A lot of time and money is spent on frivolous things in the vain hope that they will help us feel “good.” Here’s a shocker. This will not work… and feeling “good” might not be what you actually need. Pushed & Pulled to the Un-Necessary The basic idea used in marketing is to establish a […]
Few of us will ever face the harsh realities of being imprisoned or enslaved, but we are at risk of being captured by the undue influence of others through emotional targeting of our needs and desires. Let’s talk about how to protect ourselves from this type of maligned influence. Needs and Desires Everyone has basic
You are Free to Choose Freedom Read More »
Being ready for war is a good analogy for being prepared for fighting through the struggles of your daily life. If you are ready for the fight, you’ll be able to overcome challenges and live the life you want to live. The warrior who is prepared starts with developing a moral conviction. They say to
In our house we avoided assigning chores and instead focused on teaching our kids to be responsible for their fair share of the work as a “duty.” We can also try to frame our responsibility to develop self control as a duty we owe to ourselves and to those around us. Self-control can be defined
The Responsibility of Self-Control Read More »
Some emotions are secondary effects of our perceptions and thoughts. These manufactured emotions can cause us a lot of problems. Let’s try on a hypothetical example. Perhaps you see a task in front of you that scares you and you freeze up. Once you recognize you aren’t getting the job done you get angry with
Taking on Manufactured Emotions Read More »
Today I have been thinking a lot about influence. It is both a blessing and a curse to be susceptible to influence. On one hand we can learn and grow from positive and helpful influences and on the other we can be tormented and manipulated by coercive and maligned influences. We need positive influences in
Mastering Influence to Protect Your Autonomy Read More »
We are all subjected to internal and external pressures. These pressures push us and pull us in ways that have profound impacts on our lives. Understanding how these systems interact with us can help us respond to them in ways that enable us to live the life we want to live instead of being cast
Responding to Pressure Read More »
In Stoicism there is the idea that seeking fame, power, and wealth can lead you into a type of self generated captivity. It’s not that being famous, powerful, or wealthy is inherently bad, but the consequences of obtaining those prizes can be subtle and binding. Think of the restrictions placed on the famous by society.
The Chains That Bind Us Read More »
The reluctant hero called to seek out a mythical dragon and its horde of treasure is one of my favorite types of adventure stories. The idea of a small band of adventures heading off on a journey of redemption to reclaim the treasure and riches stolen by a wicked and evil beast is vivid and
Here there be dragons! Read More »
Operational Security (OPSEC) as a concept in a military setting is meant to reduce vulnerabilities by controlling the flow of information in an effort to prevent adversaries from exploiting weaknesses. We can also use the concept of OPSEC to protect our minds from nefarious attempts by others to gain influence over our thoughts, emotions, and
