Can you relate?

#writer #writing #personalreflection #philosophy #spirituality #healing #insecurity

https://open.substack.com/pub/therebellioninsider/p/the-cost-of-being-nice?r=2c37jo&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

Facing squamous cell carcinoma in 2023 profoundly reshaped my understanding of ‘quality.’

This journey led me to Robert Pirsig’s Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, which resonated deeply. In my latest reflection, I explore how confronting mortality redefined my perception of quality and how Pirsig’s insights affirmed this new perspective.

I invite you to read my thoughts and share your own experiences!

https://theculturaleaston.com/2025/02/22/zen-and-the-art-of-motorcycle-maintenance-a-reflection-on-quality/

#CancerSurvivor #Quality #ZenAndTheArtOfMotorcycleMaintenance #PersonalReflection #bookstodon #books #zen #meditation #regenerativeculture #author #aspiringwriter #keepstriving

Good Morning! Greetings from Washington DC, and the White House!

I sent this to the hundreds of Jehovah’s Witnesses I was hiding from.

Good Morning! 

It has been so long since I have talked to any of you, and to be honest, I was shocked that so many reached out to me to invite me to the memorial. Perhaps that was an indication of your love. This message is an expression of my love; for justice, ethics, and standing for the correct thing.

One of the things that woke me up and motivated me to leave was how in-depth the elders focused, obsessed, and oppressed those who were experiencing an LGBTQ+ crisis. I felt this personally, and I wish I had not been afraid to displease them.

Do not be on the wrong side of history. Do not allow someone who has no stake in the fight for authenticity to establish your feelings towards a world that you do not know, as they do not have the credentials to do so. And if you know these worlds and the hell that they can be, choose to be kind and show beauty and love. And even if you cannot do that, then just remain silent and do not add to the problem. 

If you are facing an LGBTQ+ crisis yourself, know you are whole, beautiful, and loved. Attached are some pictures and links to my new family. 

https://mattdobbins.com/2024/06/26/we-are-what-we-are/

I won’t bore you with what I have been doing in life, but know this: I have been building something beautiful and bigger since I left, and I don’t sit idle. I hope you have grown and improved since we parted ways. Your sons and daughters and loved ones will remember how you behaved, how you loved, and how your love is conditional. It won’t be forgotten by anyone.

Oh, and if any of you choose to invite me again to the memorial, it isn’t appreciated. Never do that again. I never even considered sharing my values back until you all reached out to invite me to the memorial. I realized I had just as much right as you do to communicate my truth. We can both proselytize and express our ideals, and that’s exactly what I have dedicated my life to now, in part because of my experiences with you. So thank you for empowering me even if you never intended to.

Goodbye, and please reevaluate your life. Perhaps in time, you will find that your ‘best life ever’ will change to ‘I thought that was my best life? Whatever!’

https://mattdobbins.com/2024/06/26/poetry-pride-united/

#Acceptance #activism #ArchiveWasPublic_ #authenticity #buildingANewLife #challengingNorms #communicationRights #communityImpact #communitySupport #diversity #EmotionalHealing #Empowerment #equality #ethicalChoices #Ethics #evolvingBeliefs #ExJehovahSWitness #expressingIdeals #FamilyDynamics #findingVoice #historicalPerspective #humanRights #inclusion #justice #leavingACommunity #LGBTQCrisis #LGBTQRights #LifeTransformation #loveWithoutConditions #PersonalEmpowerment #personalEvolution #PersonalGrowth #PersonalJourney #personalLiberation #personalReflection #proselytizing #reclaimingIdentity #reevaluatingBeliefs #ReligiousUpbringing #SelfDiscovery #selfExpression #sharingValues #SocialJustice #speakingTruth #SpiritualAwakening #standingUpForBeliefs #supportiveNetworks #unconditionalLove

"Discover 'The Engraved Witness,' a heartfelt poem about how a mother's presence keeps our childhood memories alive."
#TheEngravedWitness #Poetry #Motherhood #ChildhoodMemories #EmotionalPoetry #PersonalReflection #PoetryCommunity #Inspiration

https://myspace20.in/2024/09/11/the-engraved-witness/

Came back from a research symposium in Glasgow to complete laryngitis, sinus and respiratory tract infection and bronchitis. NOT, may I point out, as glamorous as it all sounds...

It's a very interesting experience to have no voice at all, and to rely on non-verbal communication. For an academic and speaker it's both challenging and thought-provoking.

#PersonalReflection