The Philosophy of the Titanium Don
Ramblings

Category: Pathwalking

You Might Disagree with My Philosophy – And That’s Okay

It’s always good to question your beliefs. I began to share this idea for Pathwalking – choosing and deciding the paths you take for yourself – more than 14 years ago. While the core principle hasn’t changed, other elements of it have. Why? Because I’ve learned new things, had new experiences, made new discoveries about tangibles and intangibles along the way. My life has changed in circumstances in more ways than one. That’s because change is the one and only

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

I’ve Lost Track of Myself Along This Path

Now I need to learn who I am. Again. For the past 14+ years, I’ve been working hard to be my truest, most genuine self. As part of that, and to spur more of the thing I love most (writing), I began blogging every single week on a topic I came to call Pathwalking. This is my life philosophy of applied mindfulness to choose the paths I take. Since I began to live this way more regularly, I’ve been calmer,

Does It Matter What They Think of Me?

Short answer: No. Long answer: Read on! I’ve spent most of my life caring most about what other people think of me. What kind of impression do I make? Do they think ill or good of me? Am I a good person worth your time and attention, or a bad person to be shunned? Do I deserve love, attention, and affection, or should I be scorned, ignored, and distanced? This has driven my life since childhood. The incessant need to

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