[ DISCLAIMER ]   Growing up under the teachings of Jehovah’s Witnesses , my dad taught me not to believe in luck (a force that brings good fortune or adversity, and the events or circumstances that operate for or against an individual). Regarding my dad’s advisement against belief in luck, one source  states:   Supernatural interpretations of luck consider it to be an attribute of a person or of an object, or the result of a favorable (or unfavorable) view manifested by a dei

[ 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 ]   As a resident of a children’s home sponsored by a local congregation of the Churches of Christ in Bomb City , I met Jack who was an elder (a biblically qualified man who serves as a spiritual leader, overseeing and shepherding the local congregation alongside other elders).   Each time Jack greeted me, he delivered one of the most firm handshakes I’d ever experienced. His grip was downright painful, as Jack would laugh as I writhed in agony. “What’s the matt

[ DISCLAIMER ]   On the electronic dance music (EDM) anthology Pop Life (2007), the third studio album released by French DJ and record producer David Guetta , is the track “ Tomorrow Can Wait ” which features Chris Willis  and DJ Tocadisco . Lyrics of the chorus state:   Live life here and now , tomorrow can wait Dance all through the night, sleepin’ all day Stuck inside a box, you gotta get out Stand up, get up, live your life now, come on   Within the cited lyrics is a h

[ 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