Sometimes It Just Is
Exercise and Suffering
I’m hoping to share a number of learnings through this site, three of the core ones are: Suffering can be nearly invincible to our attempts to resolve/lessen it. There are a variety of methods for countering our suffering that are worth trying. What works for you may not work for me (and vice versa). In…
What To Eat
Most of us probably know someone whose character transforms when they haven’t eaten recently. They may become depressed, irritable, raging, sad. I’ve seen these moods beset a person when they haven’t eaten and vanish quickly once they’ve eaten and I’ve also seen miraculous, long-term changes in mood brought on by radical (sustained) changes in diet.…
That Freaking Escalator
My brain has a habit of reminding me of tasks I need to accomplish at the most inconvenient times: in the shower while falling asleep driving the car This morning it was, “You need to reply to Sophie’s email about…” This is bad enough, but it’s the escalator ride that often follows after that really…
Should I Medicate?
I believe in using medications to treat illness – whether physical or mental. I don’t like taking medication. It has side effects that interfere with my life. I’ve been consistently taking medications for my mental health for ~20 years. I hope a day will come when I will not need these medications. I accept that…
Using Visual Media to Survive: For Adrenaline
I discovered that, strangely, horror (a genre I hadn’t traditionally watched/enjoyed) could release bursts of adrenaline into my body. When I was at my worst in physical/emotional health it seemed to have a literal calming effect on my body. I’d measure my heart rate variability (HRV) before the movie and after and by the end…
Using Visual Media to Survive: For Motivation
Using Visual Media to Survive: Introduction and For Catharsis
There are a lot of common reasons folks give for continuing to exist, for fighting against the darkness – family, faith, hope, etc. and I’ll likely cover those in the future, but I don’t want to start by talking about what you probably already know (however important it may be). So today lets talk about…
Why Do I Fight?
The Night Persistent
Most books I have read, talks I have heard, conversations I have participated in, have emphasized the transient nature of suffering. We persist because there will be a better day or so I am told. St. John of the Cross who originated the phrase Dark Night of the Soul portrays this suffering as a dark…
