Amor Fati- The Love of Fate There is no doubt that we continue to live in uncertain times. No one quite knows where we are going and what the future holds. We exist in a liminal space of unknowing; a time of transition between worlds. It is easy to cling onto the promises of ideologies which proclaim they have the ‘right answers’ to move forward. They … Continue reading A Reflection on ‘Amor Fati’
I dipped in and out of the confirmation hearings for Judge Jackson this week, because I hate myself exactly that much. I won’t dwell on it here any more than to ask you to consider the following fascinating thought experiment: If, God forbid, there were an accident and Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley were both dangling from a cliff and you could only save one … Continue reading When The Dog Whistle Becomes A Bull Horn
Many of us live in cultures that place great emphasis on being seen. We value how we’re seen, where we’re seen, and, equally, how and where we’re not seen. Most of us know people who desperately desire to seen here (skiing in the Alps), or seen there (attending an invitation-only gala); and if we’re honest, we will likely admit to at least occasionally having desired … Continue reading Beneath The Mask
Hello hello hello! How is everyone doing here? I miss all of you! I have been absent for a long time but I have a good reason:) In the meantime, I defended and submitted my dissertation, so now I am a Dr (not a medical one; an academic doctor). I also moved and had a bunch of job applications to make. There were too many … Continue reading Check-in
Martin Buber’s book “I and Thou” is an inquiry into how our relationships with others shape our reality. His main thesis, which runs throughout the course of the book, is that there are two different modes in which we encounter the world, namely through ‘I-It’ or ‘I-Thou’ relationships. Let’s take a closer look at these concepts in more detail. I-IT I-It relationships are entered into to achieve … Continue reading An Exploration of Martin Buber’s “I and Thou”
If I were to lead into this article with “Where there’s smoke,” we could finish the sentence with, “there’s (A. An arsonist. B. An inexperienced chef. C. Fire).” In truth, there are numerous other potential words that could be applied to complete the sentence. The majority of readers won’t need to read the choices, because we’ve been conditioned to automatically choose “C” as the answer. … Continue reading Where There’s Smoke
The Power of (Agape) Love Continue reading The Power of (Agape) Love
As I write this article, I am still assembling the remaining pieces of a mystical jigsaw puzzle that I didn’t realize belonged to me. Perhaps some of you are familiar with that situation; one in which the breadth, depth, and scope of an apparent experience is not fully understood until months, or even years, later. One such event occurred to me in the wide open … Continue reading The Knock
Night and day. Light and darkness. Masculine and Feminine. Chaos and order. Life is comprised of a series of interconnected opposing forces. Everything that exists has an opposite, just as there is always two sides to the same coin. Although we are inclined to seek pleasure without pain or cling onto the ‘good’ while banishing the ‘bad’, we come to realize the flawed logic of … Continue reading The Meaning of Yin and Yang
What would you do for a living if money wasn’t an object? I’ve been pondering this question quite a bit lately. I’m curious to see your response. We’ve all heard the saying, “Love your job and you’ll never work a day in your life.” If money wasn’t an object, would you keep your same job? If not, what would you be doing instead? Continue reading Question of the Day: Number 553
Seneca: A Stoic Life One of the things I admire about the Stoic philosophers is that they embodied the wisdom that they preached. Seneca, one of the three notable Stoics (along with Marcus Aurelius and Epictetus), used the philosophy of Stoicism to navigate the turmoil and uncertainties during his life. Although he maintained a high status in ancient Rome as a politician and financial clerk, … Continue reading A Stoic Approach to Fear
If I were asked to speak of this planet’s natural beauty, it would be impossible for me to do so without mentioning Utah. It would, In fact, be the first place to spring to mind. In my opinion, Utah is the epitome of breathtaking beauty; due in part to its layered plateaus, vast openness, and weathered rock formations that stand like mythical creatures reaching for … Continue reading The Road To Utah
If only things were that simple. If only events could be packaged into neat containers of ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ or ‘good’ and ‘evil’. Despite our proclivities towards binary and dualistic thinking, life is a whole lot messier. Many circumstances are morally ambiguous and uncertain. Being in this metaphorical ‘grey’ area of not knowing can be uncomfortable. We crave certainty and straightforward responses. We are inclined … Continue reading The Wisdom of Being Wrong
“I’m not telling you it’s going to be easy. I’m telling you it’s going to be worth it.” Art Williams This anxiety that is my constant companion of late scrapes it’s nails across my chest. It hangs at the corners of my mouth. It paces and wrings its hands over and over and over wearing a trough in my brain. I don’t eat foods that … Continue reading On Being a Nurse
I’m sharing this article as my civic duty, to inform those persons who may be unaware of a change in a law of the universe. When it changed, or how it changed, I know not. I only know that it has changed. Although we were once subject to the law that Bad Things Come in Three, we must now accept the indisputable fact that Bad Things Come in … Continue reading Bad Things Come In Four
The unfolding of beauty Continue reading The Unmasking of Beauty Within the World
Please note this is a partnered post and may contain affiliate links. Pixabay – CC0 Licence In a world where big things seem to happen more or less everyday, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. We’ve all grown up with messages around us telling us that we can do anything, we can change the world and that we are the future. Then we see the inequality, … Continue reading Why It’s Not Such A Bad Thing To Be “Powerless”
As part of my healing process when my marriage of twenty years suddenly ended, I set out on long motorcycle rides that provided an excellent way of helping me transition to life as a single man. For me, motorcycling offered a sense of freedom that was truly magical in nature. On one of the first of several such trips, when I was a relative newbie … Continue reading A Nickel For Your Presence
We ought to do good to others as simply as a horse runs, or a bee makes honey, or a vine bears grapes season after season without thinking of the grapes it has borne Marcus Aurelius, Meditations In this day and age it is far too easy to become addicted to our ego. Through the internet and social media, we long for instant gratification and … Continue reading Marcus Aurelius: On Humility and Duty
Hello my fellow bloggers and blog-lovers. Whether you write, sing, teach, dance, garden, or paint, we’re all creators in some way or another. I’m sure my fellow creators can relate to the impulsive, metaphysical muse that calls us to create out of the blue. It’s a fantastic feeling. When you start creating and keep on creating. But those involuntary instances of inspiration happen far too … Continue reading There is no such thing as writer’s block
