The Ramblings of the Titanium Don

Is What We Think Other People Think About Us What We Secretly Think About Ourselves?

What do we know about how others think and feel – especially about us? Even the most introverted people I know have interactions with other people along the way. Friends, family, coworkers, random strangers, and so on. No matter if you are an introvert, extrovert, ambivert, or uncategorized personality type, you do not exist in a bubble. Because of this truth, to a greater or lesser degree, you desire to make an impression on people. This is wildly variable, situational,

When the People Who Share My Heart Don’t Get Me?

How do I handle this along life’s paths? My family largely doesn’t get me. They love me, I know that. But they don’t get me. What does that mean? I do things, take approaches to matters, and live in ways that cause them to scratch their heads, wonder how I can possibly be content or happy this way, and probably question my sanity. My dating habits and relationship choices in my 20s and 30s made no sense to them. That

Do You Take/Make Time to Do What/Be With Who You Love?

Life is too short not to do what/be with who you love. Not to be morbid – but you never know how long you have here. Life in the meatsuits we each occupy is finite. These bodies have – ideally – about 80 years of active life. That is, unfortunately, the ideal. The reality is that we might – for numerous reasons outside our control – have far less time. In the past 6 months, I’ve lost 2 friends to

How is Love the Most Positive Emotion That There Is?

Because love is both bigger and simpler than you think and feel that it is. Shopping at the grocery store, I saw that all the Valentine’s candy was on display. Chocolate hearts everywhere. Valentine’s Day is my least favorite holiday. The reasons are many, and frankly inconsequential to this story – save one. Love is falsely represented by Valentine’s Day. How’s that? Everywhere you look, Valentine’s Day celebrates relationships, intimacy, romance, and various other notions of overblown, romantic love. It

Can You Practice Self-Care While Still Caring About Others?

Yes, you absolutely can practice self-care while still caring about others. I’d like to debunk a few myths here. First – self-care is NOT selfish. Period, end of story. Yes, elements of self-care might appear selfish from without. Saying “no” for your mental health, refusing to participate in the drama of others, and no longer doing things that hurt you mentally and emotionally will appear selfish to others. Note – true selfishness involves intent. Malice of forethought. An action taken

Is This a Good Idea? It Might Be for Me, But Not for You

Not every good idea is good for everyone. I have lots of ideas. You likely have lots of ideas. Some are ginormous, veritably insurmountable, and lofty as all get-out. Others are more approachable, have paths you can take that people have taken before, and/or roadmaps can be found and employed Most ideas are just ideas. Neither good nor bad. They simply are. And you have them all the time. I’ve been known to spew ideas just because they are fun

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

This Isn’t Self-Help Psychological Mumbo-Jumbo

Self-help involves any and all acknowledgment of mental health matters. Mental health is important. And the stigma that still exists regarding aspects of it helps nobody. A lot of different elements go into working on mental health. Many of these elements work best when combined. Therapy, psychopharmacology, and self-help notions can be used separately. But often a combination of these proves to be most effective. In my experience, the best way to not just find but stay balanced and centered

We Need Acceptance Over Tolerance

Tolerance is insufficient – but acceptance is empowering. When it comes to differences among people, the word tolerance gets thrown around a lot. Tolerance gets applied to tangible differences, like skin color, hair color, body type, sex, and so on. But frequently, it gets applied to intangible differences. This includes sexual orientation, gender, religion, nationality, politics, and the like. Tolerance, however, is insufficient. Why? Because it implies negativity. As in – “well, I don’t like that – but I’ll tolerate

Balance for Yourself and Those You Love

Nobody is truly alone in this life. There needs to be balance for yourself and for those you love. The paths I have chosen to take for my life are mine alone. They have similarities to the paths others take – but they are still unique to me. However – I am not a single solitary figure. I have a wife, friends, and family I love deeply, and various people and responsibilities I have taken on. So, while living my

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