[ DISCLAIMER ]   By the time I attended United States Marine Corps Recruit Training (1996), I’d already been in a number of physical altercations. As my experience with fistfights began in elementary school, I had awareness of what it was like to get punched in the face.   For instance, as a resident of a children’s home in middle and high school, I’d engaged in mutual affrays with various boys. On one instance, a school bus driver pulled me off of a boy who sucker punched me

[ DISCLAIMER ]   When providing psychoeducational lessons on Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy  (REBT), I teach people about the ABC model of self-disturbance (how people upset themselves  through use of irrational beliefs ). Now, I’ll address a finer point of this psychotherapeutic model  of wellness .   For context, REBT uses the ABC model to illustrate how when an undesirable A ction occurs and you B elieve an unhelpful narrative about the event, it’s your unfavorable a

[ DISCLAIMER ]   For this post, a number of definitions are required. The term “erudite” is an adjective relating to having or showing knowledge that is gained by studying: possessing or displaying erudition (extensive knowledge acquired chiefly from books: profound, recondite, or bookish learning).   In the ‘80s and ‘90s, the term used for erudite scholars was “nerd,” which is a noun relating to a person devoted to intellectual, academic, or technical pursuits or interests

[ DISCLAIMER ]   When serving in the United States Marine Corps (1996-2007) in the billet of military police (MP), I was introduced to the concept of muscle memory . Regarding this topic, one source states:   Muscle memory is a form of procedural memory that involves consolidating a specific motor task into memory through repetition, which has been used synonymously with motor learning.   When a movement is repeated over time, the brain creates a long-term muscle memory for

[ DISCLAIMER ] Photo credit , fair use   As Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy  (REBT) is informed by Stoic philosophy , this blog entry is part of an ongoing series regarding a book entitled The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living  by Ryan Holiday  and Stephen Hanselman .   The authors quote ancient Stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius  who stated, “ Pay attention to what’s in front of you —the principle , the task, or what’s being portra

[ DISCLAIMER ]   When providing psychoeducational lessons on Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy  (REBT), I teach people about the ABC model of self-disturbance (how people upset themselves  through use of irrational beliefs ). Now, I’ll address a finer point of this psychotherapeutic model  of wellness .   For context, REBT uses the ABC model to illustrate how when an undesirable A ction occurs and you B elieve an unhelpful narrative about the event, it’s your unfavorable a

[ DISCLAIMER ]   When providing psychoeducational lessons on Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy  (REBT), I teach people about the ABC model of self-disturbance (how people upset themselves  through use of irrational beliefs ). Now, I’ll address a finer point of this psychotherapeutic model  of wellness .   For context, REBT uses the ABC model to illustrate how when an undesirable A ction occurs and you B elieve an unhelpful narrative about the event, it’s your unfavorable a

[ DISCLAIMER ]   When providing psychoeducational lessons on Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy  (REBT), I teach people about the ABC model of self-disturbance (how people upset themselves  through use of irrational beliefs ). Now, I’ll address a finer point of this psychotherapeutic model  of wellness .   For context, REBT uses the ABC model to illustrate how when an undesirable A ction occurs and you B elieve an unhelpful narrative about the event, it’s your unfavorable a

[ DISCLAIMER ]   Earlier, when working out, I heard the song “ Unruly ” from the album Speshal Machinery: The Ghronic Edition  (2024) by Conway the Machine  and Big Ghost Ltd. , as the track features 38 Spesh . Notably, I briefly paused my physical training routine when listening to 38 Spesh’s verse:   Ayo, now, where your heart go? I’ma make sure that you bleed awful No joke; to match my smoke , you gon’ need charcoal Seen Narcos ? I transport extreme cargo And I don’t call

[ DISCLAIMER ]   When providing psychoeducational lessons on Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy  (REBT), I teach people about the ABC model of self-disturbance (how people upset themselves  through use of irrational beliefs ). Now, I’ll address a finer point of this psychotherapeutic model  of wellness .   For context, REBT uses the ABC model to illustrate how when an undesirable A ction occurs and you B elieve an unhelpful narrative about the event, it’s your unfavorable a

[ DISCLAIMER ]   When providing psychoeducational lessons on Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy  (REBT), I teach people about the ABC model of self-disturbance (how people upset themselves  through use of irrational beliefs ). Now, I’ll address a finer point of this psychotherapeutic model  of wellness .   For context, REBT uses the ABC model to illustrate how when an undesirable A ction occurs and you B elieve an unhelpful narrative about the event, it’s your unfavorable a

[ DISCLAIMER ]   Many years ago, when I was relatively new to the field of mental, emotional, and behavioral health  (collectively “mental health”), I worked with children (also referred to as “littles”). On one particular day, the woman tasked with training me used an expression I found humorous.   “How do you eat an elephant?” she asked a little as I shadowed my trainer. The child client sat for a moment and thought. “I don’t know,” the little said when shrugging. “One bite

[ DISCLAIMER ]   Do you find that comparison is the thief of joy , as you covet ( desire  what belongs to another, inordinately or culpably) the possessions or lived experience  of other individuals? If so, you aren’t alone. In fact, there’s an expression regarding such behavior, as one source states:   “Keeping up with the Joneses” is an idiom, or popular phrase, that refers to the pressure to “keep up” with your neighbor’s social status, wealth, or popularity. It refers t

[ DISCLAIMER ]   Earlier, when looking through video content from my time in the Marine Corps (1996-2007), for a Veterans Day  blogpost, I came across footage of my first time ice skating. In 1998, when stationed in Okinawa, Japan, I found that there was no exception to gravity’s force when on ice.   The memory of that subjectively humorous event reminded me of a Passport Rav song from his 2021 album Sand in My Carry On , entitled “ Ice Skating ”. For those who are unfamilia

[ DISCLAIMER ]   I recently visited an automotive shop for a state-mandated emissions inspection. While sitting in the lobby, a man glanced down at my exposed calves and saw a large United States (U.S.) Marine Corps tattoo, as the following dialogue ensued:   Man: You a Marine?   Me: Yes.   Man: Semper fi !   Me: Do or die! Oorah !   Man: How long’d ya do?   Me: 11 years.   Man: You were halfway to retirement. What happened?   Me: Were you a Marine?   Man: Yes, 22 years.   Me

[ DISCLAIMER ]   When providing psychoeducational lessons on Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy  (REBT), I teach people about the ABC model of self-disturbance (how people upset themselves  through use of irrational beliefs ). Now, I’ll address a finer point of this psychotherapeutic model  of wellness .   For context, REBT uses the ABC model to illustrate how when an undesirable A ction occurs and you B elieve an unhelpful narrative about the event, it’s your unfavorable a