The Ramblings of the Titanium Don

It’s Okay (And Normal) Not to Be Mindful All the Time

Nobody can be anything all the time. Please allow me to make this blanket statement: The one and only constant in the entire Universe is change. You have experienced change in your life before – and you will experience it again. The child you were, the teen you became, and the adult you (probably) are now represent change in you and your life. Some elements, beliefs, values, and habits might be the same or similar. But they’ve still come up

How is the Unusual More the Usual Than the Unusual?

Who decides usual from unusual, anyhow? I have never been called normal. Not by any stretch of the imagination. Being unusual is my usual. As a kid, I was different from those around me on many levels – both physically and emotionally. As a teen, because of where I grew up, I was a good head shorter than most of the other boys my age. Unusual tended to be an apt descriptor for me. Like most teens and twenty-somethings, I

Is It Normal To Question The Path That You’ve Chosen to Take?

It is not just normal to question the path, but necessary. At the start of the pandemic in 2020, I had an opportunity present itself to me. I was in the position to pursue the path I most desired to take. That was writing full-time. This excited me. So, I redoubled my efforts. That led to me publishing 3 books in 2020. An idea sparked a new direction for my writing. Rather than writing by the seat of my pants

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

I Love Not Being Normal

Why do we think normal is such a positive thing, anyhow? I am not in any way, shape, or form, normal. And I am not saying that without proof. In 2007, during an epic road trip across the Southern USA, I was exploring Santa Fe, New Mexico. From time to time, throughout the day, I saw this guy in a blazer who looked a lot like actor Orlando Jones. He was walking around with a tripod and camera. I thought

Choosing the So-Called “Easy Path” is not Easy

The “easy path” is what leads many people to depression, anxiety, and the like. What is the easy path? The easy path is the conventional path. It’s doing the expected and shoehorning yourself into a “normal” life. To be fair, there are people for whom this is fine. A normal, conventional life makes them content, happy, and fulfilled. I have nothing but respect for that – and if you are in that boat, more power to you. Unfortunately, I think

The Normal Has Not Always Been Normal

The normal of today is less than 75 years old. Why does this matter? Because too many people expect and react poorly to what is normal and not normal. Way, way too much unnecessary conflict is a product of this. The current average American lifespan is a shade more than 78 years. In everybody’s life, they will have unique experiences. What you will experience along the way is different from what I’ll experience. When it comes to the world stage,

Is No Path Still a Path?

Choosing no path to travel is still a path – but it tends to be unsatisfactory. I have been writing about the philosophy of Pathwalking for over eight-and-a-half years now. In short, Pathwalking is choosing what paths you desire to take in your life. This is a matter of conscious reality creation via mindfulness to find and/or create the things you desire for your life. This is not a quick fix nor instant gratification philosophy. It takes patience, time, and

Where Do We Go From Here?

That’s the question on everyone’s mind. Where are we going and how will we get there? What we are all experiencing as a result of COVID-19 is unprecedented. The shut-down, social distancing, isolation, and self-quarantine on a national scale are awkward. On a global scale, it’s downright frightening. The world has slowed way down. Most people understand the necessity of this and the stay-at-home orders from local leaders (as opposed to the always conflicting disinformation from the top – in

Pathwalking 404 – Path Not Found (Not Normal!)

I Am Not Normal I know it, embrace it, and love who it makes me as such. When my wife and I first began dating, I think it may have been the second date when she looked at me and said, “You are an unapologetic geek.” “Yup.” I had, long before, accepted how much of a geek I am. This has been a recurrent theme across my life. There was, of course, a time when I didn’t accept this aspect