A Mile In My Canvas Shoes

An Open Letter To Law Enforcement in America

An open letter to law enforcement: This has been a trying year for all of America, and this past month we have suffered incredible losses to the failures of our communities. But this must be said, as an American who values the freedoms this country once offered — this video breaks my heart to see. Please try to see where the majority of America is coming from when we address the law enforcement…

The million dollar question, a defining moment in time that has the potential to elevate you to your highest highs, or sink you to depths you never imagined. What do you do when your world crashes? I’ve been wrestling with this question a lot lately. 

After everything that’s happened in 2020-2021, my plans and goals have been shaken to their core. All of the things I imagined for myself have either been postponed, or thrown to the wayside with no indication of whether they will even be possible in the coming years. My core beliefs about how the world works, why I’m here, and what is possible have been stripped from me in the most unceremonious fashion.

Now I’m sitting among fragments of my ambitions, trying to find any pieces that still fit together, trying to see if any of it still makes sense. I think that’s the biggest danger in how we establish our identities--if they’re dependent on any external validation or cause then we risk losing everything if the proverbial rug is ripped out from under us. What do we do then? What do I do then?

What A Year Of Minimalism Taught Me

For the last year, I’ve lived as a minimalist – today I’m done with it. 

My journey into minimalism started at a point in my life where I was searching for meaning and for a purpose to my existence. I needed something to feel like I had some control in life, and I needed a way to come to grips with depression and anxiety. When I found minimalism, it was this promise of a more meaningful life…

He was a man without a country, a citizen of heaven who walked through hell. He saw fame and tasted defeat, all the while treading his soul thin by the world. Despair and euphoria coalesced in to his marching song. Wearied and beaten, he stood atop mountains and collapsed in valleys. Warriors are never born, they are forged in the furnace of adversity. His blade dulled from the ever mounting…

Why It’s Better To Seek Forgiveness Than Ask Permission

Growing up in a household where parental approval was tantamount to doing anything, I never could wrap my head around the adage “Better to seek forgiveness than ask permission.” For me, that always seemed like a cop out, an excuse to do whatever you wanted and live without boundaries. Now that I’m older, I’ve realized that’s only partially true. In some scenarios, it truly is better to seek…

Defeated, heavy soul, every step a mile in its own. You have trodden this path too long, now ready upon collapsing lungs. Your Mountain scaled, you are among the prevailed. Short of breath you may be, glancing upon eternity. Call it courage, call it might. Call it cowardice, call it fright. This life you lead is yours, no other may steer its course. Be brave, be strong, raise your loudest call to…

If You Could Do One Thing Today…

If you could do ONE thing today, what would you do? Putting aside all requisite responsibilities, outside concerns and to-do lists, what is the one thing you want most today?  An important part of mental health and emotional stability is recognizing when it’s time to do something for ourselves, out of no obligation to anything else. Maybe it’s booking a vacation, maybe it’s simply sitting down…