Mark Neese and his wife standing at the ocean. Healthy Aging Series Season 11 Episode 10 Blog Post.

Give Us this Day our Amazon Prime | Healthy Aging Series: S11 E10

I’ve never done Black Friday. Do we even call it that anymore? I looked into the origin of Black Friday, and it seems to have originated in Philadelphia in the 1960s to describe the heavy traffic and crowds that occurred the day after Thanksgiving. More recently, it has been a way for retailers to indicate…

Mark Neese of True North Counseling sitting, looking out at the Grand Canyon.

The Most Loved and Hated Man in America | Healthy Aging Series: S11 E9

I have a few specific memories of the fifth grade. We lived in Elberfeld, Indiana. My father had purchased horse stables, which he confessed years later, was a big mistake. I have the memory of ending up in the hospital after being trampled by a horse named Valentine. We had a coal furnace, and I…

Mark Neese, owner of True North Counseling, looking out into a canyon. This blog post looks at how the world has turned into an upside-down world.

How to Live in the Upside-Down World | Healthy Aging Series: S11 E8

My first exposure to the phrase “Upside-Down World” was from the series ‘Stranger Things.’ The “Upside-Down World” in that series was a world of monsters and life-threatening phenomenon that were pretty damn scary. What is the “Upside-Down World?” Here’s an internet definition: An “Upside-Down World” refers to a situation where the normal order of things is…

Mark Neese, owner of True North Counseling, standing in Jefferson Memorial Forest on a hike.

Mitch McConnell and the Last Crusade | Healthy Aging Series: S11 E7

Do you ever feel like you’ve lost your way? I was hiking in the Jefferson Memorial Forest a number of years ago. My favorite trail was the Mitch McConnell Trail (MMT). I know, I know everyone hates him. The right and the left equally hate him. Maybe hate is too strong of a word. But…

Mark Neese lifting weights in his home gym. Photo for a True North Counseling blog post on Bernarr McFadden.

How to Make a Complete Mess of Your Life | Healthy Aging Series: S11 E6

My mom was mostly healthy up until a few weeks before she died. She had hypertension. It was managed with Meds. She had a-fib, and it was mostly managed with meds. I think that’s all. But she was prone to fall. The older she got the less stable she was. She had the senior wobble….

Mark Neese from True North Counseling in a photo hiking. The Healthy Aging Series Season 11 Episode 5 Blog, The Gift that Keeps on Giving.

The Gift that Keeps on Giving | Healthy Aging Series: S11 E5

If you’ve hiked out west, you’re familiar with Cairns. In Kentucky, you follow a Blaze. Typically Blazes are white marks on trees indicating that you’re on the right trail. There are different colored Blazes for different trails. Cairns are used to mark a trail when there are no trees, in places like the desert or…

True North Counseling, Healthy Aging Series, Finding Wisdom, True North Therapy

Finding Wisdom from Deep, Very Deep within My Bosom | Healthy Aging Series: S11 E4

Wisdom From Friends Friends come into our lives and hopefully they bring balance and equilibrium by challenging us, or sharpening us, or even healing us. Sometimes they help you take a stronger stand for something you already believe or help you discard a view that you no longer value. My wife and I were vacationing…

True North Counseling, Healthy Aging Series, Aging with an Attitude

The Gift of Clarity | Healthy Aging Series: S11 E3

Many years ago (now I sound like I’m writing a folk tale.)… Many years ago, when my sons were little and Derrick was four or five years old, it was a beautiful Sunday morning and we were walking into church from the parking lot. Derrick had his hands full of I-Joe’s. That was his way…

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Joseph Pilates: The Quiet Revolutionary | Healthy Aging Series: S11 E2

I watched the Mike Tyson/Jake Paul fight last night. It’s probably the first professional fight I’ve watched in 20 years, maybe even longer. As a new therapist in 1997, I was working for the community health center, and I was mesmerized by Mike Tyson. I remember watching him bite off the ear of Evander Holyfield….

True North Counseling, Healthy Aging Series, Mark Neese, Aging with an Attitude

How to Become a Cynic | Healthy Aging Series: S11 E1

November 5, 2024. The sky did not fall. OK, OK, take a chill pill. I know what you’re going to say. The presidential election is a big deal. I agree! I voted.  It seems like elections these days tend to create hostility, not just among strangers, but even between families and friends. And maybe even…