Why is Disconnecting From Toxic People So Difficult?

Maybe because some of those toxic people are friends and family. Towards the end of 2022, I removed myself from Twitter. There was already far too much toxicity there for my liking, and when Mr. Musk decided to let Trump and several other assholes back on the platform, I removed myself and my support from it. I was only on Twitter mostly to promote my writing work. I don’t miss it or the toxicity of it. This week, my wife

Why You Don’t Need to Love Yourself but DO Need to Like Yourself

It’s because you are always with yourself, all the time. But that’s just the start. Nobody is ever, truly, alone. Why? Because no matter where you go, there you are. Or in other words – you always have yourself. Here’s the thing – your entire life, you have yourself. That means that you have all that you are, good, bad, and otherwise, always with you. For many people, that’s disconcerting. You have yourself – but isn’t that a lonely proposition?

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

What Do You Do When You Feel Like You Can’t Win?

When you feel like you can’t win you always have options. The past couple of weeks have not been good. I got COVID. Even though I took lots of precautions and was as vaccinated and boosted as possible – I still got sick. However – it was no worse than a cold, and there seem to be no lingering effects. Vaccines work – thank you, science. Right on top of that, my mother-in-law had to be hospitalized. Without oversharing, she’s

What Do You Do When Your Path Isn’t What You Think It Is?

It’s your path – you can choose to reclaim it when you lose it. It doesn’t matter what paths you choose in life. I don’t think they ever go as intended. Why? Because life is full of uncertainty, situations, and circumstances way outside of your control. For example, I knew the plans we had around Christmas for months now. I was all set to carry them out. Everything was in place and set to go as of the Wednesday before

When Life Sucks, What Do You Do?

Even when life sucks, YOU choose what you do with it. Christmas 2022 has come and gone. And this was a truly, spectacularly lousy holiday for me. It sucked. Lots. First, yes, I acknowledge that I’m whining. But I have a point to make and you need the context. It began Wednesday night when, for the first time in years, I felt a cold or something coming on. The next morning, I felt majorly off and unwell, took a COVID

How Much Can You Trust Your Gut Instincts?

Trusting gut instincts depends on mindfulness here and now. Thought and feeling can be easy to define when you’re mindful. Conscious awareness, here and now, lets you know what you’re thinking and what and how you’re feeling. But what about gut instinct? And how is that defined? For me, gut instinct goes deeper than thought or feeling – and is a combination of both. It’s a certain, instinctual awareness that exists somewhere deep within. I can’t explain in words how

What’s So Great About Accepting So Little Control?

It’s empowering when you accept what control you DO have. The only thing over which you and I have control is ourselves. Even then, there are limits to what you can and do control. All of them are internal. Sure, there are externals that you can direct – but control is not the case. You can change your body shape, eye color, hair length and color, what you wear, and maybe a couple of other elements of yourself. That’s pretty

Are the Best Intentions Sometimes Not Enough to Avoid Conflict?

Your best Intentions are great – until they meet reality. Everybody makes mistakes. Some are big, some small. Most can be forgiven to one degree or another. When it comes to our intentions, it’s very easy to screw up. When you have no intent on causing hurt or harm – and then do – that’s a pain point. To quote playwright Oscar Wilde, “It is always with the best intentions that the worst work is done.” More than once, I

Will the Truth Truly Set You Free?

I believe that the truth sets you free. But what IS the truth? Long ago, I came to this notion: There are three brands of truth. Mine, yours, and the absolute. The truth, as I perceive it, is colored by my life experiences, education, environment, associations, and the imperfection of memory. Just because I remember something having been a certain way doesn’t make it so. But the truth, as I believe it to be – no matter the topic –

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