sustainable systems & storytelling
"It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live." — Marcus Aurelius Yesterday, we went on our evening walk and discovered a two-day old gosling that had been abandoned by it's family. After following it around for over an hour, observing a man sic his dog on... Continue Reading →
The year is 2018, and it's been a rough one. The last 300-some-odd days have been filled with debilitating illness, medications that exacerbate the existing symptoms, false allegations that could have landed me in federal prison, no action being taken against the true criminal in my workplace, the lost of my best friend over behaviors... Continue Reading →
There is a Buddhist parable known as the "second arrow." If your are struck by an arrow, acknowledge and treat it, but do no allow yourself to be struck by a second arrow--the troubling thoughts and options about your pain--as this only causes further unnecessary pain. I keep looking forward to my future self. What... Continue Reading →
The most challenging part of my illness is not the hair loss, skin ulcers, or constant nausea. I'm starting to come to terms with the swollen joints and the forced sabbatical from lifting, hiking and cardio. I'm okay with the fact that I'll be on heavy-duty medication for at least ten more months and, quite possibly,... Continue Reading →
Two years ago, my parents gave my a copy of Ryan Holiday's The Daily Stoic for the holidays. During 2017, I read the 365 daily musings religiously, and lately I've been picking the book up again. The stoic philosophies of Seneca, Marcus Aurelius, and Epictetus have been hitting home especially hard this year, as everything I thought... Continue Reading →
Several years ago, I saw Angela Duckworth's TED talk on "Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance," followed shortly thereafter by the reading of her book with the same name. Enamored by the idea that anyone can reverse engineer the habits of high achievers, I've been continually working to practice grit in my everyday life.... Continue Reading →
The last month has been a whirlwind of events beyond my control. I've faced challenges in my environment, my career, and my heath. Ten years ago, I would have collapsed under the weight of it all, surely assigning blame to external factors and wallowing in self-pity. Thankfully, over the last decade I've discovered Buddhism and... Continue Reading →
Denny at The Ceaseless Reader Writes challenged me to post about an author or philosopher of the ancient world. I've chosen the Stoic philosopher Epictetus. I'll be sharing three quotes and some additional interesting facts, and will be inviting a few additional bloggers to participate in the challenge. Having attended Catholic school for fifteen years, I've always... Continue Reading →
existential ergonomics 