#becoming project

This practical workbook-like post was created as a companion to The Stress of Living Under the Current Presidential Administration. That post explored the deep emotional, physical, and social impact of politics on the American psyche. This guide translates that analysis into action, offering everyday citizens tangible tools to manage, reduce, and redirect the stress that political turbulence…

I remember the first book that made me feel like someone had written it for me. Not to entertain me. Not to educate me. Not to warn me. But for me. It was a picture book—simple, bright, and earnest. Two princes. A castle. A dragon. One prince saves the other and they fall in love. They get married. They smile. I was twelve. The book was intended for younger kids, but at that point, I would have…

If humans came with taglines the way products or podcasts do, mine would not be some vanilla slogan engineered for mass appeal or tucked under a logo. Mine would be hand-scrawled in ink, worn like a battle scar, tattooed in spirit even before I knew I was born to fight. “Striped Soul, Sharp Mind, Sweet Rebel.” Seven words. Three truths. One human—me. Let me break it down, not as a brand pitch…

A spoken word piece by JT Santana They never taught me this math in school.Never handed me a chalkboardand said,“Here’s how you calculate your worthwhen the world keeps subtracting parts of you.” I learned on the back of napkins,in the corners of bathroom stalls,counting backward from shamejust to make it to the next hour. Long division of dignity.Fractions of my identityleft scattered on…

Mental Health Awareness Month 2025 is drawing to a close, but for millions of people across the United States and around the world, the conversation is far from over. For those living with anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, substance use challenges, or any number of other mental health conditions, the changing calendar does not bring relief. The stigma…

A Shared Epidemic, Divergent Responses In nearly every corner of the world, substance use has emerged as one of the most complex and persistent public health challenges of the modern era. From the opioid crisis in the United States to shifting attitudes toward drug policy in Europe, nations are grappling with how to address the human, social, and economic toll of substance misuse. Yet not all…