New Game+

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...

Music speaks to us from every angle imaginable. Telling stories so we can see what the artist went through. Praising or denouncing someone else in the public forum. And some songs speak to us, literally us, the listener. The artist trying to convey a feeling, a memory, or even encourage action. But there is a carefully crafted niche where an artist is talking to themself and just given us the opportunity to listen in. That's where this song comes from. Hope, by NF, hits on that deeply personal level where you can hear that he is talking to himself, he names himself in several lines, but this conversation is one a lot of people have had with themselves. Or maybe they need to, and he's giving us the words to say what we've felt for far too long.  Nathan John Feuerstein is a rapper that goes by the name NF, his initials. A lot of his music deals with trauma, internal strife, and mental health issues. Unsurprisingly he has been through a great deal of these issues himself and i...