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Ain't That a Shame? Oh Well, Goodbye
[DISCLAIMER] In childhood, I enjoyed some artists and songs associated with 1950s rock and roll, as well as boogie-woogie acts, such as the late Fats Domino. For instance, I liked his song “Ain’t That a Shame” (1956) about which one source states: “Ain’t That a Shame” is a song written by Fats Domino and Dave Bartholomew. Domino’s recording of the song, originally stated as “Ain’t It a Shame”, released by Imperial Records in 1955, was a hit, eventually selling a million c
Deric Hollings
19 hours ago8 min read
How You Pray: Thoughts and Prayers
[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, some context is necessary. I was brought up religious, subscribing to the tenets of the Jehovah’s Witnesses early on and then with the doctrines of the Churches of Christ. Thus,
Deric Hollings
2 days ago9 min read
Outcome: Victim Mentality and Playing the Victim
[ DISCLAIMER ] * Outcome (2026) spoilers contained herein. Photo credit , property of Apple Studios, Apple TV, and Strong Baby Productions, fair use When discussing mental, emotional, and behavioral health (collectively “ mental health ”), I often discuss what it is to be a victim (an individual who is the target of another person’s violent , discriminatory , harassing, or assaultive behaviors). There’s a reason that I address this matter. I posit that there’s a di
Deric Hollings
5 days ago17 min read
Avatar: Aang, the Last Airbender - Unconditional Acceptance
[ DISCLAIMER ] * Avatar: Aang, The Last Airbender (2026), also known as The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender (2026), spoilers contained herein. Photo credit (unofficial movie poster), property of Paramount Pictures (Paramount+), Nickelodeon Movies, and Avatar Studios, fair use When providing psychoeducational lessons on mental, emotional, and behavioral health (collectively “ mental health ”) within my blog—which predominately focuses on Rational Emotive Behavior T
Deric Hollings
Apr 1614 min read
Consider Your Choices
[ 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, “Consider who you are. Above all, a human being, carrying no greater power than your own reasoned choice , which oversees
Deric Hollings
Apr 159 min read
Place to Hide
[ DISCLAIMER ] I thought of a psychoeducational lesson on Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) when listening to an electronic dance music (EDM) DJ set by the talented Roksana . As an aside, it would’ve been nice to have been able to dance to a Roksana set during my raving days. She goes hard! In any event, during the DJ set in focus, Roksana played the song “ Place to Hide ” by Mark Dekoda and Droplex . In repetition, the lyrics state: Tell me what you want f
Deric Hollings
Apr 147 min read
PLUR: Addressing Sexual Assault and Rape
[ DISCLAIMER ] Employing the psychotherapeutic technique known as professional use of self , I recently spoke with client X about my past attendance at electronic dance music (EDM) concerts , music festivals , and raves . This individual, significantly younger than I, also attends similar events. Perhaps it’s comprehensible for a current younger raver to dismiss the lived experience of an older person who used to rave in the ‘90s and ‘00s as being passé or even unbeliev
Deric Hollings
Apr 1313 min read
Shackled and Miserable
[ 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 . Have you ever been subject to wearing shackles (something such as a manacle or fetter that confines the legs or arms)? It can be an unpleasant experience. About this, the authors quote an
Deric Hollings
Apr 136 min read
The House Negro and the Field Negro: Suffer Peacefully
[ DISCLAIMER ] Message to the Grass Roots On his 2018 album I Self Lord and Master (I.S.L.A.M.) , lyricist Recognize Ali released the song “ Liftin Me Higher ” that featured a sample of the 1963 speech “ Message to the Grass Roots ” by the late black nationalist leader el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz (better known as Malcolm X ) who said: All the revolutions that’s going on in Asia and Africa today are based on what? Black nationalism . A revolutionary is a black nationali
Deric Hollings
Mar 2418 min read
Nothing but Opinion Is the Cause of a Troubled Mind and Uneasiness
[ 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 . Today’s lesson on Stoicism regards opinions ( subjective , and often invalid and/or unreliable , views , judgments , or appraisals formed in the mind about a particular matter). Regardi
Deric Hollings
Mar 2111 min read
Apathy
[ DISCLAIMER ] As he hails from Connecticut, one of the underground hip hop lyricists whose content I’ve appreciated since 2006 goes by the stage name Apathy (formerly The Alien Tongue). Before learning of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), I knew little about his namesake. I simply thought it was synonymous with indifference (the quality, state, or fact of being indifferent—a marked by a lack of interest , enthusiasm, or concern for something). Yet, according t
Deric Hollings
Feb 96 min read
"A Young Woman Is a Child"?
[ DISCLAIMER ] Photo credit , fair use I’ve paid close attention to the general public’s reaction to the topic of Jeffrey Epstein . Although I have no personal interest in this matter, I find it fascinating how feminist narratives have corrupted the subject much in the same manner as they toxified the MeToo movement . Specifically, women (adult human females) were deprived personal agency (the capacity, condition, or state of acting or of exerting power ). Personally,
Deric Hollings
Jan 228 min read
Own It: Yeah, 'Dat Me!
[ DISCLAIMER ] I use Reddit as a source for daily practice of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), as I recently came across a subreddit post that spawned within my mind a psychoeducational lesson on personal responsibility and accountability (collectively “ ownership ”). Before proceeding any further, it may be useful to define terms. For improved understanding , responsibility is defined as the quality or state of being responsible, such as a moral , legal ,
Deric Hollings
Jan 178 min read
Excuses: They All Stink
[ DISCLAIMER ] I don’t know to whom credit is due for originally stating, “Excuses are like assholes. Everyone has one, and they all stink.” Nevertheless, I appreciate the expression. This is the case, even if not “all” assholish excuses are invalid (e.g., missing an important date, because you died). In common parlance, an excuse is defined as an attempt to make apology for, to try to remove blame from, to forgive entirely or disregard as of trivial import, or to gra
Deric Hollings
Jan 110 min read
I Didn't Write the Book, and It's a Good Thing I Didn't
[ DISCLAIMER ] Photo credit , fair use In a blogpost entitled Unconditional Acceptance , I shared an aphorism from my late stepmom. She was a religious individual, as I also subscribed to the tenets of Christianity back then. Thus, from time to time, she’d say, “I didn’t write the book [Bible], and it’s a good thing I didn’t.” What was meant by this adage is that my stepmom recognized her fallibility . Unlike Jehovah, Yahweh, Allah, or other names attributed to deities of
Deric Hollings
Dec 21, 20256 min read
I Chose What Type of Child I Was
[ DISCLAIMER ] As far back as I can remember, following the divorce of my parents when I was three-years-old, my late mom frequently threatened to send me and my sisters to live a children’s home. It was clear that she lamented having us. Often, we’d go on car rides past the residential facility. “One day,” my mom threatened, “I’m gonna drop y’all off and never come back!” One wonders why a Texas judge presiding over divorce proceedings of my black dad and white mom in th
Deric Hollings
Dec 9, 202512 min read
What Is Your "Why"?
[ DISCLAIMER ] Years ago, when employed in the field of nuclear security, I often participated in firearms training with a buddy who was my coworker. Having gone through the same Security Police Officer training class, we enjoyed plinking (recreational shooting of improvised metal targets). While we also engaged paper targets, metal silhouettes provided instant audible feedback. That was our “why” for using metal targets which sometimes resulted in injury when bullet frag
Deric Hollings
Nov 30, 20257 min read
Don't Get Caught Lackin'
[ 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
Deric Hollings
Nov 22, 202510 min read
Muscle Memory: REBT Metaphorical Dry Firing
[ 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
Deric Hollings
Nov 18, 202511 min read
Protesting May Feel Better, Though Do Things Actually Get Better?
[ DISCLAIMER ] In my blog, I make no secret of how I once unwittingly worked alongside intelligence officers of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) when serving diplomatic posts in South America. Once my ignorance was remedied, I was promptly sent back to the United States (U.S.). Years later, I began using Instagram (IG) as a blogging platform while others were posting vapid content (e.g., photos of what they’d eaten on any given day). For a while, I amassed a diver
Deric Hollings
Oct 27, 202514 min read
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