LIVE as an act of resistance
This site has gone through a series of re-inventions— from a personal blog, to a mental-health resource, to (I hoped) a gathering point for survival tools in an age of chaos and uncertainty.
But all of it was filtered through my own struggles and baggage; I was both creator and audience, telling myself to LIVE, dammit.
And while that was great for authenticity, focusing on shared personal struggles, whether of mental health or of circumstance, obscured the bigger picture.
A Turning Point
As the authoritarian grip tightens on the U.S., that is changing.
I’ve come to see more clearly:
There is a force that feeds on genocide and ecocide,
that battens greedily on suffering—
and it is steadily gaining power.
We cannot be human and avoid the grief it causes. We cannot be human and not suffer in empathy with its victims. It is impossible for our own scars not to ache when witnessing the pain of others.
Yet if we want to function in our lives, relationships, and work—let alone make a difference—we must do what is necessary to care for our own hearts and minds.
Despite all temptations to despair—and there are many— we must choose to LIVE, dammit.
“To Life, we can only respond by being responsible.”
Viktor Frankl wrote:
Ultimately (we) should not ask what the meaning of Life is,
but rather must recognize that it is (we) who are asked.
In a word, each is questioned by Life, and we can only answer to Life
by answering for our own life.
We Learn to Weather the Storms
If we’re stubborn, determined, resourceful, and lucky…If we’ve built a well-stocked psychological toolbox…If we have family, friends, therapists, or healers behind us…We survive.
And with each storm, we gain something: a new tool, a new truth, a new practice. Wisdom.
Michael Meade wrote:
Something deep in the human soul awakens as things fall apart.
Something in the soul knows that everything in this world can become lost.
And something in the soul knows how to survive periods of devastation, disorientation, and loss.
What LIVEdammit Is (Now)
LIVEdammit is about sharing the stories, resources, and practices that keep us alive—affirming each of us in the struggle, however it takes shape.
Tell Your Story
Have you struggled with the siren call of the void — and turned toward the light?
Whether it’s a small step or a life-changing moment, I’d love to hear it.
👉 Contact me using the widget at right.
Together, we’re still standing.
