A Boxer at Rest

I t seems like everyone and their emotionally-overwhelmed cousin is realizing they might be autistic these days. The internet is full of lists— Signs You Have Autism and Didn’t Know It , Why You Hate Phone Calls , Are You Socially Exhausted or Just Neurodivergent? —and suddenly, what used to be dismissed as “quirks” are adding up to something more significant. For years, autism was thought of in rigid terms: a childhood condition identified early, mostly in boys, with a set of clear-cut diagnostic criteria. But the understanding of autism has expanded, revealing a spectrum that includes adults who’ve spent decades masking their traits, often at great personal cost. The realization that autism isn’t rare—it’s just been overlooked—explains a lot about why so many people feel like they’ve been navigating life on hard mode without knowing why. Of course, there’s skepticism. Some roll their eyes at the surge in self-diagnoses, dismissing it as a TikTok trend or a product of over-patholog...

S o , as I get older, I've noticed my friend group is getting smaller. It's not that I suddenly hate everyone, but I'm finding it harder and harder to connect with people these days. Most conversations just feel...shallow. I'm craving chats about big ideas and personal growth, but it seems like everyone's stuck on complaining about politics or arguing about stuff they can't control. Seriously, everyone seems so into drama and negativity. It's like no one's happy unless they're worked up about something. All this complaining about things we can't change is just exhausting. There's so much good we could be doing, but it's like people would rather just be mad all the time. I think this whole thing is a sign of something bigger going on in our society. We're all so disconnected – from ourselves, our communities, even nature. And that's leading to a serious lack of meaning in our lives. People keep telling me that as I age, I should s...

I once believed that unconditional love was key to being a good parent. I worked hard at the job, hoping that my love would help my child to grow up well adjusted and happy. I learned the hard way that love isn’t always enough.  Early Signs What initially appeared as confidence slowly morphed into a need for control and praise. Occasional selfishness turned into a pattern of manipulation and emotional pressure. Before long I was second-guessing every choice I made, wondering what I did wrong. I hoped it was just a phase.  Facing Reality It wasn't just a phase. It was how things would be. The more I tried, the more I saw entitlement and cruelty. Even years after emancipation, I was expected to bail them out of their self-inflicted difficulties. I walked on eggshells, trying to avoid angry outbursts. No matter what I did, things didn't and wouldn’t change.  I chose to step back from the relationship. I chose peace.  Choosing to Walk Away Walking away was hard. Some wo...

W hen I was in the workforce, I would hear coworkers complain regularly about how certain people seemed to be getting an unfair advantage in the workplace. Complaints could be anything from "so-in-so gets better hours, better wages, better assignments, better promotions, better treatment, etc., at work than I do .” The “I,” in that rant, of course, would be the person doing the complaining. Other coworkers would quickly take the opportunity to jump on the bandwagon to bemoan how they too were receiving unfair treatment in these and other areas. I wasn’t especially interested in joining any bitch brigade, so I would purposefully ignore the complainers and direct my full attention to doing my job in the best way I knew how. I adopted the attitude of "How others were being rewarded for their efforts was really nothing to me." All that mattered to me was that I was performing my assignments as professionally as possible and collecting the previously agreed upon wages. ...

This video suggests some practical insights on prioritizing well-being, cherishing genuine relationships, and letting go of what no longer serves a person after the age of 65.

And a woman who held a babe against her bosom said, Speak to us of Children. And he said: Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself. They come through you but not from you, And though they are with you yet they belong not to you. You may give them your love but not your thoughts, For they have their own thoughts. You may house their bodies but not their souls, For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams. You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you. For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday. You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth. The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far. Let your bending in the archer’s hand be for gladness; For even as He loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the...

“Nothing exists save for atoms and space, all else is conjecture.” – Democritus, 460-370 BCE Through the advancements of scientific inquiry, we have come to recognize that our physical bodies serve as hosts to a vast and intricate ecosystem comprised of microorganisms, collectively known as the human microbiome. This microbiome encompasses bacteria, fungi, viruses, and archaea (unicellular organisms) that inhabit our skin, digestive tract, and other anatomical regions. It is estimated that the quantity of microbial cells may be equivalent to or even surpass that of human cells. The National Library of Medicine posits that the human microbiota consists of approximately 10-100 trillion symbiotic microbial cells harbored by each individual. These countless microorganisms fulfill significant roles in various bodily functions, including digestion, metabolism, and immune responses. They assist in the breakdown and absorption of nutrients, produce essential vitamins and compounds, and edu...

Animals often strike us as passionate machines -- Eric Hoffer, Reflections on the Human Condition As scientific advancements unveil the mysteries of the universe, it becomes increasingly evident that everything appears to operate mechanistically. Atoms, molecules, stars, planets, cells, and biological systems are fundamentally mechanical. If the existence of a supernatural, invisible soul within my body is negated, then it is undeniable that I too am a machine. Complex machines, including self-programming ones, remain machines nonetheless. Some individuals may contend that life forms are fundamentally distinct from inanimate objects, despite both being composed of atoms and molecules. However, a closer examination reveals that this distinction is tenuous. Vegetable matter, such as plants, is commonly regarded as alive, while mineral matter, such as rocks, is not. Yet, both vegetables and minerals are acknowledged as matter, composed of atoms and molecules. Since all atoms and molec...

“Man is not worried by real problems so much as by his imagined anxieties about real problems.” ~ Epictetus, Enchiridion Throughout the annals of human history, intellectuals, philosophers, prophets, visionaries, and even anarchists have contemplated and advocated for divergent visions of an ideal future society. Plato's Republic, Thomas More's Utopia, the promise made to Abraham and his descendants in Genesis 12:1-3, the millennial reign of Christ mentioned in Revelations 20:3, Karl Marx's Worker's Paradise, and Hitler's 1000-year Reich are but a few examples. Some individuals aspire to reach a state of Nirvana, while others envision a heavenly kingdom with streets paved with gold. Utopias are generally anticipated to materialize in the future and are thus deemed worthy of sacrificing the present for. Consider the Peoples Temple, Heaven's Gate, and other suicide cults that have tragically lost lives in the pursuit of their delusional future utopian dreams. ...

“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” – Viktor Frankl An individual with a strong moral compass exhibits responsible behavior. The obligation to speak the truth, maintain civility, and preserve cleanliness in my living space was instilled in me from an early age. As I progressed through life, further responsibilities were added, including performing optimally in an academic setting, caring for younger siblings, and upholding commitments. As an adult, my responsibilities have multiplied, encompassing consistent employment, financial management, and providing for my family, among others. Responsible actions are highly esteemed, while irresponsible behavior indicates a profound deficit in moral values. Recently, I have realized that it is also my responsibility to cultivate a high degree of "response-ability." My ability to intentionally select my response determines how I react to any given situation or stimulus. Rather th...