We’re over-optimizing for “nice.” And under-optimizing for courage.

Lost my patience over a three-minute wait for chicken nuggets. That wasn’t about nuggets. It was about exhaustion pretending to be anger. Most of us aren’t “angry.” We’re overloaded. Small triggers. Big truths. Pause before you react. There’s usually something deeper asking to be seen.

This hearing underscores a basic tension: security without accountability is not stability.

A reminder that Earth isn’t a passive backdrop. When we push too hard, even the planet’s safeguards start to slip.

I wrote this essay after realizing how rarely we pause to question what success actually means — especially when “more” keeps colliding with ecological limits. Free to read here if you’re in that headspace too: medium.com/the-environm...

#MentalHealth #EmotionalWellbeing

This isn’t abstract policy or political theater — it’s a human life. When institutions meant to uphold the law repeatedly violate it without consequence, the issue stops being complex and becomes moral.

Walking down that rain-drenched forest path this morning, I felt the world slow with me. Sometimes the most meaningful progress comes when we pause and listen to the rhythm around us. How do you find balance between moving forward and taking time to breathe?

Today I'm reminded how our surroundings shape our mental health. Walking under trees or beside a stream brings a calm that I try to carry into my work and relationships. Leading isn't about being invincible; it's about staying grounded and resilient amid uncertainty.

I learned the hard way that rest alone wasn’t saving me. Movement did. Not big. Not brave. Just shoes, outside, one step at a time. I wrote about that season here, in case it meets you where you are. #MentalHealth#Resilience medium.com/@DorianHartw...

I made something quietly called Earthbound. A grounding audio series for slowing down and listening inward. Free introduction + full series (pay what feels right): dorianhartwood.gumroad.com

I made something quietly called Earthbound. A grounding audio series for slowing down and listening inward. Free introduction + full series (pay what feels right): dorianhartwood.gumroad.com

One burger. Four kids. Two parents who taught me that love isn’t spoken—it’s served. My new piece in An Injustice! is about family, culture, and leadership born from love. aninjusticemag.com/3-a-m-one-bu...

We’re exhausted by endless culture wars. medium.com/@DorianHartw... #BridgeBuilders #IntellectualHumility #KindnessMatters #Community #Dialogue

Ever feel like you’re doomscrolling climate headlines into numbness? Same. Turns out just 10–15 minutes outside can calm the brain. But with eco‑anxiety climbing, we need more than a walk in the park.

Spreadsheets don’t take sides. They show China racking up EV sales, patents and clean‑energy capacity while the U.S. dismantles its climate‑science infrastructure and bails on the WHO.

Digital Mindfulness in an AI World Mini-Essay by Dorian Hartwood #NatureKnows #DigitalDetox #ClimateAction #ScreenFreeSanity #GhostPen

The un‑woke agenda is real. Trump's new orders purge DEI, censor museum exhibits and target LGBTQ+ rights. This isn’t about “culture”; it’s about power. Read my latest analysis & share your thoughts. medium.com/@DorianHartw... #Project2025 #UnWoke #Equality #HumanRights #SocialJustice

I wrote something about burnout, not as a trend— but as a lived reality. If you’re carrying too much but still standing—this one’s for you. medium.com/@DorianHartw... #MutualSurvival #WritingWhileHuman #BurnoutIsReal #TheQuietOnes #ShowUpAnyway #WeWriteToLive

I’m honored to share my latest short story, published in The Silent Script. It’s about the things we don’t talk about often — the kind of grief that never truly leaves, just finds new places to hide. #DorianHartwood #WritingCommunity #Grief #Healing #EmotionalResilience

Micro-Essay Tuesday | Writing x Self-Leadership Writing is how I build myself back up after the world has taken me apart. #WritingCommunity #SelfLeadership #MindfulWriting #WritersLife #CreativeProcess

Micro-Essay | Writing x Self-Leadership “Writing is how I build myself back up after the world has taken me apart.” #WritingCommunity #WritersLife #SelfLeadership #MindfulWriting #CreativeProcess #AmWriting

The Wisdom of Worn Paths #Sustainability #SlowLiving #IntentionalLiving #WalkingWithPurpose #WornPaths #MicroEssay #SmallActsBigImpact

It’s too bad Thomas Jefferson could not anticipate an educated electorate suffering from Groupthink.

Leadership as Compost #TransformationalLeadership #AuthenticLeadership #LeadershipAsCompost #ResilientHeart #WritingTruth

It means we are treating America like a business. Government is a not a business. It is an entity that is “supposed” to take care of its citizens. For instance, through environmental agencies that protect our environment, thus our health.

You always have to look deeper. What is the point of doing this? Who benefits from this and why? These questions get to the root of what is really happening.

Some of my best ideas and reflections have come from being outdoors? What about you?

This is sad. There is no need for this. We can all help turn this around. We are only hurting ourselves.

Maybe Joe Biden handed the presidency to Donald Trump. Maybe he didn’t. What’s clear is that it’s time to move on, stop debating how he got it, and start focusing on who’s going to take it back.

The Quiet Leadership of Rivers #writersofearth #humanprogress #natureasteacher

These pictures perfectly capture the power and humility of Mother Nature.

We are stardust and science, built from the periodic table itself.

Where there is light, there is darkness, and where there is darkness, there is light. This is part of the balance of life.

Happy Saturday! What a view!

Being in these environments is grounding and rewarding. If you ever need to reflect or reconnect with yourself, come to such places.

Love.

Cattle and sheep farming can be sustainable if we consume less of it. In our present day, our system of Earth cannot sustain our ever-growing population.

It’s sad that we even have to think about bringing a species back. Unfortunately, nothing will ever replace what is meant to be natural.

Why the Blank Page Isn’t Empty #WritingLife #WriteBravely #CourageToCreate #WritingMotivation #BlankPage

I would argue it is important to find the balance, as in everything. You need to accept what is, a positive mindset, but you also need to accept and be okay with a negative mindset. “In the dark, you find the light, and in the light, the dark.”

I have found that happiness involves balance. What does happiness mean to you? What keeps you going?

The Humble Compass of Writing Writing is not about having the right answers; it’s about being brave enough to walk into the fog and trust you’ll find your footing. It’s about living with a heart that asks questions, even when the world demands certainty.

Need drives us in many directions. Enjoy the reading. medium.com/the-silent-s... #growth #self-help #humanity #leadership #change

medium.com/the-silent-s... #selfhelp #growth #change #humanprogress #leadership

medium.com/@DorianHartw... #music #self-development #progress #positivity

medium.com/@DorianHartw... #change #leadership #self-development