The Hero's Journey very often begins with one pressing and unavoidable question: do you stay at home and don a Mantle of Responsibility within a familiar culture and territory, or do you set forth into the unknown to become a Stranger in a Strange Land? Must we leave behind Old Ways in search of New Beginnings?

Achieving success often depends on accurate predictions, not only about what will likely happen, but whether we will be satisfied with the results. Firm resolve to walk a given path may call the dreaming mind to ponder past instances of similar choices in warning of potential consequences.

We are all works in progress, many elements of ourselves composed of layers upon what was once only a rough sketch on a blank canvas. Over the years we may alter the subject, fix proportions or change positions, but the traces of that original sketch always remain, and we are never again entirely new.

Fight or Flight… or FREEZE. Too many of us forget that this third response often occurs when confronted by overwhelming threats, the experience so traumatic that we can do nothing but succumb to a physiological paralysis of inaction, literally Scared Stiff.

The human brain is an amazing, self-programming, biological machine, constantly problem-solving, even in sleep; developing functional Routines to sort Objects by Class, applying these Methods to known Parameters, and parsing Global Optima to write new Arguments for undefined Variables. As social animals, we can even Crowd-Source novel Algorithmic builds unimaginable in isolation.

At first Sight, only a Glimpse of an obscure Image. Upon a second Look, Gazing through the Lens of intent with Eyes wide open, our Field of View expands to new Perception, the Frame now visible in Perspective, and The Big Picture comes into Focus.

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Few life experiences generate more frustration than being cheated out of a win well-deserved by right of superior skill and diligent effort; to have powers beyond our control put their callous or cruel thumb on the scale and deliver bitter defeat at the threshold of sweet victory. ~ Leah and Sandy's episode for this dream at Anchor.fm:

https://anchor.fm/leah-hartgens/episodes/Your-Noodles-Cant-Stop-Me-eq54c3

Thanks for listening!

~ Benjamin

“People you love never die... not completely. They live in your mind, the way they always lived inside you. You keep their light alive.” ~ Matt Haig

Thanks for Listening!

~ Benjamin

Depression is a Liar. It is the worst kind of Con Artist, seeking to steal our Life itself by trickery. To effect this fraud, it insists we believe our suffering is so intense and infinite that we are helpless to resist. In truth, it shills this sham to demoralize us because it is impotent, all Shadow without substance, and it cannot withstand any real determination to find the Light of Hope in the darkness.

Thanks for Listening!

~ Benjamin

Sometimes we may only see the best path forward by looking back upon where we have already been using the mirror of self-reflection. Though many will close their eyes against the light of this truth and simply run away, a brave few will have the courage to stand so exposed and therein find inspiration to sprint towards their chosen future. Caution: OBJECTS ARE LARGER THAN THEY APPEAR... and such images more important than we may ever know.

Thanks for Listening!

~ Benjamin