The following is new Lost Tale set in the world of the Watchers of the Light. This mythos was first revealed in Book 1, Among the Shadows, and continued in Book 2, Awakening. This story takes place some years prior to Among the Shadows when Ethan and Milena met in college. Be wary of what you awaken in dark places…
Continue readingAuthor Archives: Darrick Dean
What the Darkness Hides
Categories: fantasy, Fiction
Tags: Among the Shadows, Awakened, books, Ethan, fantasy, fiction, Mayans, Mexico, Milena, short-story, Watchers of the Light
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Biblical Times: The Original Proper Human Diet
A couple of weeks ago I wrote these three maxims as keys to good health:
Eat what your body is designed to use.
We are not designed to be couch potatoes.
Eat and move like our ancestors.
For people who struggle with health, that last one is key. We are only a few generations removed from a time when chronic diseases were rare. Why? They ate very differently than we do. Simpler, more natural, whole foods. It’s a simple message from our healthy ancestors. We like to believe we are smarter, but we are the sicker ones. Eat what your body is designed to use. That’s exactly what they did.
Keeping this in mind, I was intrigued to check out Jordan Rubin and Dr. Josh Axe‘s new book, The Biblio Diet. Any time a book proposes a new “diet,” or claims to divine new knowledge from the Bible, I proceed with caution. I am pleased to report that Rubin and Axe have provided another great resource outlining the Proper Human Diet.
They simply ask, “What were people in the Bible eating thousands of years ago?” And, why not? There’s no indication of any prevalence of chronic diseases or any of the other health issues plaguing our modern society. No surprisingly, it boils down to eating whole, natural foods, and not living sedentary lives. They also reference a lot of the science explaining why this is true. It’s a shame we have to spend millions in research to re-learn what was once innately understood. Nonetheless, if we are to halt this downward spiral of health, we must continue to educate people on the Proper Human Diet.
Rubin and Axe have written an accessible and concise book, which combines the knowledge of our ancestors with our best science. An easy and important read to improve and preserve your health and longevity. Take control of your health by listening to your ancestors (also, check out this interview with Jordan Rubin).
Categories: Ancient Documents, Bible, health
Tags: biblio diet, diet, food, health, jordan rubin, josh axe, nutrition, proper human diet, wellness
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What Middle Earth Taught us about Evil
“The Shadow that bred them can only mock, it cannot make: not real new things of its own. I don’t think it gave life to the orcs, it only ruined them and twisted them; and if they are to live at all, they have to live like other living creatures.” – J.R.R. Tolkien
J.R.R. Tolkien spent a lifetime creating a mythos with far more detail than most writers ever imagine. An Oxford professor, he approached his writing as if it were a scholarly pursuit. Yet it was still entertaining and captivating, full of themes and message (though he never intentionally preached, his beliefs informed his work). That’s why it has endured for so long (The Hobbit was originally published in 1937).
Tolkien drew on many influences in creating Middle-Earth. Most notably his Christian worldview, from which one of his most important themes came:
Evil exists.
Not only that, he witnessed the worst men could do while serving in World War I, which undoubtedly colored his writing. In fact, he began creating his world while in the trenches. Throughout his books, he made it clear evil was always there, even when not obvious, waiting for a time to explode or conquer. When it did, it must be stopped.
It’s funny how Lord of the Rings, in many ways a war novel, saw a resurgence during the 1960s. Though I doubt, because of his own experiences, Tolkien would ever promote rushing into war. He also knew we can’t pretend evil doesn’t exist or that it may just go away.
It always comes back.
In time of tragedy, people always ask why? That is the normal reaction and indeed there are many causes for terrible events. People look for targets to blame. That’s the easy way out. Thinking deeply about actual causes is difficult. Admitting evil exists scares us.
Given one of the cornerstones of most religions is evil exists, one wonders why so many pretend it doesn’t. We want to be safe, secure and happy, but we don’t want to be vigilant. We’ve been told evil isn’t real and we, through law and government, can stamp it all out. We downplay talk of evil in our religions, so not to scare people away. We have made religion into another helpful fad to get us through life. Then something horrible happens. We are forced back into reality.
Sadly, most who are not directly effected by the tragedy, soon forget and go back to their lives. Evil grows and prospers and is ignored.
Tolkien believed in it. He saw it in war and never forgot it.
Times of disaster and tragedy are the times we need to protect our rights the most, because in the end, if we don’t, far greater calamities will occur. Just look to history.
Some think “doing something about guns” will solve these problems. Timothy McVeigh didn’t use guns to massacre people. Nor did the terrorists on 9/11. Evil wants us to think it is just that simple, ban this or that. It wants us to look the wrong way.
Ask the right questions. If we don’t, evil will continue to win.
“Evil labours with vast power and perpetual success – in vain: preparing always only the soil for unexpected good to sprout in.” – J.R.R. Tolkien
Categories: Books, Critical Thinking, Fiction
Tags: books, evil, fantasy, guns, J.R.R. Tolkien, Lord of the Rings, shooting, The Hobbit, Tolkien, violence, Writing
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Muir and Roosevelt: Titans of Nature
Ironically, or perhaps inevitably, the conservation movement kicked off at the same time as the 2nd Industrial Revolution in the late 1800s. Railroads, steel, scientific progress, communication (telegraph), early electrification and combustion engines converged to create a giant leap from a society that was still largely rural and centered around agriculture, to one of rapid urban and industrial growth. With that, however, came an immense demand for natural resources. In the Americas, the land had been seen as endless in what it could provide. Even before industry kicked into high gear, the fallacy of infinite resources was already being felt. A number of voices in the 1800s began to speak to the need to conserve and manage natural resources. Two would forever be remembered for making conservation a way of life, rather than some fringe movement.
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Categories: health, Nature
Tags: conservation, environment, forests, John Muir, national parks, Nature, Outdoors, Theodore Roosevelt, travel, waterways
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Making the Right Decisions
Sahil Bloom has collected 10 Life Razors to guide your decision making. Razors are simple tools that can produce bold results:
Smart choices start with simple rules (razors).
Here are 10 of the most powerful I’ve found:
- The Luck Razor: When choosing between two paths, choose the path that has a larger luck surface area. Your actions put you in a position where luck is more likely to strike.
- The Feynman Razor: Complexity and jargon are used to mask a lack of deep understanding. If you can’t explain it to a 5-year-old, you don’t really understand it. If someone uses a lot of complexity and jargon to explain something, they probably don’t understand it.
- The Optimist Razor: When choosing who to spend time with, prioritize spending more time with optimists. Pessimists see closed doors. Optimists see open doors—and probably kick down the closed doors along the way.
- The Young & Old Test: Make decisions that your 80-year old self and 10-year-old self would be proud of. Your 80-year-old self cares about the long-term compounding of the decisions of today. Your 10-year-old self reminds you to stay foolish and have some fun along the way.
- The Rooms Razor: If you have a choice between entering two rooms, choose the room where you’re more likely to be the dumbest one in the room. Once you’re in the room, talk less and listen more. Bad for your ego—great for your growth.
- Occam’s Razor: When you’re weighing alternative explanations for something, the one with the fewest necessary assumptions should be chosen. Put simply, the simplest explanation is often the best one. Simple Assumptions > Complex Assumptions.
- The Arena Razor: When faced with two paths, choose the path that puts you in the arena. It’s easy to throw rocks from the sidelines. It’s scary and lonely in the arena—but it’s where growth happens. Once you’re in the arena, never take advice from people on the sidelines.
- Hanlon’s Razor: Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity. In assessing someone’s actions, we shouldn’t assume negative intent if there’s a viable alternative explanation—different beliefs, lack of intelligence, incompetence, or ignorance.
- The Lion Razor: If you have the choice, always choose to sprint and then rest. Most people are not wired to work 9-5—long periods of steady, monotonous work. If your goal is to do inspired, creative work, you have to work like a lion. Sprint when inspired. Rest. Repeat.
- The Gratitude Razor: When in doubt, choose to show MORE gratitude to the people who have mentored or supported you. Say thank you more. Tell someone you appreciate them. Not just on special occasions—every single day.
The quality of your life is a reflection of the quality of your decisions. Better decisions require better tools.
Start using these razors and your life will start to improve.
Sahil Bloom is an investor and entrepreneur, and the New York Times Bestselling author of The 5 Types of Wealth: A Transformative Guide to Design Your Dream Life. © Sahil Bloom.
Categories: Critical Thinking
Tags: decision making, Life Razors, Sahil Bloom, thinking
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Attacks from Outer Space
If NASA would make its role in planetary defense more well known, people would better grasp the importance of the space program. Still a too-small fraction of expenditures, there are nonetheless many men and women around the world working to protect humanity. Robin George Andrews’ book, How to Kill an Asteroid, takes us behind the scenes into these little-known programs. The Solar System is full of rocks big enough to destroy cities, countries, and entire civilizations.
One thing Andrews doesn’t cover in his book, is the other threat from space: Solar storms and superstorms, some of which could also crumble modern civilization. NASA and NOAA monitor the solar weather closely, but on Earth we have not done enough to harden our infrastructure, as depicted in William R. Forstchen’s novel, 48 Hours. A Coronal Mass Ejection may have nearly ended humanity, as Robert Schoch outlines in Forgotten Civilization. Threats from the sky aren’t just conjecture, we know they have struck Earth in the past.
Next time you wonder why we explore space, wonder why we don’t spend more time and money protecting the planet.
Categories: government
Tags: asteroids, comets, NASA, planetary defense, Robin George Andrews
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Whose Story are You in?
“Story is the way we orient ourselves in the world. Story is how we figure things out, bring order and meaning to the events around us. The story we hold to at any given time shapes our perceptions, hopes, and expectations; it gives us a place to stand…what story are you telling yourself—or letting others tell you?” – John Eldredge, Resilient
Leave the World Behind
“Don’t be afraid to live your life with intense and deliberate essentiality, every day, all the time. However you can find connection to your moments, do it.” – Kourtney Thomas, “What I Learned From a No Social Media Vacation“
Whereas tech is a great tool to assist you on vacation (finding places to go, directions, making reservations, etc.), many people let the social media part of tech take over their trip. I once saw a young lady spend so much time trying to create selfies at the Grand Canyon, I wondered of she even noticed the natural wonder in front of her. (And hoped she didn’t fall off the edge as others have done.)
Other people cannot fathom going a week without checking email, social media accounts, the news – or most horribly – work-related accounts and apps.
It might be hard to believe, but the world will survive without knowing where you are for a little while. It’s one thing to check in with friends and family occasionally, but for the most part, just go off the grid and remember what vacations are all about.
Leaving that world behind.
Ashlyn Pernice writes:
“Imagine leaving everything —phones, car, home — and traveling across the country on foot. Imagine truly living a simple life, not caught up with friend drama on Facebook or politics on Twitter, not worrying about the future, nor reminiscing about the past. Imagine being able to truly live in the moment and ignore the responsibilities of everyday life, take in all the beauty of new places and new environments, and meet new people without the distractions of technology.
“But how could you travel without technology in the 21st century? This is what truly bothered me. I knew I wanted to travel without a car, but how would I navigate new areas in this day and age without Google Maps at my fingertips?
“I decided that if people hundreds of years before me could find their way around without smartphones, then I could, too. It was just a matter of using actual maps, asking locals, etc. I threw my beloved iPhone into a lake.”
You don’t have to necessarily throw your phone out. However, before you go, deactivate all social media and messaging apps. Buy a map. Use GPS as little as possible. Take spontaneous photos, not staged ones. Immerse yourself in the moment, and wait until you get back to share your experiences.
Maybe by leaving your daily world for awhile, you’ll find the path you should have been taking all along.
“Money, of course, is still needed to survive, but time is what you need to live. So, save what little money you possess to meet basic survival requirements, but spend your time lavishly in order to create the life values that make the fire worth the candle. ” – Rolf Potts
Categories: What You Can Do
Tags: disconnect, life, social media, technology, travel, vacation
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How Bad do You Want This?
Angélique Letizia once again encourages us to align with our dreams, our purpose, rather than letting others tell us what we are meant to be:
Why not you?
So what if they don’t believe in you?
Who cares if they say your dream is delusional?
The real question is: Will you believe in yourself when no one else does?
Here’s what happens when you begin to align with your dream:
You set out on a path that feels less like a gentle walk and more like walking through a gauntlet of projections, doubts, mirrors, tests disguised as detours, and polarity in its rawest form.
It will ask you:
How bad do you want this?
Can you hold the vision through the dark?
Will you keep going when all seems lost?
Because fully aligning with a dream means confronting the polarity paradox, where expansion requires you to face both resistance and revelation.
You’ll encounter Champions, those rare souls who see your vision before the evidence shows up. They cheer you on because they genuinely wish you the best. Treasure these people — they’re rare.
Then there’s the shadow side of the Champion; what I like to call the Phantoms, because their overzealous show of support is a false light projection. Their smiles mask jealousy, and their energy carries a quiet hope you’ll fail. And if you don’t fail? They’ll still linger close enough to ride your coattails.
Then come the Naysayers.
The Positive Naysayers mean well. They may sincerely love you, but they prioritize your safety more than your evolution. They’ll say things like:
“Don’t get your hopes up.”
“Are you sure that’s realistic?”
“Can you make money doing that?”
They’re not trying to hurt you; they’re just speaking from fear.
But love offered through fear is still fear, and fear will always hold you back.
Then there are the Negative Naysayers. They mock, minimize, and criticize.
Often behind your back. Sometimes, to your face in the form of passive-aggressive jabs.
These experiences are initiations, invitations to strengthen your discernment and align with a bold, unapologetic narrative.
Because before the dream expands, you must expand. You must face your own shadow and your own light.
You must look yourself in the eye and ask:
Am I fully ready to claim the life I was born to live?
The dream doesn’t just require faith; it demands perseverance, fortitude, energy, and conviction.
Because to reach the gold, you have to walk through contrasts on both sides of the polarity spectrum.
Meaning, you don’t just meet your purpose, you also meet everything that stands in its way.
So, if you’re waiting for a sign to pursue your dream, start a business, form a partnership, launch a new brand, or make a bold new move.
This is your sign. DO IT.
Because that dream burning in your heart wasn’t given to the naysayers —
It was given to you, the one who holds enough light to carry it through the dark.
Keep Shining ⭐
Angélique Letizia is the Founder & CEO of Starr Films. © Angélique Letizia
Categories: What You Can Do
Tags: Angélique Letizia, Angelique Letizia, dreams, life, motivation, path, personal-development, personal-growth, purpose
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Walking Back Into the Light
“Just compare how you feel after binge-watching hours of screen anything — TV, video games, YouTube — with how you fell when you come off a mountain bike ride or a swim in the ocean. Living in an artificial world is like spending your life wrapped in plastic wrap. You wonder why you feel tired, numb, a little depressed, when the simple answer is you have a vitamin D deficiency; there’s no sunlight in your life, literally and figuratively.
“Our body, soul, and spirit atrophy because we were made to inhabit a real world, drawing life, joy, and strength from it. To be shaped by it, to relish in it. Living your days in an artificial world is like living your whole life with gloves on, a filtered experience, never really feeling anything. Then you wonder why your soul feels numb.” – John Eldredge, Get Your Life Back
Darrick Dean 