Do What YOU Feel YOU Should!

FAILING TO FAIL!

Joseph Brann

          When it comes to what you do in life, I believe you should ALWAYS do what you feel you should! This is one reason I’ve decided to wait until after the first of January, 2019 to contact speakers bureaus and move forward more with that part of my career. I’m not exactly sure why I feel this way and I’m actually extremely excited to get moving forward but I feel that waiting until after 2019 begins is what I should do. I believe in trusting ourselves and our feelings. Unless of course you feel you should harm someone or do something bad, but hopefully your common sense already told you that? Ha! If we do what we feel we should and strive to do better each and everyday, we will get where we should go in life I do believe. Sometimes it take a little patience, a lot of the time it takes A LOT of patience. 

            I’m actually EXTREMELY impatient and usually want to get things done as quickly and efficiently as I can, so maybe my waiting until after next year begins to move forward with my plans is just something to help me be more patient, I’m not sure. But, either way, I’ll trust what I feel. As long as I feel I’m going in the direction I should be going, I believe I’ll be making the best choice for my situation. I guess we will see in time. Anyway, do YOU believe you can trust what you feel you should do in your life? I hope that you do and that your life is incredibly immaculate, but that’s kind of up to YOU now isn’t it? Ha! Until reading my next blog and even after, remember keep FAILING TO FAIL! 

Talk to Me Thursday! I remember...

FAILING TO FAIL!

Joseph Brann

    For this “Talk to Me Thursday!” post I’ll be talking about our memories. I will talk about some bad things I remember from my life but YOU should know by now my blog will NOT be negative. It’s crazy to me the way our brains work. There are a lot of things I don’t even almost remember but there are also a lot of things I do remember and it’s just ridiculous why I will remember one unimportant thing, or a memory I’d rather forget, but I won’t remember something I really want to. It’s just crazy weird to me! I remember terrifying things from my accident. I feel I remember the fear as I slid across the median of Interstate 10 and then the initial impact of the pickup truck to the driver’s side of my car and the truck actually making contact with my head. I feel I remember when I was disconnected from life-support and the pain I don’t even know how to describe as my body postured and struggled to survive, let me just say OW!!!!! I think I vaguely remember being in a coma, the times when I’d be mentally conscious of while in a coma for about a week. It’s even more horrifying than the sleep paralysis I’ve talked about before because I couldn’t breathe deeply and wake myself up.I remember how I’ve felt when women, yes more than one, broke my heart or when they’ve treated me beyond horrible.                              

            But I also remember the excitement of waiting to go on a date, the wonderful way it feels to kiss a woman and especially a girlfriend, and how immaculate it felt when I decided to stop fearing the nightmare of my life and to LOVE it! Something kind of annoyingly cool, I remember phone numbers, and numbers in general, kind of like how “Rain Man” remembered things. I remember the phone number of the first girlfriend I had after my accident when I was I believe 20 years old, so roughly 17 years ago. It’s gotten to the point that in order to overcome my obsessive compulsive disorder, I have to force myself not to memorize a phone number. I believe it was when I was conscience in a coma that I started thinking of words, counting the number of letters in the words, the number of syllables in words, and in sentences just to pass the time. I talk about my obsessive counting of words and numbers in my memoir you can get off Amazon at bit.ly/tcsom but I believe that counting started when I was in a coma. I don’t understand our brains or memories, but it’s so complex it’s mind blowing! I hope all the memories YOU have are fantastic and the ones that aren’t, I hope YOU will find reasons to love them anyway! Until reading my next blog and even after, remember keep FAILING TO FAIL! 

It's Sometimes Hard to "Fit In!"

FAILING TO FAIL!

Joseph Brann

     I know for me it’s sometimes hard to feel as though I fit in with others. And, like YOU, I’m only human, but I have brain damage and was reported braindead on the news. I’m not saying I’m the only one this has happened to and it quite possibly could’ve happened to YOU too, I don’t know. But, ever since I received my brain damage and got out of the hospital I was disconnected from life-support in, people who don’t really know me seem to put me in one of two categories. It seems they either think I’m some sort of Superman who can do ANYTHING and when I show my limitations, i.e. being unable to recognize faces, being in horrific pain they don’t understand, or not remembering something that’s happened, they say something that lets me know they think they know I can do more than I actually know how to do or somehow they know my pain isn’t as bad as it really is. They might say they know I can remember a memory I no longer have, or they seem to think I can see more than my actual vision allows me to see. And if they don’t put me in this category, it seems they generally put me in the other category of thinking I’m too brain damaged, handicap, and mentally challenged to be able to do things I can do. So it’s often difficult for me to feel I fit in most anywhere I go.

      Even when I’m with family or friends, it’s still difficult for me to feel I fit in. Sure my loved ones try to include me and make me feel I fit in, but it’s hard for me to feel as though I fit in when my brain is understanding and recognizing things so incredibly differently from how others are understanding and recognizing things. When I look in the mirror I know it’s me because, I know it’s me, but when I’ve seen my own picture, I’ve thought it was my brother-in-law who looks NOTHING like me. It’s even hard for me to feel I fit in when I’m by myself because even with almost 20 years of dealing with “brain damaged Joe Brann,” I still have trouble believing I'm "brain damaged Joe Brann!" But, I choose to love it anyway and work to help as many people as I can. I’ve still been blessed with many talents and abilities I “shouldn’t have” and can still do many things I “shouldn’t be able to.” So even when I feel I don’t fit in, I still know I actually do because I’m a human being like everyone else, just trying to do the best I can. PLEASE always try to do the best you can, be understanding of others, and know YOU are incredible with so much to give and nearly immeasurable potential? Until reading my next blog and even after, remember keep FAILING TO FAIL! 

When One Door Closes...

FAILING TO FAIL!

Joseph Brann

   Most people have probably heard the saying, “When one door closes another opens.” Although this is a good and positive way of looking at things in my opinion, I don’t necessarily believe this to be true. Sometimes, and even often times in my life, one “door” I’ve been trying to walk through will slam shut, so I turn to another “door” and try to walk though it and just as I begin to go through that doorway what do you think happens? Well, it gets shut in my face even harder than the original “door” was shut. Sometimes, when a “door” closes you have to break it down and walk through anyway. Other times you have to play with the door nob, wiggle it a little, and slowly but surely get it to open. And then there are times you have to turn around, walk a COMPLETELY different direction, and find another “door” to go through. But, when one door closes, how YOU continue to move forward is up to YOU! Will you give up, or will you keep pushing forward, fighting the urge to quit, and refuse to be stopped until you find just the right door for YOU to go through? 

   I’ve wanted to give up SO MANY times! I’ve wanted EVERYTHING to end! I’ve cried actual tears because I was so BEYOND exhausted I didn’t want to take another step or even another breath! But I’ve pushed through and everyday I continue to wake up is a new day for me to work toward accomplishing my goals! YOU can respond to this question if you’d like or just simply answer it in your own mind, what would YOU do if you’re beyond exhausted, all hope seems to be lost, and you’ve NO MORE strength to keep going? Me personally, I’ve had to find the strength I didn’t want to have because we ALWAYS have a choice in how we respond to adversity, we ALWAYS have the ability to make our situation better, or to give in to it and give up! If YOU give up, you’ll never accomplish what I know YOU can! So, what do YOU choose and what would YOU do? Until reading my next blog and even after, remember keep FAILING TO FAIL! 

Baggage is Just a Part of Life!

FAILING TO FAIL!

Joseph Brann

    Before I get into today’s blog, there’s been another change in my plans I’d like to inform you of. I’ve decided to wait until after the holidays to contact speakers bureaus and work to really get going with my speaking. I figure it’d be a better choice to wait until then because I know this is a busy season in a lot of places and there's a lot already going on. However, I am already supposed to be speaking to a company in New Braunfels, Texas in January and I’m confident waiting until the new year is the right thing for me to do at this time. Now for today’s blog, the truth is, we’ve all got baggage of some sort and baggage is just a part of life. I’ve got a lot of baggage and most of it stems from my mental and physical disabilities. But we are all more than our baggage. We are more than our past mistakes and misfortunes. We can do more than we’ve done already and go further than we’ve already gone! Anyone who tells you otherwise, is WRONG!!! 

    I’ve been rejected by a lot of people, especially women, who didn’t want the baggage that comes with being Joe Brann. I’ve had women, or at least one woman, ask me how could I expect any woman to put up with what I have to put up with. She or they was or were essentially telling me I shouldn’t want to have a girlfriend or a wife because I shouldn’t want anyone else to have to put up with what I have to. The truth is, I don’t want any woman, or anyone, to have to put up with what I have to. However, I do believe I work hard enough to overcome my baggage and I’m good enough to have the romantic relationship I desire to have with a woman and hopefully THE woman I can spend the rest of my life with. I acknowledge my baggage but I work to overcome it! I work to do and be better each and everyday than I was the day before and so can YOU! And when I finally get where I’ve been trying to go, how great a story will that be?!?!?! I'm BEYOND excited for that day but I still love today and everyday! So, don’t let anyone or anything tell YOU you aren’t good enough for what you desire because of the baggage you carry or for any other reason! Work to overcome your baggage that should be overcome and NEVER stop believing in yourself, YOU are INCREDIBLE! Do YOU believe me? I hope you do because IT’S TRUE!!! Until reading my next blog and even after, remember keep FAILING TO FAIL! 

You've Got to Want it!

FAILING TO FAIL!

Joseph Brann

   What do YOU want out of life? Whatever you want you can have but YOU’VE GOT TO WANT IT! If YOU want it, REALLY want it, YOU can have it! When I say you’ve got to want it, of course there’s more to getting what you want than simply wanting it, but if you really want it you will do what it takes to get it. And, as always, I’m talking about wanting good and positive things. Finding happiness, love, success, and/or anything else worth finding has got to start with your desire to find it. 

   Once you have that desire, you’ve got to follow through and keep pushing forward. Even when it may seem as though what you want is unattainable or there’s nothing worth having to endure what you have to, if YOU’ll decide you’re going to find something positive worth wanting, you can make your life wonderfully magnificent, but , once again, YOU’VE GOT TO WANT IT! So, what do YOU want out of your life? Now go get it, I believe in YOU! Until reading my next blog and even after, remember keep FAILING TO FAIL! 

When Life Doesn't Go As Planned!

FAILING TO FAIL!

Joseph Brann

     When life doesn’t go as planned what do YOU do? I think most everyone has had something, or a lot of things, not go as they’d planned and/or intended them to. If everything in your life has gone as you planned it to, you just might be a superhero! Now I’m not suggesting you jump off a building to see if you’re able to fly, but still if everything has gone as you planned it to, there’s a good chance you’re not completely human, ha! And PLEASE, no one try jumping off a building to see if you can fly or for any other reason, that would be a VERY poor choice. 

     But, when life doesn’t go as planned it simply means you need a new plan or to make changes in the plans you already have. Life is uncertain and plans will often fall through but as long as you’re still alive, it means you can keep trying and can progress and eventually get where you’re trying to go. So, when things don’t work out like you want them to, just know it’s simply a part of life and doesn’t mean you should become hopeless or give up! NEVER become hopeless or give up because YOU have so much to give in this crazy reality called life! Until reading my next blog and even after, remember keep FAILING TO FAIL! 

I Deserve to be Happy, I Deserve to Succeed!

FAILING TO FAIL!

Joseph Brann

        I deserve to be happy, I deserve to succeed! This is true of all of us, especially YOU! We all deserve to be happy and this one’s a lot easier to accomplish than the success we deserve because this is just a choice we can make and follow through with regardless of what else happens around us. We all deserve to be successful and to succeed but obtaining this success depends on our definition of such and what we do to accomplish it. Whatever your definition is, YOU can achieve it! The catch though is that our success and it's definition has to be something positive and good. If your definition of success is stealing millions of dollars, then sorry to say but you need a new dictionary and a change in your thinking, ha, seriously, but ha! As long as your definition of success is something good though, whatever it is, you deserve to have it.

        But, unfortunately, life doesn’t give us success depending on what we deserve. A lot of people deserve much better than what they get out of life and life doesn’t care. Life IS NOT your friend, or mine! But if we love life, keep pushing forward, and do our best to stay positive, we can succeed no matter how much of a mean bully life tries to be! It REALLY all comes down to our attitudes, our drive and determination, and especially the choices we make. However, DO NOT forget that YOU deserve to be happy and you deserve to succeed! So, choose to be happy, choose to pursue the good and positive success you desire, and ALWAYS remember NOTHING is impossible and YOU are good enough to get what you want and need out of life!!! You’ve JUST BEEN JOEtivated!!! Until reading my next blog and even after, remember keep FAILING TO FAIL! 

Talk to Me Thursday! Happy Thanksgiving!

FAILING TO FAIL!

Joseph Brann

   HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!! Since I don’t want to take up too much of your time or keep you from your family and/or friends this Thanksgiving Thursday, my post will be short! I am beyond thankful for my life, yes the life I’ve hated! I’m also beyond thankful and grateful for YOU! I hope YOU have a wonderful thanksgiving, know YOU are AMAZING, and that YOU will choose to be happy and love your life!!! Once again I'm wishing YOU a VERY happy and wonderful Thanksgiving and I love you! Whether or not I know you, I truly do love YOU! But not in a creepy way, ha! Until reading my next blog and even after, remember keep FAILING TO FAIL! 

Don't Let the Loneliness Win!

FAILING TO FAIL!

Joseph Brann

     I talk about loneliness a lot because that’s been the hardest things of all of the things I’ve faced since my wreck for me to face but also because I know a lot of people deal with being lonely. I SO look forward to the day I’m in a relationship with the woman I love who loves me as well and I don’t feel the loneliness because it’s been replaced by more love than I even know how to express. But, in the meantime, I CANNOT let the loneliness win! YOU also should not allow the loneliness to win! This is, of course, if you feel lonely. If you’re not currently feeling lonely, that’s AWESOME! But should the unfortunate day you are lonely ever come, I want to help you to not let the loneliness win. So, how do we not let the loneliness win? I’ve allowed my loneliness to convince me I’d never find and be in love and, at that time, the loneliness was winning! 

     However, I’ve decided instead of allowing the loneliness to continue to beat me up, convince me I’m not good enough for any beautiful woman to love, and leave me depressed, I’m going to be positive and believe the day I’m in love with that beautiful woman smart enough to love me too, is soon to come! So in order for me to not let the loneliness win, I’ve convinced myself I won’t be lonely forever and my babygirl is soon to arrive. As long as I keep clinging to this hope and belief, the loneliness CANNOT win! So, even though I hope and pray YOU are not and will never be lonely, if you are or ever become such, just know your loneliness can be dealt with, overcome, and even used to strengthen you to become an even more magnificently beautiful, amazing, and incredible person! So keep your head up, stay positive, and  DON’T LET THE LONELINESS WIN!!!!! Until reading my next blog and even after, remember keep FAILING TO FAIL! 

When You've Got NO More to Give!

FAILING TO FAIL!

Joseph Brann

Before I get into today’s blog, I’ve decided I’m going to wait until next week to call the speakers bureau I’ve been planning on calling. My reasoning for this is that Thanksgiving is Thursday so I’m guessing they won’t be working after today or tomorrow so it’d probably be better for me to wait until next week when they’ll be working a full week again so I don’t end up starting to discuss my speaking with them and risk anything getting messed up because of the holiday. Now, back to today’s blog post, I want to talk to YOU about when YOU’ve got no more to give! Have you ever felt like you’ve given all you can and you just can’t go any further? If you have, you are not alone! Honestly for over 19 years I’ve felt like beyond exhausted and like I’ve got no more to give and I can’t go ANY further! But everyday I continue to wake up and keep trying to move forward. So when YOU feel like you’ve got nothing more to give, whether you want to or not, the fact is, as long as you’re still breathing, you can keep going! 

Even when I was in a coma for about a week and when I had machines keeping me alive, I was still able to push through. I feel like I have vague recollections of being in that coma, it’s A LOT like the sleep paralysis I’ve talked about before except scarier because I couldn’t hear myself breathing and snap out of it, but it’s HORRIFYING! Now, whether, heaven forbid, you’re in an actual coma, or just beyond exhausted in your everyday life and feel you have NOTHING more to give, the fact is, you still have something to give until your life is over. It might not be very comforting knowing that you can still endure whatever you’re enduring, but YOU can also make the most of it! Figure out what you need and want to succeed whatever your situation is and GO AFTER IT! Like I’ve told you before, to be happy all YOU need to do is make the decision to be such and, after times of unhappiness, ALWAYS come back to happy, that one’s just a choice. The success YOU desire starts by making the choice, and then doing what you need to accomplish it. But, make the right choice and go after the happiness and success YOU desire and don’t let anyone convince you you can’t achieve it! I’m horrible at being patient but be patient with yourself, I’ll try to do the same, ha, and when we feel we have nothing more to give, let’s keep giving and succeed, are YOU with me? Until reading my next blog and even after, remember keep FAILING TO FAIL! 

Love Life and NO Regrets!

FAILING TO FAIL!

Joseph Brann

    Love your life and have NO regrets is my suggestion! I’ve done things in my life that if I could do over differently I definitely would. But do I regret the choices I’ve made I wish I hadn’t? Well that answer is NO! I’ve made mistakes, I make them everyday, but if I waste my time regretting things I’ve done wrong, I feel I’m not able to move on and do better, or at least work to do better, because in the back, or front, of my mind, I’m always dreading, or regretting what I’ve done wrong.   Making mistakes is part of life, but learning from our mistakes, working not to make those mistakes again, and choosing to LOVE our lives and ourselves, is what I believe life is all about. 

             So, when you make a mistake, don’t let that mistake destroy who you are or the progress you’ve been making in your life. When able, I try to make restitutions for things I’ve done wrong but I refuse to constantly beat myself up over decisions I’ve made in the past which I wish I hadn’t made. I feel, in order to really move forward and make our lives as spectacular as they can be, we need to love our lives and have NO regrets! What do YOU think? Until reading my next blog and even after, remember keep FAILING TO FAIL! 

Positivity ALWAYS Wins!

FAILING TO FAIL!

Joseph Brann

              When it comes to our attitudes and the fight between being positive or negative, positivity ALWAYS wins! I’ll admit, just like I’m not ALWAYS happy, I’m also not always feeling positive. But when I stop and think about it, I always feel SO MUCH better and life is so much more spectacular when I choose positivity over negativity. Life is a constant battle between these two subjects just like it is between good and bad. But YOU and I and everyone has the ability to win this battle each and everyday by simply MAKING THE CHOICE!

               Negativity is the kryptonite to positivity but if we’ve decided we’re not going to let negativity in, it’s power is worthless and even nonexistent! The power each and every single one of us has to overcome, develop, grow, and succeed is mind blowing to me and it really does all come down to the choices we make each and everyday! So, if YOU will choose to be positive and keep striving to be positive, you will see that what I say is absolutely true when I saw positivity ALWAYS wins! Try it out, I dare you?! Ha! Until reading my next blog and even after, remember keep FAILING TO FAIL! 

Just Keep Going!

FAILING TO FAIL!

Joseph Brann

  Tomorrow, Saturday, is going to be a busy day and I’m actually typing this post on Friday night because I’m not sure if I’ll have time to blog tomorrow but I want to make sure I post something. I’m supposed to be meeting up with a friend from my childhood who I haven’t seen in over 20 years so that should be awesome! If everything goes as planned I’m going to be going with him to Austin and I’ve no idea what time I’ll get back home so for the first time I’m typing my blog the day before and scheduling it to post tomorrow so I guess I’ll see how it works out. I was planning on calling a speakers bureau this week but, as often happens in my life, plans change so I’m intending to call next week, hopefully Monday. I know I talk a lot about succeeding and my desire to succeed in ways I’ve not yet but it is my intent to REALLY start getting after it even more next week and hopefully getting where I’ve been trying to go for oh so long. So keep your head up and keep working to move forward and I know YOU can get where you want to in your life! Until reading my next blog and even after, remember keep FAILING TO FAIL! 

Why I Don't Quit, Why YOU Shouldn't Quit!

FAILING TO FAIL!

Joseph Brann

   At least one other person has told me if they had to deal with what I have to they couldn’t do it. I say at least one because I believe there’ve been more than that who’ve said it to me but I know for sure at least one person has told me this. I’m not positive but I think they said they’d commit suicide. I’ve been VERY close to attempting to do just that, the details aren’t too important but I’ll just say had my dad not entered the room before I could load the gun I’m sure I wouldn’t be here now. But that was a long time ago and I’m BEYOND glad I didn’t go through with it the multiple times I was on the verge of trying to kill myself. But now I’m doing wonderfully and I love my life. There were many years I had no idea why I was waking up each day just to suffer. I wanted nothing more than to just give up. But I didn’t! I didn’t give up because even when I felt worthless, there was still this little voice in the back of my mind telling me I had reasons to keep going. Even though I wasn’t sure what my value was then, I still believed I had it. So I kept going even when I didn’t want to because I still believed in myself and my abilities.

   YOU too need to believe in yourself and be committed to NEVER giving up! You’ve got SO MUCH value and potential it’s ridiculous, in the most extraordinarily positive way imaginable! Even when you feel everything and everyone’s telling you you’ve no value and should give up, YOU need to know that isn’t true! I haven’t quit because I believe in myself and you need to never quit because YOU’re amazing and NEED to know this is true! When you feel like hating yourself, and trust me I’ve been there, find reasons to LOVE yourself! When you feel like giving up, one reason you shouldn’t is because YOU are incredible and can make it through whatever you’re facing and can accomplish more than you’ve probably ever imagined you can. I hope you know what I’m saying is true and if you don’t know it, I hope you will soon realize it because dang it I’m telling YOU, it’s true!!! Until reading my next blog and even after, remember keep FAILING TO FAIL! 

Talk to Me Thursday! Politics & Religion!

`FAILING TO FAIL!

Joseph Brann

            For this “Talk to Me Thursday!” post, I know two things we’re “not supposed to talk about” are politics and religion, so that’s EXACTLY what I’m going to talk about, ha! Don’t worry though, I’m going to be talking about politics and religion in general, not backing or supporting anything specifically. But just so you know, my view on religion has changed greatly since my accident, but that’s another story. Politics and religion can be good but so often they’re a subject of contention, anger, violence, and even war and murder. I’ve seen posts from other people on Facebook that say something like, “If you don’t agree with what I’m saying about my political view please delete me as a friend because I don’t want to have anything to do with you or someone who thinks like you.” That’s not an actual quote, but it’s close enough to what I’ve seen. I don’t agree with everyone’s stance on politics or religion, but I do agree and respect that everyone has the right to feel whatever way they do about these two topics. They have the right to feel the way they do about anything else as well and I’m willing to be friends with anyone from any political or religious view as long as they’re not trying to insult or harm others, but that’s just me.

    So many wars have been fought over these two subjects. So many people have died fighting for their religious and/or political beliefs that it’s ridiculous in my opinion! So many murders and so much evil has come because of politics and religion. But why? Why do people get so angry over politics and religion that they’re willing to murder others who don’t believe as they do? I don’t know the answer. I thought religion is supposed to bring people closer together in their pursuit to live as they believe God, or whatever their religious source or creator is, would have them live. I thought politics are supposed to help people have order in their lives and community and to be able to live feeling safe because their political leaders are striving to make our lives better and safer. But once selfishness and/or greed enters the scene, all of the good behind politics and religion goes out the window! So I just ask that we all strive to be more tolerant of other’s beliefs and their right to have a different opinion than our own. I hope that politics and religion will soon be sources of peace, happiness, safety, and protection, but in order for that to happen I feel there’s ABSOLUTELY NO room for selfishness or greed in either subject! What do YOU think? Until reading my next blog and even after, remember keep FAILING TO FAIL! 

I'm SO Angry, I Hate My Life, and I Quit!!!

FAILING TO FAIL!

Joseph Brann

            I'm SO angry, I hate my life, and I quit!!! Now that is an example of something you’ll NEVER hear me seriously say! It doesn’t mean I’ll never get angry, never feel like hating a situation I’m in, or that I’ll never want to quit, though. But when I start to get angry about something, I make myself remember being angry or not is MY choice. When I start hating a situation I’m in, I make myself remember hating something is a VERY negative  emotion I don’t want to be a part of and I find reasons to love whatever I was feeling like hating. And quitting on the obstacle, I mean opportunity, ha, this life can be, well that’s just something you know I’m not going to do! 

   It’s ok to feel negative emotions and to not ALWAYS be happy. It’s not ok though to ALWAYS be negative and NEVER be happy! If YOU want to be happy, YOU have to make yourself be happy! You can’t buy happiness and there’s no “secret ingredient” that’s going to make you be happy. The closest thing to a secret ingredient to happiness is knowing that your happiness is truly only dependent on YOU and how YOU allow yourself to feel! So, I ask, will YOU please be happy and when you’re not happy will you please come back to happy sooner than later? Until reading my next blog and even after, remember keep FAILING TO FAIL! 

Moving Forward!

FAILING TO FAIL!

Joseph Brann

            Slowly but surely things are moving forward! I’m in the process of looking up speaking agencies to see if I might be able to work with at least one of them. I also have a speech to a company which I’m supposed to be giving in January of 2019 in New Braunfels. A few months back I got a message asking if I could give that speech in just a few days from when I was asked to give it. After speaking with the wonderful woman who was asking me to give my risk-management/motivational/JOEtivational speech to her company, we agreed it’d be better for me to speak at their next meeting. They meet quarterly. So I was supposed to give that speech this month but they had to reschedule their meeting for January, 2019 because her company had to send a bunch of people to aid in the recovery of some I believe natural disaster I’m not exactly sure where. But things are moving forward, slowly but surely, they’re still moving forward and I’ll keep you posted. So even when things aren’t progressing as quickly as YOU may wish they would, keep moving forward and slowly but surely, you’ll get where you’re trying to go! If you'd like to contact me about taking the opportunity to book me for a speech, please call me @ 210-380-7965 or email me @ publishjoe@gmail.com Until reading my next blog and even after, remember keep FAILING TO FAIL! 

Buy My Memoir From Amazon & Win the Lottery???

FAILING TO FAIL!

Joseph Brann

            Right now I’m making a special offer to YOU…if you buy my memoir off Amazon today with this link, bit.ly/tcsom, either as a paperback copy or as an ebook and also buy a lottery ticket, you just might win millions of dollars!!! Of course buying my memoir is in no way related to whether or not you win the lottery and you can win the lottery without buying my memoir, but if you buy my book and a lottery ticket you COULD still win the lottery, ha! But as I think about my life, knowing what I know now and having lived this brain damaged situation for nearly 20 years, if someone had “magic powers” and gave me the option to win billions of dollars today OR go back in time, purchase my memoir before it was my story, read it, and use it to make the better choice I talk about in it that I didn’t make, NO question I’d go back in time and read my memoir before it was my story. No amount of money is worth what I’ve had to deal with since my wreck! Please remember I’m not saying my life’s harder than your’s or anyone’s, but for me it’s more difficult than I ever would’ve imagined it could and would be. However, I believe in the power of my memoir to help YOU and everyone else. 

    I know it can save you from unimaginable challenges and inspire you to accomplish everything you can in life! If you get it and read it, I am beyond positive you’ll learn a lot of things you wouldn’t otherwise learn and it WILL help you. It costs more than a lottery ticket, a paperback copy is $14.95 and the ebook version is $8.95 but I believe it’s worth more than billions and billions and billions of dollars if it helps even only one person not end up in a situation like mine. Not trying to get spiritual on you but I know I made the choice to come back to life. I was told how difficult it was going to be and that I couldn’t then comprehend how challenging it would be for me. It didn’t matter to me though because I knew I’d be able to help others and I REALLY hope I’m helping YOU! PLEASE remember to be safe and strive to make better choices everyday for better chances at accomplishing everything you can and especially to make better choices so you don’t make your life any harder than it has to be! I promise you it’ll be beyond worth it to try to make better choices everyday. "Better Choices, Better Chances!" Once again, my memoir expounds upon what I’m blogging about now and can help you in so many ways. Please get it, read it, apply it, and make life spectacular for YOU! bit.ly/tcsom Until reading my next blog and even after, remember keep FAILING TO FAIL! 

Why Don't YOU?

FAILING TO FAIL!

Joseph Brann

            Someone is going to succeed in life, so why don’t YOU? Figure out what success means to you, and then do it. There’s really NO reason YOU can’t be the next success story, well unless I beat you there, then you can be the next NEXT success story, ha! But seriously, there are all kinds of stories about people who succeed so there’s no reason I know of the next success story can’t be your story. But first, you’ve got to decide what kind of success you want. Is it financial success? Is it emotional success? Is it success in a particular industry? Whatever your definition of success is, YOU can achieve it but you’ve got to believe in yourself and go after it! My financial success story is still being written, but I believe it’s only a matter of time until I finish “writing” that success story and it’s a past accomplishment. So once again, someone is going to succeed in life, so why don’t YOU? Until reading my next blog and even after, remember keep FAILING TO FAIL! 

Maybe I'm Just Braindead Still?

FAILING TO FAIL!

Joseph Brann

            Even though it’s been almost 20 years I’ve been enduring my “braindead situation,” I continue to believe in myself and if that means I’m still braindead then so be it! If you don’t already know, I was reported braindead on the news after my accident. You can see those reports on YouTube if you enter “1999 KENS Boerne Miracle pt1" watch it, and then watch “pt2” but in those videos I am reported to have been braindead. With how things haven’t worked out for me in my life yet, sometimes I wonder if I’m still braindead for continuing to believe in myself. But then I make myself realize that nothing’s impossible and when I succeed like I want to, that’ll just go to show people they should continue to believe in themselves, NEVER give up, and work to accomplish whatever they want to because truly NOTHING is impossible. I’ve concluded if the impossible existed there’d be NO WAY I’d be able to be alive and doing the things I’ve been blessed by God to be able to do. I blog a lot about continuing to endure and haven’t really said much about what I’m working on or what I’m enduring for. But, if everything goes as it’s supposed to, next week I intend to start talking more about what I’m working on and how I can be contacted to speak and so forth. 

             It’s been an EXTREMELY long exhausting road but I’m confident I’ll be able to start talking more about what I’m doing next week and how I’m accomplishing my potential. But EVERYTHING I talk about that I’m able to endure, accomplish, and work towards accomplishing IS NOT to make you think I’m anything great. It’s all to hopefully get YOU to realize how great YOU are and how incredible your potential is! I’m never patting myself on the back or trying to get credit for what I’ve done, what I’m doing, or what I will do. I just want to convince you of your immaculate ability, potential, and worth by showing if I can do these things with the limitations I have, what can’t YOU do? The answer is nothing, there’s NOTHING you can’t accomplish if you really work for it and refuse to give up! So hopefully next week will be when I get to start telling you about how the things I’m working on are finally coming together. We’ll see but regardless, I don’t believe I’m still braindead and I do believe in my abilities and in YOU and your abilities! Keep your head up, the best is yet to come!!! Until reading my next blog and even after, remember keep FAILING TO FAIL! 

Life's Great, Crazy, but Great!

FAILING TO FAIL!

Joseph Brann

              Life's great, crazy, but great! In yesterday’s post I talked about sleep paralysis. I believe I hadn’t had sleep paralysis again for months, since before I started blogging, when I first started blogging and then stopped for a while. Then yesterday I blogged about sleep paralysis and this morning I had it, it was CRAZY! I know I said I don’t believe sleep paralysis is a dream but my sleep paralysis turned into a dream wherein I was still paralyzed but I guess I was just so tired I couldn’t even remember to try to make myself breathe loudly. I actually began trying to yell which is also crazy because ever since the first time I’ve had sleep paralysis, I know I’m unable to yell. But as I was trying to yell this morning, the paralysis turned into a dream where I was back sharing a room with my younger brother like we did in high school. In the dream he was trying to sleep and wanted me to stop yelling and I told him I was trying to wake myself up from sleep paralysis. But yet, outside of the dream I was in, I couldn’t talk. Like I said, I couldn’t remember to breathe but not too much later I woke up. Then, when I checked my Facebook email today I received a message telling me the interview I’d done with Sports2nite in San Antonio wasn’t going to air. I’ve NO IDEA why it’s not going to air, but that’s just the way life goes I guess.

                Not having the interview air also doesn’t make sense to me because it was their idea we do it, but that’s ok. I’ve had SO many things start to look like they’re finally going to come together for me just to have them ripped out from underneath me and I get no explanation why. It’s very confusing and I sometimes wonder if it’s stupid of me to keep pushing myself to work to accomplish what I believe I can and will. So I guess this is yet another example of how I do truly work to live what I write in my blogs. It’s another example of how I keep failing to fail! A LOT of things don’t seem to make any sense at all but I still believe in myself. I believe I will still succeed financially! And when I do succeed financially like I’m trying to, how great will that make my story? I’ve endured almost 20 years of pretty much NOTHING working out, but I’m still determined to succeed as a speaker and with my books, the two I’ve published and the more than 20 I’ve not yet. 22 of my unpublished books are children’s books and my other unpublished book is another novel. I hope my continuing to endure helps YOU continue facing your life and helps you believe in YOU! Until reading my next blog and even after, remember keep FAILING TO FAIL! 

Talk to Me Thursday! Sleeping, Dreams, & Sleep Paralysis!

FAILING TO FAIL!

Joseph Brann

           For today’s “Talk to Me Thursday!” post I’ll be talking about sleeping, dreams, and sleep paralysis! Ever since my wreck my sleep has been all kinds of messed up. I’ve had nights where I don’t think I slept at all or at best I slept an hour. I’ve laid in bed with my mind spinning and it just wouldn’t quit. For over 14 years after my accident I was beyond terrified to go to sleep because I was beyond terrified to wake up to my reality and that might be one reason I’ve had so much trouble sleeping. On multiple occasions, I’ve had sleep paralysis. Sleep paralysis is terrifying. What happens is your mind wakes up but nothing else. All you can do is think and breathe. Once I realized I can control my breathing, I realized I can wake myself up by making myself breathe as loud as I can, I hear my breathing, and then I wake up. Sometimes take longer than others, but breathing wakes me up. Hopefully YOU never have sleep paralysis but if you do, once you realize you’re in a state of sleep paralysis, try to make yourself breathe as loud as you can and if you’re anything like me, you’ll wake up soon.

             Some have told me sleep paralysis is just a dream but I don’t believe this. I believe it happens when you sleep very very deep but it is not a dream, it’s a nightmare, but not a dream! Now onto dreams. I really don’t like to dream! Most every time I dream, I’m either being attacked by someone and having to fight, or I’m on a date with a beautiful woman. Both are nightmares believe it or not. When I dream I’m dating it’s a nightmare because I wake up and the beautiful woman everything was going so great with, turns out to not be real. However, one time I was out on a date with a beautiful woman and she was really digging me. Things were going magnificently and it was a real piece of heaven. I think we were just about to kiss and then I had a thought I didn’t really want to have. The thought was something like, “Man this is awesome! I’m out with this beautiful woman and it’s obvious she’s loving being with me and she’s really digging me! Okay, I know this is a dream, I can wake up now.” And then I woke up! It hurt so bad realizing that was a dream. But hopefully one day I’ll be in love with a beautiful woman who loves me too and the dream will finally be real. My sleep has improved dramatically lately but I still don’t like to have dreams when I’m asleep. I do stay positive though and do push myself to find the good in the horror of my dreams, though. Until reading my next blog and even after, remember keep FAILING TO FAIL! 

Sometimes Are Just So Hard!

FAILING TO FAIL!

Joseph Brann

          Sometimes are just so hard! Have YOU ever noticed this? Yesterday was one of those days that was just so hard for me. Less than 24 hours ago, the pain I’m in nonstop which I talk about in great detail in my memoir you can get off Amazon with this link, bit.ly/tcsom, felt unbearable. I knew I’d live through it but I just wanted it to stop, it was driving me crazy! But as I was facing the pain that would not stop I thought about YOU. I thought about how I need to live what I speak and blog about and needed to know I’d make it through the pain and needed to stay positive. 

    It wasn’t easy. But I knew I needed to be strong mentally so the things I say ring true! I did make it through yesterday, obviously, and I’m not in as much pain today, but I knew I had to live the positivity I talk about and couldn’t give up. I knew I needed to be stronger than I’d ever want to be so that when I tell YOU you can be as strong as you need to be in your life, you’d know I’m speaking from experience and YOU can trust that YOU will make it through. So, even when sometimes are just so hard, know you can and will be able to make it through and can always be tougher than your situation! Once again, I believe in YOU! Until reading my next blog and even after, remember keep FAILING TO FAIL! 

Finding Heaven in Hell!

FAILING TO FAIL!

Joseph Brann

            For reasons not significant enough to mention, my neurosurgeon appointment being delayed yesterday has caused a delay in my plans to move forward with my speaking and all, I guess that’s just the way life goes. I don’t understand life! Too many things just DO NOT make sense to me. Maybe that’s because of my damaged brain but I think it’s just because life can be crazy. Each day is a struggle for me and I’m sure it is for most people, if not everyone. I do, however, LOVE life! Yes this is the same life I HATED, actually HATED is an extreme understatement! But I’ve chosen to love what I hated and was terrified of and just by making that choice, I’ve been able to find happiness. The almost nonstop pain is all too real but I’ve decided to love that too. My deciding to love instead of hate the things I don’t like is something everyone, especially YOU, can do! YOU can love your life and can be happy! Even when life is hell, if you’ll decide to love and embrace it, you can find  heaven in your hell! Like I've said repeatedly in my blogs, the choice is yours! Until reading my next blog and even after, remember keep FAILING TO FAIL! 

Why Wait? Be Great!

FAILING TO FAIL!

Joseph Brann

           You may notice, the title of today's blog resembles one I wrote a while back, but it's not the same. Today’s post will be pretty short. I had another difficult night last night and didn’t get to sleep until after 3:00a.m. so that wasn’t much fun. I was supposed to be going to a neurosurgeon this morning but that got all messed up and has been rescheduled for next Monday. So once again things have been delayed but I’m still staying positive. And now I ask and say, why wait? Be great! There’s no reason to wait to be great, YOU can be great right now! Just keep doing your best, stay positive, and know YOU can find real happiness and be as great as you want to be! I believe choosing to be happy and sticking with it, is what real success is! I hope YOU will remember this and apply it to your life! While I’ve been typing this blog, as I’ve reread it, I’ve found multiple words I completely misspelled, what I typed didn’t even resemble actual words AT ALL, ha! I also keep hitting the wrong letters on my keyboard, ahhh brain damage, so much fun…not really. But I do love my damaged brain, even when I start to hate it, I make myself love it. So, I will end this blog shortly after once again asking and stating, why wait? Be Great! Until reading my next blog and even after, remember keep FAILING TO FAIL! 

We're Not All the Same But YOU Matter!

FAILING TO FAIL!

Joseph Brann

           I know what it feels like to wonder if I even matter. I know what it feels like to wonder why I keep going. I know what it feels like to just want my life, my almost nonstop pain, and brain damaged disabilities to just stop already. I know what it’s like to face almost 20 years of just about NOTHING working out the way I want it to. However, I don’t know what YOU are going through. I don’t know your pains, your struggles, your doubts, or your fears. In regards to what you’re facing, I don’t really have a clue. All I know is what I’ve faced and continue to face, but I believe I can understand some of what YOU face and hope I can help you face it. Let’s say you and I both bump our heads on a roof we didn’t see at exactly the same speed and angle. You’d conclude we both felt the same exact pain, right? Well, I don’t believe anyone alive really knows if we felt the exact same thing because our brains are different and interpret pains and feelings differently. 

   I know what it feels like for me to wonder if I really matter to anyone and even if we’re both wondering the same question about ourselves, I don’t know if our brains interpret the wonderment the same. But I do know what I feel and experience matters. I do know that I matter! Do YOU know YOU matter? If not, I want you to know YOU matter to me! Even if I don’t know you, even though we’re different and may feel the same experiences differently, I care for you immensely! We may not feel the exact same things the exact same way, but we matter, individually and collectively! I just want YOU to ALWAYS know YOU matter! So unbelievably much YOU matter! Until reading my next blog and even after, remember keep FAILING TO FAIL! 

You're Just Going to Fail, So Why Even Try?

FAILING TO FAIL!

Joseph Brann

         You're just going to fail, so why even try? WHAT?!?! Did “The JOEtivator” REALLY just say and ask that? Has he found his kryptonite and been defeated??? Is JOEtivation gone FOREVER??? NO, no it is not! But I am asking, have you ever been told you’re just going to fail, so why even try? Have you ever felt like you’re doomed to fail so you don’t even want to try? Well, if you have, you’re not alone. Everyday in so many different ways life tells us we can’t succeed and we’re doomed for failure! I know I’ve felt like my life was telling me this many times and I’ve wondered if pushing through the hell of this life even mattered or is worth it. I’ve thought maybe I’m not good enough to accomplish what I want and am doomed for failure. But I know I AM good enough, none of us is doomed to fail, and we can all get where we want to go, it just takes time. 

I’m SO looking forward to the day I can blog about how I’ve found the financial success I’ve been after for so long and can show YOU I’ve succeeded financially as I desire, but everyday I get closer to my goals and I’m determined to NEVER give up and find the success I desire in all aspects of my life, not just financially. I’ve succeeded in many ways already, so have YOU, but I believe in myself enough to keep pushing forward and to not give up, even when life tells me, “You’re just going to fail, so why even try?” I’ve made the decision that, even though it’s taking WAY longer than I’d like, I WILL NOT fail and I WILL succeed! Really, though, I write for YOU! So, when life tells YOU “You’re just going to fail, so why even try? please know YOU’re NOT going to fail so keep trying everyday and YOU WILL succeed! I’ve said it before but once again, believe in YOU, I do! Until reading my next blog and even after, remember keep FAILING TO FAIL! 

The Miracle of YOU!

FAILING TO FAIL!

Joseph Brann

           YOU are a miracle! Whether you believe it or not, IT’S TRUE! Everything about you & all the things in your life you’ve faced and continue to face are miraculous! All of us really are miracles but, after life gets in the way, sometimes it’s hard to feel like you are a miracle. Life, even as ridiculous as it can be, in and of itself is a miracle but what YOU do with the life you’ve been given and how great a miracle you make your life is up to you. A lot of people have told me I’m a miracle because of my having survived the so called “unsurvivable” and I admit my survival and the miracle of my life and survival is a miracle I take no credit for, I give that credit to God. But, as I think about it, we are all miracles! But now, I’m working to succeed in the ways I desire to.

    Some of the ways I want to succeed I’ve been told are impossible, but NOTHING’s impossible, especially when you know you and your life are a miracle! I’m working to make the miracle I’ve been blessed with as great as I can make it, once again no credit be to me. But what are YOU going to do with the miracle you’ve been blessed with and the miracle YOU are? Your life can be as miraculous and spectacular as you believe it can be but it all comes down to the choices YOU make! So anyway, NEVER forget YOU are a miracle and can make the miracle of your life you’ve been blessed with greater each and everyday, will YOU? Until reading my next blog and even after, remember keep FAILING TO FAIL! 

Talk to Me Thursday! It's Funny You're Partially Blind!

FAILING TO FAIL!

Joseph Brann

           For this “Talk to Me Thursday!” post I’ll be telling you about some of my experiences with being partially blind. So the peripheral vision I once had in my right eye is completely gone and some of the peripheral vision I used to have in my left eye is gone too but I don’t really notice the loss in vision in my left eye very much. So it’s safe to say my right eye is much more visually impaired than my left. My vision has been described as tunnel vision. This lack of vision, especially in my right eye, is one of the reasons I don’t drive and has caused me to walk into people quite often in public and I’ve also been ATTACKED by several stationary objects, such as walls, doors, tables, chairs, and the list goes on and on. Those freakin’ stationary object just won’t stop picking on me! Ha! But on more than one occasion, after I’ve walked into someone because of my limited vision, I’ll say something like, “Oh sorry, I’m partially blind.” Many times the person I walked into and’ve just told I’m partially blind will laugh.

  I assume they think I’m joking. After they’ve laughed, I’ll usually sarcastically say “Well, I guess it’s funny that I’m visually impaired.” or something along those lines and I will laugh too. They then apologize and I’ll tell them it’s no problem and their laughing didn’t bother me. Maybe their laughing is more of an uncomfortable laugh as in they don’t really know how to respond to the knowledge of my being partially blind. But, as I think about it, if you’re not partially blind and you walk into someone and say, “Oh sorry, I’m partially blind.” that really isn’t very funny. And I know funny cause, let’s face it, I’m a funny man, ha! I mean, did you catch that sentence I recently said about being ATTACKED by stationary object? Now that’s some funny stuff worth a laugh, haha! Anyway, it really doesn’t bother me when someone laughs because they think I’m joking when I say I’m partially blind, I just think their laughing is interesting and a little funny in and of itself. Maybe not “laugh out loud” funny, but still funny! Anyway, being partially blind isn’t much fun, but being able to laugh at yourself, even if because you’re partially blind, is something I think can be a good thing and make life much more bearable and fun even, what do YOU think? Until reading my next blog and even after, remember keep FAILING TO FAIL!