Finding and/or Creating Positivity Can Be Challenging

But that doesn’t mean it’s not worthwhile. It’s far too easy to feel sad, lost, and even hopeless in today’s world. So many things that make no sense have been almost normalized in distressing, depressing ways. It can feel like doom and gloom is all there is. And for some, this timeline is completely awful. Nobody reasonable can deny that. Yet that doesn’t mean that we can’t find and/or create positivity in the world today. This is not some Pollyanna,

You Get to Choose How to Handle Life’s Obstacles

Many can’t be avoided, so you get to decide what to do with them. I’ve been doing medieval fencing for about 35 years now. I fence in both single combat (one-on-one) and melee combat (teams of two to more than a hundred on each side). A key statement I learned when I began practicing melee command, was this: “No plan survives contact with the enemy.” This applies to life in many ways. That’s because change is the one and only

Nontoxic Positivity is a Tool of Empowerment

When you’re empowered, you become more capable overall. It is far too easy to go down a rabbit hole of negativity. Spend any amount of time on any social media channel, and you’ll likely wind up doomscrolling if you don’t self-edit. While this can, on the surface, seem innocuous, it very quickly becomes problematic. That’s because doomscrolling leads to negativity. And negativity, unchecked, disempowers us. That’s because negativity is made of low-frequency energy, which pulls you down and makes you

What Can You Do When You Don’t Know What To Do?

Applied mindfulness opens you to doing something. I’ve spent an inordinate amount of time sitting at my keyboard today, trying to find the words to write, the story I want to tell as I share my weekly philosophy with you. Nothing was coming to mind. Am I feeling depressed? No. Do I feel uncertain? Not particularly, no. Am I sad, hungry, flustered? Nope. Have I been doom-scrolling and making myself feel lost? Not really. So why am I unable to

It’s Never Easy to Unlearn What You’ve Learned

Unlearning takes focused, mindful effort. One of the most infuriating things about the subconscious mind is its power of absorption. Seriously, it’s like an infinite sponge. Similarly, when you don’t wring it out from time to time, it gets nasty. This is often most apparent in how your subconscious holds onto ideas, beliefs, and values that are not your own. How does that happen? The indoctrination of life in modern society. With a few exceptions, people spend the first 20

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

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