I'm thankful for the fact that the holiday season gives us the chance to refocus and recenter on the things that are really important. Sure, the markets are fun to watch and when "number go up", you definitely feel a bit of euphoria, but it's the connections you make that really matter when all is said and done. Although we still have New Year's Eve and New Year's Day ahead of us, the holiday season is effectively done.
In just about a week we will be back to the grind and all of the good cheer will be packed away for another year. No matter what the bull cycle brings in 2025, I hope we can all take some time to just take a breath and remember why many of us are doing this and what is really the most important.
It is time again for another Finance Friday/Friday Finance. This is a series I started where I talk about random bits of financial stuff that I have seen, gathered, or experienced during the week. I hope as a reader you find it informational, entertaining, or both. I also hope it can generate some good discussion and edify the community.
Now that Christmas is officially over, I am wrapping up the Hive Advent initiative. I started this as a fun thing to do and as a throwback to how I used to count down the days until Christmas as a young child. I started with 25 HIVE on December 1st and I sent those to a user on HIVE. They were then supposed to keep one HIVE and send the rest on to another person the next day. The idea was by the time we hit Christmas Day, there would be one HIVE left for the last person in the chain.
It didn't really work out that way...
Just yesterday, a full day after Christmas, 6 HIVE were sent to 
It's been pretty awesome watching the stack of HIVE slowly dwindle and travel across the globe during this holiday season. I'm pretty sure it brought a smile to one or two faces and that alone makes it worth it!
My wife and I got home the other day and I was a bit shocked to find this card in our mailbox. It wasn't that fact that we got a card that surprised me. That happens all the time this time of year, but it was addressed to Bozz. I had already gotten my #silvergoldstackers secret santa gift, so I couldn't figure out who it would be from.
I thought maybe it was one of my buddies since they often call me some form of "bozz" hence my handle here on HIVE, but as soon as I opened it, I realized that wasn't the case. I'll actually forgive the obscene amount of glitter on the front of the card, because on the inside was a very special treat.
If you read the title of this section, you will immediately know it was my first GoldBack. It's freaking sweet too! It's 1/1000th of an ounce of 24K Gold and it has been pressed and detailed with some amazing artwork. I'm super pumped that I finally have some gold (besides my wedding ring), but I think the coolest thing is the artwork on these things.
I couldn't help but show pictures of it to all my relatives the next day during our Christmas Eve festivities. I don't know if the Hivian who sent it to me wishes to remain anonymous, so I am not going to post their name here, but if you see this, I am immensely grateful. This was an awesome Christmas surprise!
It's going right in my safe after I sit and stare at it for a few more hours!
We saw a nice little santa claus rally there for a day before things tumbled back down from the $98K mark. Today we are up about $2000 at around $97K and I can't help but wonder if we will see a rally to the end of the year and top $100K again.
If I am being honest, I am starting to get a little antsy. Sure, the bear market was tough, but it's hard being right on the cusp of the bull market but having to sit and wait. I just want to start pulling some passive income in like last time, or at least taking some gains. Something to make me feel like things are moving in the right direction.
I know full well I probably have a couple more months before stuff like that really starts to happen. I think the worst part is the anticipation or the thinking about it. 
A million "what-if's" that might never be. It kind of feels like a futile waste of my time to be honest, but I don't know if I can rewire my brain at this point in my life. If nothing else happens in 2025, I hope I at least take some time to focus on the things that really matter, because things like family and friends are as "good as gold".
All pictures/screenshots taken by myself or 
