Again, here is the effervescent Phil Pearlman:
The longer we consistently behave in ways that follow the elements of good health, the healthier we get. This is mostly true on an absolute basis and especially true on an age adjusted basis.
Carry On
I don’t share these personal stories and pain points to gain sympathy.
No.
My family endures the same trials and tribulations as any other.
Life is hard, after all.
Yet, after a month of clarity, I feel inspired to tell my story, share my journey, and be open and honest about some of the roadblocks I’ve encountered, that I’ve endured along the way.
My desire in sharing these perspectives on life is that it can be a voice of hope to someone in need.
If you are going through some shit right now, please speak up. Talk to a friend. Talk to a friend right now. The worst thing you can do is let the problem fester. It will grow bigger and bigger until it eventually controls you, leading you down a dark path even as you tell yourself inside ‘it’s ok.’ Don’t be tough by gutting it out; this isn’t varsity football in Texas. Ultimately, you’re only hurting yourself and the loved ones around you.
If you feel stuck or unhappy in life or find yourself drowning in quicksand, say this next part out loud: IT WILL GET BETTER.
Find a friend. Talk to a family member. Hit the gym. Go for a walk outside in nature. Therapy can be a powerful mechanism, too.
Allow yourself the space and time to heal. Let’s rebuild ourselves from square one. Life is all about second chances.
And, above all, love yourself.
“Carry on my wayward son. There'll be peace when you are done.”
That’s all for today.
Blake
Questions about your financial goals or future?
Connect with a Sandbox financial advisor – our team is here to support you every step of the way!
Welcome to The Sandbox Daily, a daily curation of relevant research at the intersection of markets, economics, and lifestyle. We are committed to delivering high-quality and timely content to help investors make sense of capital markets.
Blake Millard is the Director of Investments at Sandbox Financial Partners, a Registered Investment Advisor. All opinions expressed here are solely his opinion and do not express or reflect the opinion of Sandbox Financial Partners. This Substack channel is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as investment advice. The information and opinions provided within should not be taken as specific advice on the merits of any investment decision by the reader. Investors should conduct their own due diligence regarding the prospects of any security discussed herein based on such investors’ own review of publicly available information. Clients of Sandbox Financial Partners may maintain positions in the markets, indexes, corporations, and/or securities discussed within The Sandbox Daily. Any projections, market outlooks, or estimates stated here are forward looking statements and are inherently unreliable; they are based upon certain assumptions and should not be construed to be indicative of the actual events that will occur.
Please see additional disclosures at the Sandbox Financial Partners website:
Blake - thank you for sharing your candid exploration. Appreciate the closing sentiments about love and second chances. Take care
You made a great post, Blake. Every person alive can relate in some way to what you shared. I too take an annual holiday from alcohol AND coffee (yes, at the same time) using Lent as my time to refresh my spirit and body (I don't take Sunday off).
If you did not read it in middle school you might enjoy reading the Virginian by Owen Wister-I just finished it and have it available if you want to borrow :-) You might enjoy a break from investments and parenting.