#youdoyou

In religious circles.

Seriously, just do you. Nobody's replacing anyone else as G-d's favorite little minions. Nobody's going to get roasted whole hog over an eternal bonfire because they don't buy the popular Messianic ideology. Nobody's soul is doomed to destruction because they had the audacity to investigate different theological or non-theological information. Chill out. We're all learning. We're all (well, at least most of us) doing the best we can.

I'm mostly thinking of people my age range and older. And I'm going to include my past self here. What a bunch of pompous, self-righteous asses! And in my case, absolutely nothing to be self-righteous about! Geez! But... not to deflect, but to explain... That seemed to have been the example set. Or I guess how we interpreted it. Our main frame of reference. It was about piety and strict adherence to what we were told the bible said.

Then, decades later than I should have, I grew up. And there's still those hollow, holier-than-thou voices trying to manipulate and control through fear, using empty threats of.... Lost! Going to hell! Hey, if that works for some people, rock on. Personally, for my life... I call Bullsh**. I'm grown now. Finally. And I have my own relationship with G-d. My G-d showed me all that hellfire and brimstone stuff is allegory. Consequences through life experiences... Karma, if you will... There's your hellfire and brimstone.

And there's people, children, who have done no wrong...they haven't lived long enough to do anything wrong...who STILL went through a more horrific hell than any bible thumping believer could ever imagine. Religion has yet to adequately explain that, although I have my own unprovable theories. And many still throw around the hell threats.

Allegory people, allegory. I don't care how graphic and detailed the wording is, it's allegory. It was written by certain ancient people with their own ancient people in mind who would know exactly what they meant. The writers had no inkling of an imagination that a foreign people on the other side of the globe, hundreds and thousands of years in the future would get their grubby little hands on their letters, try to read them, interpret them into their own languages, applying their own meaning to them, and creating hundreds of different branches of religion from them. No clue whatsoever.

Yet the majority of the rest of the world has latched onto those writings, claiming them for their very own, insisting their understanding of them is the right one and the only way to achieve salvation. Pretty lofty claims coming mostly from people don't even descend from the people who wrote them. It's ridiculous.

That's why I'm here, by my little ol' lonesome, living the way I understand those writings after learning from those who DO descend from the writers. And even among them there's considerable difference of opinion on some topics. So I listened and learned from a great deal of scholars and experts and I made up my own mind what, out of all of the information and insights makes the most sense, what is most practical for my life and what gives me the most joy while just simply trying to live as a good person and I'm doing that.

I don't have all the answers. My thoughts, understandings, and opinions aren't the only right way. I'm not a scholar or a guru. I'm just me on my own journey, encouraging others to think for themselves and enjoy their own spiritual journey. Don't let religious zealots browbeat you, bully you, manipulate, intimidate, or control you. You do you. If your walk in life isn't met with approval from others, ask yourself this...

February: Focus

Now that the new year has hit and the first month is already over, it’s all about focusing on goals.

What do I want to achieve this year? What do I need to do and tick off? What did I learn from last year?

Sometimes even those questions can feel overwhelming, especially when you honestly have no clue where to begin. I get it — we put so much pressure on ourselves to have it all figured out by January 1st, as if a single date can magically make everything clear. It doesn’t always work that way.

I've been told that vision boarding is something that can help — a way to visualize dreams, goals, and the kind of energy you want to attract. I even went online, scrolling through my socials, looking for inspiration from others. Some of it resonated. Some of it didn’t. The truth is, you can borrow ideas, but you can’t borrow clarity. You have to take a step back, breathe, and ask yourself:

What actually matters to me?

It’s easy to get caught up in the rush, comparing your goals to someone else's highlight reel. But the most meaningful achievements start from a place of honesty. What lights you up? What makes you proud, even if nobody sees it? What small habits could you build today that your future self will silently thank you for?

And here’s something important to remember: You have the entire year.

You don’t have to sprint out of the gate. You don’t have to conquer the mountain tomorrow. Growth is often invisible before it’s undeniable. Start slow. Start messy. Start unsure. Just start.

Maybe February isn't about finishing your goals — maybe it's about meeting them. Introducing yourself to the person you're becoming. Deciding, day by day, to keep showing up even when it’s not perfect.

Be patient with yourself. Be proud of the small steps. Every great thing you want to build will grow from the foundations you lay now — quietly, stubbornly, beautifully.

January: Reset

Starting fresh means leaving behind all the negativity from the past year.

— the people, the situations, and the habits that no longer serve you. The new year brings with it a sense of hope, new opportunities, and the promise of better people who will add value to your life. It’s a time to open yourself up to what could be, not holding onto what has been.

You’ve let go of the weight that others have placed on you—whether it was those who disappeared without explanation, ignored you, or treated you like you were nothing.

You’ve said goodbye to the ones who didn’t put in the effort or appreciate your worth.