The Ramblings of the Titanium Don

How do I Release the Discomfort?

What steps go into centering and balancing? Depression, anxiety, and other mental illnesses have common threads to them. They are comprised of elements of thought, feeling, and various blended and/or mixed emotions. Though I can’t and don’t know for certain, I believe that everyone feels their feelings in different parts of their body. Sometimes it manifests as a buzzing in the back of your head. Other times, it’s butterflies in your stomach. Maybe you experience a sensation like a weight

Why Do I Feel This Way?

Short answer – because life is a crazy, unpredictable ride. For the record, depression sucks. Most of the time I keep the black dog at bay. I do my mindfulness, meditation, breathing exercises, fencing, take my meds, talk to my therapist, and other self-care actions regularly. Yet, I’m only human. Sometimes thinky-thoughts make me feel sad, rainy grey skies feel oppressive, and depression sits on my chest like my cat, but without the calming purr. Depression can be clinical, seasonal,

I’m a Human Being – Sitting at My Desk, Fingers on My Keyboard

A new mindfulness realization dawns on marble head. My therapist told me about a book called Clinical Dharma: A Path for Healers and Helpers by Dr. Stephen Dansiger. She said it had been helpful to her, and she thought it would be helpful to me. In this book, the author talks about applying Buddhist principles to clinical practices – and beyond. Specifically, this relates to the Noble Eightfold Path. Some of it has resonated with me, some not as much.

I Owned Up to My Mistake and It Essentially Worked Out Okay

When you own up to a mistake accountability is empowering. I presently work 3 jobs. First and foremost – I work for myself. Writer, editor, storyteller, podcaster, blogger, etc. I’m taking action and doing things to build the life I most desire to have for myself. Secondly, I’ve been working for this amazing entrepreneur for the last year. She has multiple businesses and tons of amazing ideas. I am both her personal assistant and the managing director of her brands

Is What We Do After We Get Bad News Ours to Choose?

We all get bad news sometimes. But what we do after we receive it is up to each of us to choose. One of my best friends wrecked an ankle long ago. Like, thoroughly destroyed it. They repaired it with pins and plates, and it served him for nearly 2 decades. But over time, the pain levels associated with that ankle became unbearable. For several years he’s been fighting the constant pain, and it was negatively impacting his life. At

What is Positive Intention and Why does it Matter?

Positive intention gives us hope and is practiced with mindfulness. Lots and lots of people are struggling. After 2 years of a seemingly never-ending pandemic, an ugly, pointless war in Ukraine, the dark impact of reactionary conservatives in politics and business, and increasingly illogical anti-science and anti-reason campaigns, I know I’m exhausted. And so is virtually everyone else I know, too. No matter how strong you are, you can only take so much. Everyone reaches a point of saying, “That’s

For Some, Positivity is Extra Hard This Time of Year

It can be extra difficult to remember that positivity and all its elements are already inside us. For some people, the holidays are the best time of the year. Get-togethers with family and friends; amazing meals and treats; notions of joy, cheer, goodwill, and the like – and presents, of course. Yet for some people, the holidays are the worst time of the year. Reminders of loneliness; incompatibility of non-Christian religions; struggles to meet expectations; dealing with family and the

How Does Journal Therapy Work?

I forgot how powerful journal therapy can be. Let me start by stating that I am in no way a medical professional, therapist, or the like. All of what I know is based on many different life experiences over the years. From the mid-90s through about 2004 I journaled regularly. I have multiple formerly blank books filled with many thoughts, feelings, intentions, and ideas from that period. When I maintained those journals, I was writing as little as weekly and

Reclaim Positivity

Positivity is always available. Sometimes you just need to reclaim it. For the first time in a long time, my depression has been dominating my experience. Over the past four or five days, I have been feeling more down than up, more negative than positive. I can think of several reasons why I am feeling this way: The sky has been grey for three straight days The temperature has been anywhere from 10-20 degrees cooler than normal for this time

Normalizing Mental Health Matters

Let’s get real – normalizing mental health matters is the elephant in every room. What the hell is normal, anyhow? The answer is far easier than we tend to make it. Normal is what’s right for you. Yet society has concocted numerous bizarre notions of what normal should be. For example – man and woman marry and produce children; you work a 9-5 job Monday-Friday; hobbies are gender-specific. Then, it often goes deeper and becomes a lot more insidious. Rather

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