[DISCLAIMER] *The Giving Tree (1964) spoilers contained herein. Photo credit, artist: Shel Silverstein, fair use In my youth, I enjoyed stories with moral and ethical lessons. Regarding my appreciation for these tales and the medium by which I received exposure to the stories, I stated in Where the Wild Things Are: When attending the Amarillo Community Center in my youth, one of my favorite fieldtrips on which children were taken was to the Amarillo Public Library (i.e.

[DISCLAIMER] *Fallen (1998) spoiler contained herein. In the supernatural thriller film Fallen (1998), a detective investigates a string of murders and discovers that a demon named Azazel is responsible for possessing living beings through mere touch, as the detective is taunted by people around him singing the song “Time Is on My Side”. As an aside, the Rolling Stones featured a version of “Time Is on My Side” on their album 12 x 5 (1964). Lyrics include, “Time is on m

[DISCLAIMER] KJ’s MVA – Estrangement, Grief, Bereavement, and Mourning In 2014, my estranged friend Kim-Jade (“KJ”) died in a motor vehicle accident (MVA). As we’d lost touch in either 2012 or 2013, a mutual friend of Kim-Jade’s notified me of her passing. Because of my perspective on death, I didn’t experience grief, bereavement, or mourning. For context, the American Psychological Association (APA) defines estrangement as “a state of increased distance or separation f

[DISCLAIMER] In adolescence, while attending Camp Blue Haven with other Churches of Christ youth, I learned how to circumvent religious rules in relation to gambling (the practice or activity of betting: the practice of risking money or other stakes in a game or bet). While there are a number of biblical verses which address gambling, campers were taught Matthew 6:24, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to

[DISCLAIMER] 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 and Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, who stated, “Don’t behave as if you are destined to live forever. What’s fated hangs over you. As long as you live an

[DISCLAIMER] Within my blog, I often write about death (the permanent cessation of physical and mental processes in an organism). This is because my approach to mental, emotional, and behavioral health (collectively “mental health”) incorporates existentialism into its foundation. Per one source, “Existentialism is a family of philosophical views and inquiry that explore the human individual’s struggle to lead an authentic life despite the apparent absurdity or incomprehe

[DISCLAIMER] When involved in the last intimate partner relationship that I care to entertain, the woman to whom I referred as “my girlfriend” (“Marisela”) taught me a lesson on ownership (the state, relation, or fact of being an owner—a person who owns [to have or hold as property] something). “I don’t belong to you,” Marisela frankly told me. “Suppose we one day marry,” I retorted, “would you then be my wife, my partner, or not mine at all?” Marisela responded, “We’d be

[DISCLAIMER] 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. For this blogpost, it’s worth noting that the American Psychological Association (APA) defines death as “the permanent cessation of physical and mental processes in an organism.” As well, the APA

[DISCLAIMER] 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 and Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, who stated, “Let each thing you would do, say or intend be like that of a dying person” (page 364). Of this quote, no

[DISCLAIMER] As I wanted to see my sister graduate high school, and because the field of military police required candidates to be at least 19-years-old before training for the job, I entered the Delayed Entry Program when enlisting in the United States (U.S.) Marine Corps in 1996. With my birthday in September, attending U.S. Marine Corps Recruit Training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, I can’t recall whether I completed my first will (a legal declaration of a p

[DISCLAIMER] 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 and Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, who stated, “The person who follows reason in all things will have both leisure and a readiness to act—they are at on

[DISCLAIMER] 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 and Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, who stated, “Don’t lament this and don’t get agitated” (page 360). Addressing this consideration, authors of The Dail

[DISCLAIMER] When enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, while stationed aboard Marine Corps Air Station Miramar (2001-2003), I fulfilled the role of a non-commissioned officer (NCO). For context, the American Psychological Association (APA) thusly defines the term role: [A] coherent set of behaviors expected of an individual in a specific position within a group or social setting. Since the term is derived from the dramaturgical concept of role (the dialogue and act

[DISCLAIMER] 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. Now, consider that on his debut commercial mixtape Misunderstood (2019), the late rapper JayDaYoungan released the song “Survive”, in which he said, “We gon’ come bust your fuckin’ brain, so, puss

[DISCLAIMER] 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 and Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, who stated, “We are like many pellets of incense falling on the same altar. Some collapse sooner, others later, but i

[DISCLAIMER] 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. For this post, I thank you for granting me a personal anecdote. During the challenging time of my divorce, I experienced significant symptoms of depression. From an REBT point of view, I self-dist

[DISCLAIMER] The Difference Between a Singular Ho and Plural Hoes In 1989, along with my dad, I attended LL Cool J’s Nitro World Tour, which featured rapper Eazy-E, rap group N.W.A, rapper Slick Rick, rap group De La Soul, and though he was scheduled to perform, rapper Too $hort was unable to appear for the Denver, Colorado concert. My uncle by marriage worked for an events ticketing agency, as he received two free tickets to the popular concert. Addressing his hesitati

[DISCLAIMER] 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 Epictetus, who stated, “In short, you must remember this—that if you hold anything dear outside of your own reasoned choice, you will have destroyed you

[DISCLAIMER] 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 Seneca, who stated, “Fortune falls heavily on those for whom she’s unexpected. The one always on the lookout easily endures” (page 353). I disagree with

[DISCLAIMER] I looked for my United States (U.S.) Marine Corps recruiter at the Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport in Bomb City on the day that I flew to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD) San Diego for U.S. Marine Corps Recruit Training (i.e., boot camp) in 1996. However, among the many other lies I was told about military service by my recruiter, he was dishonest about his pledge to see me off to boot camp. Apparently, once he had an enlistment signature and