Self-Sabotage Is Well-Meaning But Not Helpful

This occurs when your ego thinks it’s protecting you. Probably the single greatest obstacle between where I am and where I desire to be is myself. Through meditation, mindfulness practices, and therapy, I’ve identified how I self-sabotage my own efforts. Why? Because of my fear of abandonment, which mostly manifests as an equal fear of success and failure. What does this look like? It’s the voice in my head telling me I’m not enough, not good enough, and that there

Your Approach Is Always Changeable

You ultimately get to choose negativity or nontoxic positivity. A lot of things happen in the world that you and I have no control over. If you spend any time watching or reading the news, doomscrolling social media, or otherwise giving these things intentional attention, they can, will, and do impact you. Yes, there is some terrible shit happening in the world right now. Russia and their war against Ukraine, Israel and Palestine, and don’t even get me started on

Is The Next Step on My Path Short, Long, or a Leap?

These are the choices before me as I walk this path. I’m very fortunate that I have the privilege of walking the path I’m on. Self-publishing my work, writing full-time, and doing other part-time work to cover my expenses and earn money has been ideal for me. Ultimately, it’s good for my mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical health, wellness, and wellbeing. I watch too many people stuck in situations where they have to struggle and feel a tinge of guilt.

Why Should You Give Yourself Grace?

Because you’re only human. I have just returned from a 10-day vacation. While it was something of a working vacation, it was a total break from my usual routine. I was living my best medieval life among some of my favorite people, away from my regimen in every way. Thus, I was barely online, had no computer, and was utterly removed from my normal work. I love this adventure every year and always enjoy the time with my friends. I

Even Philosophers Need a Vacation

The mind, body, and spirit all need a break from time to time. As you’re reading this, I’m away on my annual trip to the Pennsic War. This is a huge event with the medieval reenactment society I’ve been playing with for nearly 35 years. While at this event, I’m with some of my favorite people hanging out, fencing, gaming, and generally enjoying time away from my usual life. Over the years, the necessity of this break has become increasingly

Neglecting Self-Care Is Bad for Your Health, Wellness, and Wellbeing

Everyone deserves a break from the grind. Too many messages in the world today tell you to push. Keep going. Never stop. Do the thing, then do it again. Make it happen. Keep giving it your everything. The problem is, we need to give ourselves a break from time to time. The trouble with this is that most people feel unworthy and/or undeserving of a break, a vacation, or the like. I totally understand this. Recently, it has come to

Creating and Finding Calm Invigorates You

How can that be true? If you live in the United States, you’re constantly bombarded by endless messages to keep pushing. Go faster. Do more. Be a force. Blaze a trail. Never stop. The key to being, having, and doing all you can be/do/have is to work really hard with high energy. You can research this yourself, but I’ve read enough credible information to make this statement: That’s not the whole truth. Sure, many people succeed because of their drive.

Why Are The Journey and The Now the Best Parts?

Because they’re the most real elements of life for everyone. My wife and I were watching some show on either the Food Network or Cooking Channel. We watch a lot of shows on each network because we both love food. Eating it, cooking it, sharing it with friends. And I, for one, have learned a lot from various shows over the years. For example, my knife skills have massively improved, and I make pretty impressive spice rubs for meats. Anyhow,

You Can Only Change Your Corner of the World

You only control change when it comes to you and your life. I do my best to stay informed about world happenings. However, I choose to do so no deeper than surface-level information. That’s because I know if I dig too deeply, I’ll get upset, angry, scared, frustrated, and doom and gloomy. A small number of selfish people are doing some pretty unconscionable things to the world right now. Beyond them, a slightly larger, but still small, number of people

Only You Know the Extent of Your Best

That’s because you’re the only one in your head, heart, and soul. Lots of people half-ass things. I’ve done it on more than one occasion myself. Sometimes this is because the thing being done doesn’t truly need your full ass (or energy, attention, focus, etc.) Other times, you make a conscious choice to give that thing only as much as you feel like due to personal, impersonal, life, world, or other random circumstances. However, more often than not, you probably

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