[DISCLAIMER] Photo credit, property of Universal Music Group, fair use Contemplating the matter of life (the quality that distinguishes a vital and functional being from a dead body) and death (a permanent cessation of all vital functions), a neo soul song comes to mind. And while the artist to whom I’m referring isn’t of the hip hop genre, she influenced it! On her debut studio album, Baduizm (1997), singer-songwriter Erykah Badu—from Texas, just like legendary music pro

[DISCLAIMER] Despite his many foibles (minor flaws or shortcomings in character or behavior), as he was little more than a fallible human being—as am I, my dad taught me many meaningful lessons about life. Paramount among them, from a very young age, my dad taught me about death. His teaching opened my impressionable mind to knowledge, wisdom, and understanding about the inescapability of what the American Psychological Association (APA) defines as “the permanent cessatio

[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] Not long after having graduated from Amarillo High School, Atlanta, Georgia hip hop group the Goodie Mob (comprised of lyricists Big Gipp, Khujo, CeeLo Green, and T-Mo)—members of the Atlanta music collective Dungeon Family—released their debut album Soul Food (1995). The anthology was released not long after Dungeon Family duo Outkast (comprised of lyricists Big Boi and André 3000) won an award for New Group of the Year at the 1995 Source Awards. For those w

[DISCLAIMER] Because of his religious beliefs, my dad saw fit to teach me about death before I ever attended school. Then, as my late mom maintained physical custody of me, subjecting me to frequent traumatic events, it was in second grade that I first wanted to die. At that time, she taught me how to effectively commit suicide. Having studied nursing for a period of time, my mom apparently learned which way to cut one’s wrists, how deep to go, in what environment, and un

[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 Marcus Aurelius, who stated, “Soon you will die, and still you aren’t sincere, undisturbed, or free from suspicion that external things can harm you, nor are you gr

[DISCLAIMER] If wishcasting was anything other than an irrational affair, I’d wish that I could revisit the era when classic Texas hip hop group the Geto Boys (lyricists Scarface, Willie D, and the late Bushwick Bill) released the album The Resurrection (1996), one of my favorite by the group. The anthology featured the track “Time Taker”, which was produced by the talented Mike Dean, and subjectively served as a thought-provoking topic about life and death, as I transiti

[DISCLAIMER] Photo credit, fair use The Story of Indra Because I’m religiously agnostic, I don’t subscribe to the tenets of Hinduism. Nevertheless, I enjoy hearing and sharing tales associated with Hindu mythology. As an example, I shared with client X a video link from the documentary Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth (1988). It was originally broadcast as six one-hour conversations between the late mythologist Joseph Campbell and the late journalist Bill Moyers. A

[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] 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] 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, “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] 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, “Meditate often on the swiftness with which all that exists and is coming into being is swept by us and carried away. For substance is like a river’s unending flow, its act