[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, “Everything lasts for a day, the one who remembers and the remembered” (page 390). Regarding this matter,

[DISCLAIMER] When recently providing professional services for care of mental, emotional, and behavioral health (collectively “mental health”), I recently stated to client X, “Have you considered that I’m not going to be around forever, or perhaps for much longer, and that I’m going to die one day?” Client X responded, “It didn’t even occur to me that you could die, because I’ve been so focused on the possibility of me dying.” This verbal exchange afforded us an opportuni

[DISCLAIMER] As neighborhood children played outside our residence on Sunday mornings during my fifth grade year, my dad sat with me in the living room of our home to teach tenets of the Jehovah’s Witnesses faith, using a Bible textbook entitled The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life. I was particularly interested in learning about an ancient Israel king, Solomon, as 1 Kings, chapter 3 addressed how he received knowledge, wisdom, and understanding directly from Jehovah. My

[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] 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] 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