When was the last time you went outdoors purely for enjoyment? If you’re like the majority of Americans, it’s probably been a coon’s age. “So what?” you might think. “I can watch Planet Earth on Blu-ray. It isn’t your business, anyway.” No, it certainly isn’t, but please don’t get defensive, friend. My intention here is [...]
Inspiration
David Foster Wallace is one of my personal heroes. Maybe you’ve never heard of him. Wallace (or DFW) was a novelist, essayist, short story writer, and arguably one of the most notable geniuses of the past few decades. Time magazine cited his novel, “Infinite Jest”, as one of the top 100 novels from 1923 – 2005. [...]
This world contains a colossal amount of scary, evil nastiness. Helpless children are gunned down with increasing regularity in our schools. Real, honest people face constant discrimination because of the color of their skin pigment. Innocent civilians are murdered daily because of wars over whose God knows best. Dedicated life partners are denied marriage because of a natural [...]
Lies are all around us. No, I’m not some paranoid conspiracy theorist. I am, however, addicted to knowing the truth. And guess what? People are lying to you. All day, every day. TV shows are lying to you. Politicians are lying to you. Music artists are lying to you. Advertisements are lying to you. You’re lying [...]
Life isn’t always vibrant rainbows and blue crystal skies. Dark clouds, hail storms, and the occasional tornado crop up in our minds. Exasperation, anxiety, melancholy, and other bad feelings strike us, often unexpectedly. It’s important to recognize these states of mind as necessary. Without them, we wouldn’t appreciate the wonders of contentment, peace, and joy. We should [...]
It’s saddening how many people fall into the treacherous quicksand of bad habits. They repeatedly make the same mistakes and end up feeling frozen in place. And most of the time, it isn’t their fault. They fail to grasp that we get from life what we give. They haven’t realized the world we see reflects [...]
re·fine /riˈfīn/ Verb: 1. Remove impurities or unwanted elements from. 2. Improve (something) by making small changes. Everyone in the world should be concerned with refining their mind — i.e. abolishing worry and stress, increasing energy and confidence, developing motivation and focus, and fostering compassion and understanding. Perhaps you’re like me and believe [...]