[ DISCLAIMER ] Looking back at my time in the United States Marine Corps (1996-2007), as military police (MP) when stationed aboard Camp Kinser in Okinawa, Japan (1997-1999), I realize how shortsighted (lacking foresight—a view forward) I was. To elucidate this point, forgive me an anecdote. When initially introduced to the provost marshal office (PMO) in Camp Kinser – affectionately referred to as Mayberry , Killer Kinser PMO, and Kinser County PD [police department

[ DISCLAIMER ] From time to time, people contact me regarding care for mental, emotional, and behavioral health (collectively “ mental health ”) for so-called porn addiction. For clarity, it may be worth stating that the American Psychological Association (APA) thusly defines pornography: [W]ritings or images (e.g., illustrations, films, digital media) with blunt, often exploitative sexual content designed solely to arouse a sexual response and to satisfy the sexual urg

[ DISCLAIMER ] When living in a children’s home, during my freshman year of high school, a houseparent at the all-boy cottage in which I lived taught me an invaluable lesson. “ Mind over matter ,” he stated, “I don’t mind, because it doesn’t matter.” Here, some points of clarity may be helpful. Colloquially, “mind” is defined as the element or complex of elements in an individual that feels , perceives , thinks or believes , wills , and especially reasons . In the sense

[ 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 . Per one Stoic source , “You spend your present moment agonizing over a future tragedy that’ll likely never happen. If it does happen, you’ll have suffered twice . If it doesn’t happen, y

[ 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, “Inwardly, we ought to be different in every respect, but our outward dress should blend in with the crowd” (page 255). H

[ DISCLAIMER ] When working in the field of nuclear security (2004-2008), I obtained a divorce. Following the ultimately healthy dissolution of that unhealthy union, I began body sculpting (achieving a lean and defined aesthetic by increasing muscle density and reducing fat to highlight muscularity). Notably, I achieved imperfect success with my interests and goals , which required a lot of cutting that which wasn’t necessary (e.g., reduction of empty caloric intake). W

[ 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 . When professionally providing care for mental, emotional, and behavioral health (collectively “ mental health ”), I think it’s morally and ethically responsible to inform people of menta

[ 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 . Today’s lesson on Stoicism regards opinions ( subjective , and often invalid and/or unreliable , views , judgments , or appraisals formed in the mind about a particular matter). Regardi

[ DISCLAIMER ] When in the Marine Corps (1996-2007), I bowled quite a bit. As a matter of full disclosure, I’m not a skilled bowler. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the challenge of an obstacle (something that impedes progress or achievement). In my case, my lack of skill at bowling was the obstacle. Somehow, it was as though other Marines were naturally accomplished bowlers. Yet, my balls spent more time in the gutter than not. (If you read a sexual innuendo in that last senten

[ 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 . Using REBT, I often encounter beliefs which are absolute (having no restriction, exception, or qualification). This tends to occur with moral and ethical perspectives which are subjecti

[ DISCLAIMER ] In my youth, public service announcements (PSAs) were a common method of teaching morals and ethics . For clarity, a moral is a person’s standard of behavior or belief concerning what is and isn’t acceptable for the individual and other people. Morals thus relate to what’s considered good, bad, right, wrong, or otherwise acceptable or unacceptable. An ethic is a set of moral principles , especially those relating to or affirming a specified group, field,

[ 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 Roman emperor and Stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius who stated, “You’ve endured countless troubles—all from not letting your ruling reason do the work it was ma

[ DISCLAIMER ] As a member of the Churches of Christ in 1992, I participated in Vacation Bible School events in Las Vegas, New Mexico during my summer break from high school. At one point, adults held down the boys from a children’s home in which I lived, spraying us with water from squirt guns. Typically, non-violence was our Christian message. Yet, the adults displayed hypocrisy (a feigning to be what one is not or to believe what one does not: behavior that contr

[ 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 . Gaius Musonius Rufus stated, “When the problem arose for us whether habit or theory was better for getting virtue —if by theory is meant what teaches us correct conduct, and by habit w

[ DISCLAIMER ] In my youth, I was taught morals and ethics . A moral is a person’s standard of behavior or belief concerning what is and isn’t acceptable for the individual and other people. Morals thus relate to what’s considered good, bad, right, wrong, or otherwise acceptable or unacceptable. An ethic is a set of moral principles , especially those relating to or affirming a specified group, field, or form of conduct . Whereas morals relate to what is thought of as

[ DISCLAIMER ] When attending military police (MP) school in 1997, a number of the instructors advised future MPs to consider “just the facts , like Joe Friday from Dragnet ” when conducting investigations. For context, one source states: The popularity and influence of Dragnet is attested to by the number of Dragnet -related items that have become firmly embedded in our pop culture idiom: the distinctive “dum-de-dum-dum” opening four notes of its theme music; the cha

[ DISCLAIMER ] Years ago, when working in the field of nuclear security (2004-2008), I joined a running club with several coworkers and one of their spouses. Having developed a number of injuries associated with my military service (1996-2007), I underwent an adjustment period with running. That method of change was radical (very different from the usual or traditional), because I’d grown accustomed to simply being injured and not appreciating previously enjoyed activitie

[ 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 Roman emperor and Stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius who stated, “ Wherever a person can live, there one can also live well ; life is also in the demands of cour

[ 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, “Apply yourself to thinking through difficulties—hard times can be softened, tight squeezes widened, and heavy loads made l

[ 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, “Silence is a lesson learned from the many sufferings of life” (page 240). Speaking of silence , when was the last time you