[DISCLAIMER] Civil Libertarianism Having been raised under the tenets of the Jehovah’s Witnesses faith, even as I now identify as religiously agnostic, I was taught to remain politically neutral. Thus, I don’t vote. Nevertheless, I currently identify with aspects of civil libertarianism, about which one source states: Civil libertarianism is a strain of political thought that supports civil liberties and rights, or which emphasizes the supremacy of individual rights and

[DISCLAIMER] On his debut studio album Luv Is Rage 2 (2017), rapper Lil Uzi Vert released the song “UnFazed”, which featured vocals and production by singer-songwriter The Weeknd, as well as coproduction by DaHeala, Don Cannon, and Maaly Raw. I enjoy the theme of the track. In particular, Lil Uzi Very says to what I presume is his former intimate partners, “You were always a distraction. It was never gonna last, and they will always be the past.” Then, The Weeknd sings, “

[DISCLAIMER] “I know, I’m not supposed to use ‘could’ve, would’ve, or should’ve,” client X erroneously stated during our recent session, during which I advocated use of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT). At this point in the blogpost, some definitions may be useful. The term “could’ve” is a contraction for “could have,” meaning that something was possible in the past, or someone had the ability or a chance to do something, but one did not actually do it. For instan

[DISCLAIMER] On her album It Gets Greater Later (2016), lyricist Tiff the Gift released the track “Love Rules the Streets”, featuring lyricists Awon and Dephlow, and produced by Phoniks. The first verse of the song contains the line, “The whole world doesn’t give a fuck about your problems.” For context, the phrase “give a fuck” is similar to the saying “give a damn,” as it regards a vulgar slang idiom meaning to care, show interest, or be concerned about someone or somet

[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 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 Action occurs and you Believe an unhelpful narrative about the event, it’s your unfavorable assumption, n

[DISCLAIMER] In 2019, rapper Kevin Gates released his second studio album I’m Him (His Imperial Majesty) that featured the track “Have You Ever”. Noting that “wasn’t” represents the word “weren’t,” I’m choosing to state the rapper’s lines in his intended manner of delivery, as the chorus states: Have you ever been treated like you wasn’t shit? (Wasn’t shit) Backstabbed by the niggas you was fuckin’ with (Fuckin’ with) Laughed at by the niggas you was runnin’ with (Runnin’

[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] On the third studio album, Getback (2007), by hip hop group Little Brother (lyricists Phonte and Big Pooh, and producer 9th Wonder) is the song “Can’t Win for Losing” which was produced by !llmind. Before exploring a portion of the song’s content, I’ll address the track’s namesake. Per one source, the phrase “can’t win for losing” means that the “odds are stacked against me. (Or no matter how much I try, I never succeed.).” This is a matter of hopelessness (t

[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 Action occurs and you Believe an unhelpful narrative about the event, it’s your unfavorable assumption, n

[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] 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 Action occurs and you Believe an unhelpful narrative about the event, it’s your unfavorable assumption, n

[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] When attending graduate school for counseling, I was taught various tools for care regarding mental, emotional, and behavioral health (collectively “mental health”). As an example, I learned of the mirror technique, which the American Psychological Association (APA) thusly defines: [T]he conscious use of active listening by the therapist in psychotherapy, accompanied by reflection of the client’s affect and body language in order to stimulate a sense of empat

[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 Action occurs and you Believe an unhelpful narrative about the event, it’s your unfavorable assumption, n