HUMAN2HUMAN

"This is something basic to be understood - the ego must come to a peak, it must be strong, it must have attained an integrity - only then can you dissolve it. A weak ego cannot be dissolved. And this becomes a problem." ~ Rajneesh The ego helped us stay alive as we wandered around the Savannah before we realized we didn’t have to be eaten by lions, tigers, and bears. We could make weapons and protect ourselves. Then tools to plant and harvest. It was necessary so that we could survive. It was crucial for our evolution. If not we would not be here today.  It is not who we are. It is there to help. But like any aspect of the whole, it must be healthy. A healthy ego looks out for us, is full of prospects and it wants to lead the way, to help, but like any determining factor real or imagined, it gets in our way. A healthy ego a well-trained ego well-mastered ego will be our lookout and know its place. But yet it will stop, block and deter when it doubts us. It sta...

YOUR FIRST PRINCIPLE. When I feel my life is bereft of meaning or purpose I have no feeling. I feel empty. My guiding principle is to be kind, caring and compassionate.  I must be engaged with others to do better, or why bother? But, sometimes I find myself alone. The mission is to stay healthy and to be positive. Which means turning off the cable news and social media and being present. I do my best to be a good single-parent, son, brother and friend, employee, boss, or co-worker. There are a lot of challenges to deal with and balance. There are times I need to be alone to charge my batteries and other times I need to be helping someone.  “I am here to help “is my mantra. It is true – if you want to feel better, help somebody. I always do or try. However, there are times I forget to take care of myself. That North Star leads me astray and I find myself lost in the wilderness of self-doubt and I am overwhelmed by the big picture. Big dreams and big expectation...

Life is hard enough without any further difficulties. Those who struggle with a brain disorder, depression and anxiety have an even harder time because besides dealing with the rough terrain of the every day, we - all of us have an added degree of difficulty. We have an unhinged person in the oval office. Whatever your political leanings, he is making an unstable world that much more tedious to navigate. Personally, I have a hard time finding a way of tuning this craziness out. I am a Humanist and an Optimist, but I do not understand how someone people actually are ok with this and support this person. I care about children at the border, the environment, the LGBTQ community, equal pay for women, Pro-Choice, the poor, the unemployed, increasing the minimum wage, etc.. call me a bleeding-heart liberal if you must. I care what happens to this world.  In the meantime, I struggle to keep a job to pay my bills and take care of those who rely on me while I am trying to create a ...

The other day I was listening to a podcast and they were discussing mental health. The question at hand was - if mental health, or a brain disorder, is caused strictly due to a chemical imbalance? The eventually landed on the idea that it is a combination of chemical imbalance and a person's emotional state. Of course, one's emotional state has a lot of different contributing factors. If a person's emotional state is not steady or stable it tends to fluctuate. Depending on the individual or one's state may cycle rapidly i.e. a person who is Bipolar may go up and down like a roller coaster. A person who is not Neuro-divergent and who is relatively healthy - mentally wise may only have a blip or a mild disappearance throughout their day. Come what may - it is similar to the chicken and the egg paradox. If someone has troubling thoughts, that may cause them to get emotionally upset. Which inturns stirs the cauldron of neurochemistry causing one to enter a state that...

Sometimes through no fault of their own, some people become Mystics. From a life-altering event, a disease, a struggle beyond imagining, a death, an insight, or a dream. Whatever the case - a change happens. The determining factor is suffering. To experience and live in a state of bliss, first, you have to spend some time in hell. It either destroys you or tempers you into a strong yet flexible weapon of truth and righteousness. Those of us that are wired a little different from the rest are challenged with the rough terrain of every day due to a chemical imbalance not taking our meds, not eating or sleeping right, let alone self-medicating - life can be a real challenge. If not life-threatening. My name is Jeff Turnbull. I am a Survivor. I have battled demons and monsters all my life. It was not until later in life that I could name them - Anxiety, Depression, Bipolar Disorder- I. I did a lot of work on myself. I am here to share with you what I have learned. I do my best to...