Mark Neese of True North Counseling hiking the Rim to River to Rim of the Grand Canyon with his son.

Confessions of a Former Couch Potato | Healthy Aging Series: S11 E16

It took 13 hours, but I finished my second Rim to River to Rim of the Grand Canyon. When I finished, the first thing I did was call my wife and tell her that I would never, ever, under no circumstances, ever do it again. “I know you Bear,” she replied, “Once you recover, and...

Learn More
Mark Neese hiking with his granddaughters. True North Counseling Blog.

How to Learn the Meaning of a Minute | Healthy Aging Series: S11 E15

I loved working at UPS. I was a load supervisor on the South Ramp. Mind you, that was 30 years ago. If you ever worked there, I know you would agree that the ramp was organized confusion. And yes, it was stressful. At any given time, there were dozens and dozens of aircraft, 747s, Airbus...

Learn More
Young Mark Neese of True North Counseling and his family.

Pope Francis and Religion that Heals | Healthy Aging Series: S11 E14

I’m not a Catholic, but I felt the loss of Pope Francis. I’ve been reading Thomas Merton lately, and I think Pope Francis was that kind of Catholic. They rejected certitude and coerciveness in religion. They supported a more tolerant and inclusive Catholicism. There was healing in their message, at least for me. Toxic Religion...

Learn More
Mark Neese of True North Counseling writing for the Healthy Aging Series

Life is Like a Road Trip | Healthy Aging Series: S11 E13

Having a Kansas Moment I hate driving through Kansas. I can see many heads nodding in agreement. But I do love road trips. I’ve driven out to Colorado several times. Three times in one year during the pandemic. It took my back six months to heal up from those road trips. Why do I dread...

Learn More
Mark Neese climbs up a bouldering wall.

How to Start a Revolution | Healthy Aging Series: S11 E12

My First climbing Experience The first time I used a climbing gym was in 2002 at Rockport. My climbing partner and I did the initial training for belaying on Top Rope. There were no auto-belays then. Auto-belays are like a tape measures that you hook onto and it retracts as you climb. But, if you...

Learn More
Mark Neese hiking in the Grand Canyon. He encourages us to take heart in the face of difficult situations.

You Can’t Think and Feel at the Same Time | Healthy Aging Series: S11 E11

Several years ago, I was invited by Quest For The Outdoors to share my adventures in Canyonland National Park. So much fun. People were amazed by some of the facts about Canyonlands. It’s about 350,000 acres, which is about half the size of the state of Rhode Island. And it’s remote. The Maze District-Range Station...

Learn More