Philosophy: the study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence. I am not trying to offend anyone’s profession or hobby, but philosophy is prospective meets experience meets a line of thought; it is something people do every day that has no wrong answers, but the answers always reveal the mind of the one providing the answer.

I often wonder what inspires people. I tell myself that my mind presents this question to me from time to time so that I can understand different ways to motivate the characters I write about, but when I put this into practice, it does not end up happening the way I plan it. Instead, I find myself reaching for the things that inspired me to write in the first place.

Have you ever encountered a person convinced that everything important is only in the direction they are facing? People can and will do as they wish, but ignoring something just because you do not like it or dismissing it just because you do not think it is important—well, that is where most problems start.

Alright, so I have this thing where I tend to look up stuff that I am thinking about, and one of those thoughts was a search for any real details regarding success. Maybe I was not looking properly or I typed my questions wrong. I did not find any statistics or studies, but I did find something interesting.

This quote was said during a conversation among friends years ago. I will not lie, this statement was received in the worst way it could be, but after the conversation was redirected to the impact, versatility, and interpretation of words, I think the true message was understood if not put into practice.

I find myself talking about my work-in-progress novel a lot more than I am accustomed to. While having conversations about my story, I try not to give too many details, but in doing so I have found myself falling in the habit of using tropes or comparisons from modern storytelling that do not entirely represent what I am writing.

This time there are no questions to answer, no quotes to reflect upon, not even a drifting thought. You could call this one a manifestation, a prayer, a karmic desire, or whatever you would like to call it, but I call it a wish.

I am the type of person who likes to think, plot, plan, and even scheme. Most of those thematic synonyms are devoted to storytelling, but the first one on my list is geared primarily toward myself. I often silently sit or stand and think about all sorts of things, but if anyone asks me what I am doing or thinking, I respond with, "Nothing."

This is not a philosophical question or a quote from anybody, but it might sound like something someone said or asked. It is just a thought roaming around in my mind lately.

I think that sharing one’s beliefs is not inherently bad, but you should always consider the cause and effect to the best of your ability before doing so. That being said, I am going to do it anyway.

Words express what the one saying or writing them intends, but sometimes the intended message can be lost within the mind’s translation.

Let me start by saying that nothing here is any kind of justification for anyone’s actions. This is simply a representation of a thought process that I use while writing to create those characters that people love to hate.

Out of everything this individual did, I think this statement holds the most truth and is the most difficult thing anyone can do.

We live in a world where terrible things can and do happen. Take a good look at the events of the 20th century for example: World War I, World War II, The Korean War, The Vietnam War, The Cold War, and The Gulf War are all events that brought about destruction in one way or another.

When I find a quote that is at the core of what I believe, it makes me smile.

This post marks the start of my second year of Ex Tenebris, I mention this because when I take the time to look back at my life, I see plenty of things that make me ask myself plenty of questions, and those questions are just 1/3 of why this blog exists.

When one person makes a statement, it can be received in all sorts of ways, and sometimes, thos words can lead to ideas that may or may not be connected to what was said.

Given the title, you might think that this post is about something that I have come to realize about the world, or maybe I have an idea that I think has to be true in my mind if not anyone else’s.

The truth is that Ex Tenebris is all about the thoughts, ideas, and experiences that have shaped my life. This blog is what it is, and the reason for this particular post is for me to insist that there is a difference between truth and reality.

This quote comes from a person whose career and life ended sooner than it should have.

At some point during your life, if it has not happened already, you will experience the darkest moments of your existence, and you might not even recognize it for what it is until that point in time has passed.