I am a people pleaser. It's one of my worst traits. I don't care what people think about me, but I want them to like me. As such, I've spent a lot of time working on being kind not only to others, but also to myself. A hard lesson I learned was that no matter … Continue reading Why I Deliver Cookies

What is it about music that helps us to heal? This past week, I was on Spring Break. I teach 9th grade English and it was a much-needed respite from grading, planning, and teaching. On Monday, March 14th, one of my favorite bands had a show scheduled in Orlando and I made the drive down … Continue reading I Hope You Never Leave Me Be

About 8 years ago I stumbled upon the comedian Pete Holmes. It was around 11 PM in an Orlando hotel room and I randomly flipped the channel to Comedy Central and found him giving the last bit of a standup set. It was hilarious, and I thought I'd never see it again. And then I … Continue reading Good Moods and School Crossing Guards

Every so often, there is a work of art that strikes me in a way that has a lasting impact on how I view the world, or reinforces a particular belief I have. The first time I heard "3rd Planet" by the band Modest Mouse quite literally changed how I looked at music. When I … Continue reading Midnight Mass

By Nate Livsey Author's Note: I was asked to speak on this topic in church. Some people asked for access to this talk and so I posted it here for easy access. If you are unfamiliar with a sacrament meeting within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, members are often asked to speak … Continue reading Dealing with Mental Health from a Spiritual Standpoint

By Nate Livsey Author's Note: I wrote this as an exercise for a writing workshop I recently completed. This was written as an exercise in 2nd person point-of-view and I enjoyed it enough to share it. You stand at the side of your bed and you present yourself with two options: go to bed, or … Continue reading 40 Milligrams, 200 Milligrams, Mood Swings, Mental Illness

What do they teach us about ourselves? I didn't think it would end this way.End? No, the journey doesn't end here. Death is just another path--one that we all must take. The gray rain-curtain of this world rolls back and all turns to silver glass. . . and then you see it. . .What, Gandalf? … Continue reading Untimely Deaths

In 2016, the post-hardcore band Touché Amoré released their fourth album, Stage Four, which explores lead singer Jeremy Bolm's emotions, experiences, and grief over the death of his mother from cancer. It is a brutal, honest record that does not pull any punches. It is a record about death, confusion, grief--but also hope, and finding … Continue reading On Vulnerability

A Study of the Best Character in the Fellowship Growing up, I was always the awkward, weird kid who quoted movies no one knew, referenced esoteric internet memes, and was generally annoying and weird. In 10th grade, I was in a debate class that had every grade level. In the class were 3 seniors who … Continue reading Boromir, Captain of Gondor