[ 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 Epictetus who stated, “You must stop blaming God, and not blame any person. You must completely control your desire and shift your avoidance to what lies within you

[ DISCLAIMER ] I traveled a lot when in the military, as in the photo above I had a relatively brief layover in the Denver International Airport. Fortunately, I was able to visit with family members during the wait. Although unfamiliar with “ eudaimonia ”, I lived well. About this, one source states: Eudaimonia is a Greek word literally translating to the state or condition of good spirit , and which is commonly translated as happiness or welfare . In the works of Arist

[ 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 Stoic philosopher Gaius Musonius Rufus who stated, “Indeed, how could exile be an obstacle to a person’s own cultivation, or to attaining virtue when no

[ DISCLAIMER ] In 2010, I went to an outdoor firing range with a couple friends. We shot an array of small arms and light weapons , as I was out of practice due to having gotten in my own way (hindering one’s own progress or success through unhelpful thoughts , attitudes , or behaviors ). Specifically, I experienced undesirable health concerns, foolishly and uncaringly gained an unhealthy amount of weight , thoughtlessly and accidentally burned my foot in a potpourri inc

[ DISCLAIMER ] Charity Starts at Home Admittedly, I have long admired many hip hop duos. It’s difficult to pick which one I ultimately cherish the most. Nevertheless, the Durham, North Carolina (NC) duo Little Brother (lyricists Phonte and Big Pooh ) are undeniably within my uppermost favorite category! As other fans of the group may agree, Little Brother was subjectively at their peak when record producer, record executive, and DJ 9th Wonder (“9th”) was part of the

[ DISCLAIMER ] Within my blog, because I generally focus on healthy and unhealthy negative emotions , I don’t spend much time discussing positive emotional states such as happiness and joy. For context, the American Psychological Association (APA) thusly defines happiness: [A]n emotion of joy, gladness, satisfaction , and well-being . I view happiness as a state of being rather than representing the six core emotions experienced by humans, which include joy, fear,

[ 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, “The person who has practiced philosophy as a cure for the self becomes great of soul , filled with confidence, invincible—

[ DISCLAIMER ] I attended my first graduate (“grad”) studies program, for counseling, from 2009 to 2011. I then experienced grad school for a second time, for social work, from 2012 to 2014. It was in the second program that I met student X. We shared some similarities and some differences. For a shared similarity, we’d both attended the same university than the one regarding our social work studies. Concerning a difference, student X was said to come from an affluent whi

[ DISCLAIMER ] Of his body of work that I’ve consumed thus far, I most enjoy Trunk Muzik (2010) by rapper Yelawolf . On the anthology is the track “ Love Is Not Enough ”, produced by WLPWR , and containing a sample of “ Hollywood ” (1978) by the late entertainer Rick James . Yelawolf’s song tells the all-too-familiar tale of intimate partner relationships and the preferences versus expectations paradigm (i.e., flexible desires for a specific outcome versus rigid demand

[ DISCLAIMER ] My primary billet when serving in the United States Marine Corps (USMC; 1996-2007) was military police (MP). Although the “protect and serve” motto adopted by many law enforcement entities isn’t legally or constitutionally binding, MPs were taught to uphold this standard. The slogan meshed well with a conservative principle up with which I was raised in regard to “providing and protecting” members of one’s own family, community, and so forth. However, it

[ 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 . Lately, how much time have you devoted to contemplation of your inevitable death? How much time have you squandered when thinking about the lives of others who are also inescapably heading

[ DISCLAIMER ] In my youth, adults convinced me that heavy metal music was satanic (of, relating to, or characteristic of Satan or Satanism—obsession with or affinity for evil : specifically, worship of Satan marked by the travesty of Christian rites). Thus, I was forbidden from listening to metal. As such, I unfortunately missed out on enjoying metal music from Metallica . All the same, I was vaguely familiar with some of the band’s songs, because they were quite popul

[ DISCLAIMER ] When stationed aboard Camp Kinser in Okinawa, Japan while serving in the military (1997-1999), I participated in meritorious promotion boards (formal, competitive processes used to identify, evaluate, and promote exceptionally qualified enlisted Marines ahead of their peers). The last such event that I attended was aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. Butler . I was a lance corporal (E-3), competing against other Marines of similar (though not equal) s

[ 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 Seneca who stated, “Nothing is noble if it’s done unwillingly or under compulsion. Every noble deed is voluntary” (page 225). “Noble” means having, characterized by, ari

[ DISCLAIMER ] One of my favorite subgenres of electronic dance music (EDM) is French house . Within this category is the duo Together , consisting of DJ Falcon and Daft Punk member Thomas Bangalter . Regarding Together’s debut single “ Together ” (2000), one source states: [The song] “Together” begins with a short segment of speech from the film Pleasantville [1998]. The line “A time has come to make a decision: are we in this thing alone, or are we in it together?”

[ 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 . Marcus Aurelius stated, “The unjust person acts against the gods. For insofar as the nature of the universe made rational creatures for the sake of each other, with an eye toward mutua

[ DISCLAIMER ] Photo credit , fair use There’s a quote unproved to have been stated by Mahatma Gandhi , “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ .” For context, “Christ: is used by Christians—followers of Christ—as both a name and a title, unambiguously referring to Jesus . Jesus is believed to be the son of Jehovah , a Latinization of the Hebrew יְהֹוָה‎ Yəhōwā, one vocalization of the Tetragrammaton יהוה‎ (YHWH), the

[ DISCLAIMER ] For many years, I was what could be described as a basshead (an audio enthusiast who has a preference for high-intensity, deep, and resonant low-frequency sounds referred to as bass—often seeking car audio systems which deliver powerful, physically felt, and high-quality bass). My fondness for this lifestyle began in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s when I was introduced to a subgenre of hip hop music known as Miami bass . For instance, as I lived in apartment

[ DISCLAIMER ] If memory serves, I met someone to whom I’ll refer as “Freckles” when living in a children’s home in 1991. Residing in my first cottage at the home, I attended Churches of Christ youth functions whereby Freckles and I became vaguely acquainted. After I was transferred to a separate cottage of the children’s home, switching church congregations to that wherein Freckles’s granddad was the minister, she and I became better acquainted. I thought of her as inte

[ DISCLAIMER ] Photo credit , fair use 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., the downtown location). There, adult volunteers read stories to children on specified days of the week. Those were among some of the brightest moments during otherwise darkened instances of my childhood. In any event, one of my preferred stories was Where the Wild Things Are b