Posts in Into the Dark
Who is Confident
Who is Confident

Public speaking. It may be the most anxiety-producing task I've tackled in my professional journey, yet, it also elevated my confidence as I found my voice among the crowd. How are we encouraging (or deterring) growth in the scramble for the top of the workplace food chain? Who tries to get ahead of the game?

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Into the DarkMatthew Chicolacharlottesville, virginia, workplace, work, profession, professional, career, dog eat dog, julia cameron, the artist's way, spirituality, creativity, creative, art, love, compassion, bill plotkin, Nature and the human soul, wall street journal, alex lickerman, confidence, psychology, psychology today, competence, intrinsic worth, getting off: pornography and the end of masculinity, getting off, robert jensen, masculinity, masculine, genderComment
Who is Sensual
Who is Sensual

Is it actually possible to have our cake and eat it too when it comes to sex? Too often, I'm left waiting for CHICO to blow out all the candles to really enjoy a taste. Will Who ever get a satisfying piece?

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Into the DarkMatthew Chicolasweet dreams, 80s, eurythmics, whitney houston, i wanna dance with somebody, grindr, sex, sexuality, homosexuality, gay, lgbt, Alan Downs, the velvet rage, ernest becker, the denial of death, masculinity, sex addiction, addiction, getting off, robert jensen, getting off: pornography and the end of masculinity, sadomasochism, objectification, stigmatization, fetishization, marginalization, the epidemic of gay loneliness, michael hobbes, james baldwin, love, heart, heartbeat, empathy, dancing Comment
Who is Compassionate
Who is Compassionate

One day at Lincoln Park Zoo, I was enjoying the beauty of its pond as nature seemed to unfold all around me. A family came walking over; in particular, a father, with his young son on his shoulders, was looking at the pond and pointing out all the wildlife interacting. As they passed, I heard him comment, "Those ducks look delicious." Who asks what the (d)uck!?

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Into the DarkMatthew Chicolaanimal, animal welfare, animal cruelty, compassion, hope, love, dog, dog festival, china, vegetarian, vegan, food, equitable treatment, humane, inhumane, quality of life, earthlings, raju, yulin dog meat festival, sacrifice, addiction, charlotte's web, E. B. White, beyond words, Beyond Words, the universe story, brian swimme, thomas berry, Carl safina, bill plotkin, Nature and the human soul, nature, sustainability, market watch, meat consumption, meat production, United Poultry Concerns, The Holidog TimesComment
Who is an Animal
Who is an Animal

I haven't figured out all the tricks I can do with my spots yet, but Put Me in the Zoo, by Robert Lopshire, was a favorite childhood story because I thought it would be so much fun to live among the animals. Could CHICO handle all those eyes watching every move now, though? Who wants to stay.

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Into the DarkMatthew Chicolacharlotte's web, muppets, animal, animal welfare, frank oz, E. B. White, Put me in the zoo, robert lopshire, the denial of death, ernest becker, The Way, the way, michael berg, wilbur, existential, existentialismComment
Who is Preparing for Take Off
Who is Preparing for Take Off

We have clearance, Clarence, but I'm just not sure of our vector, Victor. The runway is clear but CHICO refuses to divulge where we are headed. Surely, there is someone/something better to serve as my co-pilot as I prepare to take flight, but will anyone else know the way quite like CHICO? Don't stop in the Red Zone, click here!
 

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Into the DarkMatthew ChicolaNature and the human soul, plotkin, bill plotkin, spirituality, Cinderella, Wicked, Defying Gravity, Bibbity, Bobbity, boo, Pride, Adele, airplane, cocoon, transformation, shadowComment
Who is Not (So) Afraid
Who is Not (So) Afraid

I ain't afraid of no ghosts. Actually, I am a bit afraid of ghosts, but I'll leave that work to the professionals (aka Ghostbusters) while I wrestle with my ego in the dark. What will CHICO look like if/when I open my eyes, though? If you're seein' things runnin' thru your head, click here. 

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Into the DarkMatthew Chicoladarkness, nickelodeon, afraid, fear, psychoanalysis, ernest becker, the denial of death, the universe story, brian swimme, thomas berry, existential, existence, spirituality, spirit, soul, monster, scaryComment
Who is a Survivor
Who is a Survivor

Yes, Alanis Morissette. It is ironic, I think. I haven't been married, so I can't comment on wedding day rain, and I don't smoke so I can't comment on cigarette break restrictions. I have, however, experienced the rush of a plane crash. Life certainly has a funny way of sneaking up on you when you think everything's ok, but how does our reaction to it determine our destiny? Who is a little too ironic.

 

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Into the DarkMatthew Chicolasurvivor, disaster, crash, accident, miracle, light, life, ptsd, purpose, meaning, god, darkness, berg, the way, The WayComment