Jeff spotted a leather wallet on the floor of his local supermarket. He picked the wallet up and peered inside. He saw a driver’s license, credit cards, and $127 in cash. Jeff looked around the crowded store for the person in the driver’s license photo. He couldn’t find the wallet’s owner anywhere so he decided to […]
Ladies & Gentlemen, it’s that time again. It’s time to vote! Some of you are thinking My vote won’t count, or Elections are a farce, or Gerrymandering and money decides results, not the populace. I hear you, but your vote is needed now more than ever before. I empathize with the above sentiments, but if we’ve learned anything […]
Last night my wife told me that I am a social butterfly. I lay in bed, my nose in a book, considering her comment. Before COVID I may have been an extrovert who leapt at any opportunity to hook up with friends or to attend community events. However, since the pandemic began I’ve played it […]
Depression, fear, and anger are all emotions that have become synonymous with our times. Anxiety seeps into daily lives. Divisive aggression is rising like a tide as Americans approach yet another election. Each of us is either directly or indirectly impacted by a reduction of work, a dwindling of retirement and personal savings, and erratic […]
Earlier this week I set out to create a Moving On Minute centered on celebrating the many blessings each of us find in our lives. Indeed, we are all blessed. But, as the words appeared in their near final form on the screen in front of me, my resolve dwindled. The focus of the piece […]
Life is different now. It’s as different as I can remember in my lifetime. I realize I was born just under forty years ago. In the history of civilization on Earth, that’s not that long. Still, I can’t help but reflect on how different things have become. People wear masks in public these days, and […]
Over the past couple weeks I’ve been overloaded with a plethora of negative emotions. I’ve been overburdened with worries. I worry about the uncertainty caused by being out of work due in the wake of COVID. I worry about not having a steady income and the all too real possibility of being unable to pay […]
For real. . . You’re not as busy as you say you are. Yet for some reason your self-indulgent sense of entitlement and importance has you thinking you are. You believe the things you want and have to do trump what everyone else has to. Here’s a news flash for you: Everyone is just as busy […]
I’m no expert. Really, I’m not. The industries and skills I’ve established expertise in have changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Retail sales, operations management, customer service; none seem as appealing as they once did. I look into employees’ half-covered faces during my sparse visits into stores. I think about the tense interactions those workers will […]
Whether in hopes of getting stronger, richer, more fit, or in the quest to become a better person, everyone wants a shortcut or a magic elixir. While there is no pill or hack that lets people circumvent the process and work necessary in leveling up, there is a guaranteed method to make oneself a better […]
Bad habits are difficult to break. Negative programming even more so. Our worst vices call out. They attempt to tempt us. They pull us into being that person we’ve been working so hard not to be. Sometimes we give in. . .Sometimes we allow poor choices and addictions to win the moment. This doesn’t make […]
I’m getting old. As they hear me say that, folks over fifty, sixty, and seventy reply, That’s nothing, you whipper-snapper. You have plenty of time left before you’re old like me. But I wore a fanny pack out in public yesterday. And I hadn’t worn one since the late 1980s or early ’90s, when I was […]
A friend and I were speaking recently about his company reopening to the public, as well as my recent career journey. My friend empathized with the concerns I have about whether or when my pre-pandemic industry will reopen. He also understood my feelings about if I really wanted to continue doing what I have done […]
After living in the same home for seven and a half years I finally visited my backyard neighbors. . . Last week our shared fence blew over in the wind for the second time. The boards on it are cracked, and the old rusty screws that hold the boards together have worked themselves out of […]
Visualize, for a moment, all the clothing you own but never wear. . . You know exactly what I’m talking about. Some of it is deep within your closet. More still is buried inside your dresser drawers or in some plastic bins in the garage or attic. After you’re through reading this I challenge you […]
This is going to be the most difficult piece I’ve ever penned and it should be. . . By now the whole world should have heard of George Floyd. George Floyd was the forty-six year old African American whose life ended tragically on May 25th when Minneapolis police officers executed him in broad daylight in […]
I can still remember back when people were social beings. People used to greet strangers with a handshake or a pound. Maybe there was a hug if they got close or felt a connection. People didn’t feel weird around their families, or about going to visit friends. There used to be backyard barbecues and swimming pools […]
I’ve understood the inherent force that is positivity for a long time now. Relentless optimism, generosity, smiling; they all carry such tremendous weight. Unfortunately I’ve been spending too much time lately giving in to the dark side and negativity. It’s because of this I decided to write this week’s Moving On Minute. I wanted to share […]
Grit Inspired by the Charles Portis novel TRUE GRIT What is grit? Physically it’s loose particles of sand and stone. Think coarse sandpaper or the sand inside a bathing suit after a visit to the beach. Used to describe a person, grit’s not as obvious or straightforward. Simply put, it’s strength of character. Courage. Resolve. […]
Many people are confused about the new world we are entering into. Many more are afraid and are being misled. Pictures show armed protesters at capital buildings across the country. Footage can be seen of healthcare workers embattled with them as well as government employees donning bullet-proof vests. Locally, many are scoffing social distancing and […]
I’ve been reflecting on parenting in this extended period at home with my child. Although there are certainly moments worth celebrating, I spend a lot time considering the many mistakes I make as well as the ways I can do and be a better father going forward. Affirmations are powerful, or at least a powerful […]
I know what you’re thinking. . . Scientists are saying we should continue stay-at-home efforts until the fall at least. . .possibly into next year. Or. . . We should just open everything up to save the economy. Sure some people will die, but people die everyday. Your perspective is securely rooted. No amount of […]
You are the storm, So cold and so beautiful. You are the frigid icy blizzard, The breeze that pushes the pine’s branches leaving clouds of white dust behind. You darken the sky; The haze that blocks out light . You never come when you’re wanted, like on Christmas. Instead you show up in spring when […]
I keep writing about pandemic living, and how could I not? It’s in my face everyday. From the first notification on my cell phone in the morning, to every news report and email I come across throughout my day. It’s on the faces of all my friends and all the family I video chat with. […]
Just a few months ago no one had time for anything! People used to say things like, “I never spend enough time at home!” or “I’m just too busy!” That was only a handful of weeks ago. Currently strict stay-at-home and shelter-in-place orders (as well as the self-quarantine and social distancing efforts of those of […]
What am I afraid of? Am I afraid of a virus that I don’t understand, or truly know anything about? A virus, that should I contract, inhale, or ingest, may suck to have, but likely won’t kill me? A virus I’ll pass on to my wife and child, but they’ll probably survive it too? Am […]
Pandemic Pandemonium Written by John Andreula Edited by Kodid Laraque-Two Elk You hear coughing up the aisle you’re walking down. It’s coming from the blonde woman a little ways up. You head down one of the adjacent aisles feeling like you dodged a contagion bullet. Immediately those videos you’ve seen of the wide and distant […]
Written by John Andreula Edited by Kodid Laraque-Two Elk I remember being young and thinking the world was one messed up place. Discrimination, pollution, poverty and war were just some of what formed my pessimistic worldview. I contemplated that humans deserved whatever they got for being such neglectful and damaging stewards of such an amazing […]
What is wealth? Merriam-Webster defines wealth as: Abundance of valuable material possessions or resources. Investopedia states wealth is determined by taking the total market value of all physical and intangible assets owned, then subtracting all debts. By either standard, many people are already relatively wealthy, but does living up to these definitions make someone truly wealthy? The archaic and obsolete definitions […]
It’s frustrating having someone you are attempting to help refuse your assistance. Whether delivering kind words, advice based on life experience, or physical aid, some people just don’t want your help. Sometimes they just want to do things for themselves, by themselves. That pride can be a positive thing. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to […]
A year and a half ago today I was fired from my job. It was the best thing I’ve ever done for myself. At the time, I worked as a service advisor for a car dealership. I was really good at what I did and was generously compensated for my abilities. I worked long hours, […]
I don’t have time for that! That’s a good thing. It’s so much better than I’m too busy! Being too busy is negative mind-state. It implies you’re a victim of circumstances beyond control. However it doesn’t require much effort to find people getting the things done that the busy person cannot. Not having time may sound similar, but it’s […]
Put the phone down! There I said it. How much time do you spend on your cell-phone each day? An hour? That’s unlikely isn’t it? Is two hours or four more realistic? It’s time to remember the separation between the real world and the virtual one on our phone screens. When on a […]
Reduction and minimalism have been recurring themes here at Moving On Upwards. (Getting Rid Of It All, Don’t Want Want, Greed. . ., Downsizing) Although the concepts have been laid out through these and other emotional-fueled works, I have yet to express the extent of my passion for a simpler life. I want to want […]
When I was younger I always found myself quick to react. My eyesight blurred. Focus and clarity gave way to a range of different emotions. Whenever I became frustrated, envious, and even overly-excited, each became a blinding wave that crashed over me. I became unable to accept and process additional information or inputs from the […]
How much distance is found between the fool and the genius? or. . . How much change is real, and how much is just in our head? Those of us that recognize our own inherent imperfections and strive for improvement are burdened with so much folly. Meditation, reflection, reading, and writing with the aim of […]
I’m sorry I can’t play with you. My priorities have changed. Family, productivity, and longevity have replaced all the game playing of my former self. Much of my favorite past-times consisted of playing games. Although I do see some value in the skills games cultivated in me as a young person, there’s just so little […]
Let me start off with the compulsory Happy New Year! to everyone. Happy New Year! It’s my sincerest wish that 2020 and the next decade hold everything you aspire to and hope for. I hope more is coming your way than you could even wish for. Now that that’s out of the way it’s time for some […]
I am Jewish. It’s not a statement of my religious affiliation, and it doesn’t fully describe my beliefs, spirituality, and life practices. To me, being Jewish is a piece of me, like being short or incredibly intelligent. It’s similar to my having a lazy left eye or my awesome abundance of charisma. Being a Jew […]
I used to be fat. In my opinion I weighed somewhere between thick and heavy. My max weight of 210 lbs on a five foot five inch frame indicated my body mass index was 34.9. The BMI stated I was obese. I was five points above overweight. But this isn’t a story about my losing […]
Is it okay to take a break for one day, or one week, from this need to produce? Consistency pulls. It tells me that if I don’t do this thing which I have arbitrarily told myself for so long makes me: 1. productive, 2. on the path to success, and 3. me, that I am […]
I remember recognizing the significance of distractions early in my journey toward bettering myself. Today, about a year later, I am starting to receive tangible external blessings for my toils. Yet once again, distractions seem to surround my tasks and work space. They are calling out to me. They are poised to test my resolve […]
Closed-minded people write karma off as some new age-y foofoo. They see those of us who believe in it as dumb snowflakes. Yet, even when they’re intelligent, closed-minded people are indeed the dumb ones. Karma is real, and it is everywhere! The poor as well as the good choices we make each play out in […]
Recently I had the privilege of writing a few pieces for a weight loss company out of Boulder. I was especially blessed because they allowed me to write about whatever I thought would fit. One of them was my first person account of climbing two of Colorado’s 14,000 foot peaks. Here’s the link: Grays and […]
The human brain is an odd thing indeed. A quick internet search on the phrase how many thoughts per day reveals a number of “experts” stating that human beings have between 18,000 and 70,000 thoughts each time the Earth spins. Even at the lowest of those estimates that’s a whole lot of thinking. Nobody is perfect. Not […]
A positive mindset is the difference between a successful person and a victim. If you’re reading this, then you’re probably open-minded and it isn’t new news. Still, it’s good to be reminded. And if you are a victim you’re probably ready to argue the point, blaming anyone and anything but yourself, for how much life […]
I don’t own my possessions. They own me. I think I’ll sell it all. Grand collections of albums I never listen to Just collect dust on shelves. Books and comics stacked away; Movies and games the same. It’s strange. How can having so much Cause me such pain? I never read or watch any of […]
At times I become lost. I ask myself What’s the point of it all? During those times I want to just take a nap, or play some mindless video game. I wish I could then just fade away and disappear. But that’s just my bipolar demon returning once again to remind me that he will inevitably […]
Recently I’ve been catching myself being a jackass. I’m doing something I’ve always done, but only now am I realizing how arrogant it makes me look. Whenever someone informs, shares, or directs me and I believe I already know what they are telling me I say, “I know.” I may know what the other person […]
What happens when people are forced to wait? There are those inevitable times when one finds themself sitting at the DMV, in the waiting room at the dentist office, or in line waiting for a stall to clear out at the car wash. Many people think Oh jeez! or What the heck?!?…And maybe they don’t […]