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The Sword of Damocles: We Can Fear and Dread It, or We Can Use It to Motivate Us
[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
Deric Hollings
Aug 98 min read
Fuct in the Game
[DISCLAIMER] I stated in a blogpost entitled We Gotta Stop Killing Each Other, “I joined the [United States] Marine Corps to escape the gang path upon which I was likely heading.” Before graduating high school in 1995, I’d befriended Bloods, Crips, and Sureños gang members for a number of years. At around that time, hip hop duo Watts Gangstas (also known as Watts G’s), consisting of rappers D-Dope and Felony, released their debut album The Real (1995). It featured an expl
Deric Hollings
Jul 65 min read
Self-Motivation: Trying to Motivate the Unmotivated
[DISCLAIMER] In common parlance, motivation is defined as the act or process of giving someone a reason for doing something. Given this description, I value consideration of thoughts and beliefs which are rational (in accordance with both logic and reason). Here, “logic” is the interrelation or sequence of facts or events when seen as inevitable or predictable, and “reason” is a statement offered in explanation or justification. For instance, a modus ponens syllogism uses
Deric Hollings
Apr 2812 min read
Self-Deprecation: I've Come a Long Way
[ DISCLAIMER ] Earlier this morning, when conducting my daily physical training activities, I heard the song “ Roaches ” from the album Punken (2018) by groovy Houston lyricist Maxo Kream . At the end of the track, a woman believed to be Maxo’s mom states: Punken, pull your pants up, boy But you know what? Punken, I’m so proud of you You came a long way Keep it up with your music You doin’ good, keep doin’ you The vocal tone and inflection of the woman at the end of “R
Deric Hollings
Dec 22, 202513 min read
Gratitude: Thankful for Those Who've Helped Me
[ DISCLAIMER ] “Son,” my dad said as I sat across from he and my late stepmom at a dining room table not long after graduating high school in 1995, “what’re you gonna do with your life?” I experienced a state of depression at the time, to the extent whereby suicide was considered a viable option. Having watched a number of commercials regarding the United States (U.S.) Marine Corps, chiefly the depiction of a gallant warrior on horseback defeating a number of game piec
Deric Hollings
Dec 19, 202512 min read
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