[ DISCLAIMER ]   In 2006, hip hop duo Little Brother (lyricists Phonte  and Big Pooh ) released Separate but Equal   which contained the track “ Let It Go ”, produced by 9th Wonder , that featured lyricist Yasiin Bey  and a sample of “ Got to Get Along ” (1976) by Jamaican reggae fusion band Third World .   Notably, the hook states, “ Let it go . Ah, ah, let it go. Better  let it go. Ah, just let it go. Pull it back, let it go. Ah, and let it flow, like… (All my hopes  were

[ DISCLAIMER ]   In my youth, adults convinced me that heavy metal music  was satanic (of, relating to, or characteristic of Satan or Satanism—obsession with or affinity for evil : specifically, worship of Satan marked by the travesty of Christian rites). Thus, I was forbidden from listening to metal.   As such, I unfortunately missed out on enjoying metal music from Metallica . All the same, I was vaguely familiar with some of the band’s songs, because they were quite popul

[ 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

[ 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

[ 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

[ DISCLAIMER ]   When providing psychoeducational lessons on Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy  (REBT), I invite people to consider beliefs  which are rational (in accordance with both logic and reason ) and healthy (subjectively beneficial to one’s own physical, mental, or emotional  state).     For context, REBT uses the ABC model to illustrate that when an undesirable A ction occurs and you B elieve an unhelpful narrative about the event, it’s your unfavorable assumpt

[ 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

[ DISCLAIMER ]   “I already know what you’re going to ask me,” is a phrase that I often hear when providing psychoeducational lessons on Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy  (REBT) to the clients with whom I work. “You’re going to ask me what I’m telling myself,” I’m then informed.   For context, REBT uses the ABC model to illustrate that when an undesirable A ction occurs and you B elieve an unhelpful narrative about the event, it’s your unfavorable assumption , not  the occ

[ DISCLAIMER ]   As a resident of a children’s home in 1992, I comprehended exploitation (the action of making use of and benefiting from resources). Specifically, I voiced my grievance to houseparents about social oppression, though I didn’t have the terminology to describe it as well as one source  does:   A common conception of social oppression is seen as when a single group in society unjustly takes advantage of, and exercises power  over, another group using dominance

[ DISCLAIMER ]   *Unique disclaimer: Nothing expressed herein in intended to serve as a direct or indirect threat to law enforcement (LE). Likewise, nothing stated herein is meant to serve as a call to action or relate to matters of provocation . I’m merely using my First Amendment right to free speech .   When providing psychoeducational lessons on Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy  (REBT), I teach people about the ABC model of self-disturbance (how people upset themselve

[ DISCLAIMER ]   When listening to an electronic dance music (EDM) DJ set  by Aneya Rose , my face melted off as I heard her spin the track “ Sanctum ” (2024) by Belgian DJ and record producer Charlotte de Witte , featuring vocals by Marion di Napoli . No worries, my face molded back into shape.   The song reminds me of nights when raving in South America. For me, it drips with nostalgia and allows me to experience sanctum (a place where one is free from intrusion) within the

[ DISCLAIMER ]   In the ‘90s, I visited Estes Park, Colorado with a small group of people. We attended local shops, spent time doing silly, playful, and unimportant things, and we took photos on 35 mm film . Back in those days, it seemed as though life was timeless. Of course, that perception was incorrect.   All these years later, I look at the above photo of me pretending to play a xylophone-type of instrument while wearing a fresh Ralph Lauren  polo shirt with a Universi

[ DISCLAIMER ]   I learned a thing or two about digging holes when residing in an all-male cottage of a children’s home during my eighth and ninth grade years. “Idle hands are the devil’s workshop,” I was told, meaning that people with nothing to do are more likely to get into trouble, mischief, or sin.   This was expressed, because boredom was said to have opened a proverbial door to negative influences or nonadaptive behavior , supposedly acting as Satan’s tools of temptat

[ 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 had big plans  to do something, only to discover that your arrangements wouldn’t come to fruition? If so, then you may consider what ancient Roman Stoic philosopher Seneca  h

[ DISCLAIMER ]   I recently visited an automotive shop for a state-mandated emissions inspection. While sitting in the lobby, a man glanced down at my exposed calves and saw a large United States (U.S.) Marine Corps tattoo, as the following dialogue ensued:   Man: You a Marine?   Me: Yes.   Man: Semper fi !   Me: Do or die! Oorah !   Man: How long’d ya do?   Me: 11 years.   Man: You were halfway to retirement. What happened?   Me: Were you a Marine?   Man: Yes, 22 years.   Me