New Game+

So this is it. we've made it to the end. There's only one critical point left to grab on to. How do you keep that delicate balance in life so you can keep this progress and momentum, but not lose the other parts of your life? You know, those parts you actually want to keep. I'm sure you'll be unsurprised to find out it's not as easy as some people make it sound. Fortunately there are a couple key points that can help get us there. The first is a nice dose of self respect. I know we talked about that earlier, and it's never going to stop being important. This is your life you are working on here. Yours. Not your bosses, your friends, not even your families. That's not to say you should shout them all down and throw them out of you life. You're gonna be pretty lonely if you do that. But you have to remember you have the right to do it. You can, and absolutely should stand up for yourself and your goals. You just don't have to be horrible about it. Som...

Gary Larson always had a bit of a dark sense of humor. So much so that many people wrote to his editors and the publications that displayed his comics. One rather famous complaint came about a comic he wrote that made light if Jane Goodall, a famous zoologist that did some breakthrough work with gorillas in the wilds. A woman wrote a letter demanding his comic be removed immediately because Dr. Goodall was an amazing researcher who you shouldn't dare make fun of. This sparked a rather significant controversy that inevitably made it to Dr. Goodall herself. Her response? "I thought it was very funny. And I think if you make a Gary Larson cartoon, boy you’ve made it." Fast forward a couple decades and what was just another bit of that dark humor has become a rather appropriate interpretation of the food industries callous disregard for the animals it raises and slaughters. If DR. Goodall's stance still holds, then this kind of attention should carry the same kind of grav...

 It looks like we're almost done with this rebuild. Hopefully you've found something helpful, useful, or even comforting here. But for the moment it's time to get your shovel. It's fine to cave or some space. Two concepts that might seem unrelated but have a common energy area the ideas of digging in and drawing boundaries. It's all the same vibe. "This is my space." both are equally important, and for a lot of people equally difficult for various reasons. Drawing or own boundaries, for a lot of people, feels like pushing people away. Especially when the selfish people in our lives say as much. Let me assure you, it's not. Boundaries are our way of saying I will not tolerate or allow that in my life. It's that simple. The hard part comes when people we don't want to lose push on those boundaries and blame us for them. The nicest way to describe that behavior is selfish. I'll keep the more colorful words for you to fill in. Holding on to you...

Have you ever wondered what goes into the food you eat? Don't. It'll probably give you nightmares, or at least have you reaching for a stiff drink. "Fresh", a documentary made in 2009 takes a look at the practices and effects of modern industrial farming and compares it to more ethical and sustainable organic farming methods. I wish I was more shocked by what I saw. But for better or worse, I was well aware of much of the movies contents. I've not managed a complete transition into whole, organic foods, but I know that I need to and why. I will admit I was surprised to find out how much more viable organic farming could be; not only in the matter of ecological sustainability, but also the economic viability. If the information given out in the film is accurate, organic farming could genuinely improve the quality of food in general and still be able to make a significant profit. It's not just about the income made from selling your crops and livestock but a dec...

I hope my thoughts have given you some kind of help or calm. I can't count how many times I would have loved to have any advice going through my chaos. I'm not some kind of guru; just a guy that's been through a few too many crisis'. If I can give anyone even a fraction of what I needed when I was there, I'll be happy. Knowledge and experience aren't worth much if we don't use and share it. That being said, just because you are starting over doesn't mean you've got nothing to work with. No lack of money, support, or time can take away the experience and skills you've gained up to this point. It does get hard sometimes to remember, or even realize what those are when we're in the middle of chaos, but what got you here can get you where you are going. The hardest part is not dismissing things because they are "not a big deal." There are two barriers I see when people try figuring out what they are good at. Not realizing how something ...

The morning starts like any other. I'm sitting at my desk watching the steam from the cup fog up the corner of my computer screen. The smell gently filling the my office. Smooth and calming; I can tell by  that first hint of bitter wafting across my senses it's done. I pull the tea bag out, watching the last drops fall back into the cup. Still too hot to drink, I enjoy the blended scent of herbs while I work through my morning preparations. That first sip fills my senses, setting my mind and body at ease. Smooth, sharp, and bitter blended into one gentle, heated rush through my mouth and down my throat. My mind feels equally focused and calm as I enjoy the best part of my morning. One distinct smell overpowers the others as I hold the cup beneath my nose, pausing to enjoy the moment. As the tea cools, I savor the taste and feel of it in my mouth. Three previously distinct flavors now merge into one smooth, seamless mixture hovering in my mouth. It's not until I allow it to ...

Starting anything new is scary. We've all failed at something and that feeling sucks. No one wants to feel that on purpose. That's a huge part of what makes change so hard. Thankfully, it doesn't have to be hard, and you don't have to fail. They say the first steps are the hardest. Having made several major changes in my life, I agree with this sentiment. I've spent a good bit of time figuring out what makes it so hard and I've come up with two main answers. First; change is hard. The way our brains are wired, we are averse to change. We like things to stay simple and familiar. So no matter how important the changes are, or how much we want them, making them takes an act of will. You're going against centuries of habit and evolution. Unfortunately, there's not much to correcting this beyond acceptance. This is going to be hard. Embrace that fact and recognize your accomplishments. The second issue has several points that can be affected, so let's dea...