In this next part of my Meditation Myths series, I want to look at two of the most common beliefs that quietly stop people before they ever give meditation a real chance.

Myth #7: You have to visualize.
Myth #8: You have to stop your thoughts.

If either of these has ever made you feel like meditation just isn’t for you, you’re not alone. I believed both of them for a long time, and they kept me from even trying.

If you missed my earlier articles, you can find them here. Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3

Myth #7: You Have to Visualize

When most people think about meditation, they picture something very specific. They imagine closing their eyes and seeing a peaceful beach, a glowing light, or some kind of calm inner scene unfolding in their mind.

But what if nothing appears?

For a long time, I assumed visualization was simply part of the process, and because I couldn’t do it, I believed meditation wasn’t available to me. It wasn’t until I learned about aphantasia—the inability to form mental images—that I began to understand that not everyone experiences their mind in the same way.

And more importantly, I began to understand that visualization is not the point.

It is one way in, not the destination.

Meditation is not about creating images. It is about noticing what is already here.

You can follow the movement of your breath, feel the weight of your body in the chair, listen to the sounds around you, or simply become aware of the steady rhythm of being alive. None of that requires you to see anything at all.

Even for those who can visualize, many find that guided imagery becomes frustrating or distracting, and they walk away thinking they have failed. But nothing about that means meditation isn’t working. It only means they were given one doorway and assumed it was the only one.

It isn’t.

Myth #8: You Have to Stop Your Thoughts

If visualization keeps some people from starting, this belief stops even more.

Somewhere along the way, many of us were given the idea that meditation means clearing the mind completely, as if success depends on reaching a state where no thoughts appear at all.

So we sit down, close our eyes, and within seconds the mind is busy—planning, remembering, worrying—and we assume we’re doing it wrong.

I remember thinking exactly that: How can I possibly meditate when my mind won’t stop?

What I didn’t understand at the time is that meditation was never about stopping my thoughts. It was about seeing them.

Thoughts are not a mistake in the process. They are part of the process.

Instead of trying to force them away, you begin to notice them. You might recognize a thought as worry, or planning, or memory, and in that moment of noticing, something subtle shifts. You are no longer completely inside the thought. You are aware of it.

From there, you gently return your attention to whatever you are using as your anchor, often the breath.

This will happen again and again. The mind will wander, and you will notice, and you will return.

That is the practice.

Over time, the mind may settle more easily, but that quiet is not something you force. It is something that emerges when you stop fighting what the mind naturally does.

When you begin to let go of these expectations, something important opens up.

You don’t need to visualize in order to meditate.
You don’t need to silence your mind.

What you need is far simpler, and at the same time much more meaningful.

You need to notice.

You need to recognize when your attention has drifted and gently bring it back, without judgment and without the belief that you’ve done something wrong.

There is no single right way to experience meditation, only the way that meets you where you are.

Simple Practice

If you want to explore this for yourself, you don’t need anything complicated.

Sit in a way that feels comfortable to you and allow your eyes to close.

Take a slow breath in, and then let it go.

Bring your attention to the feeling of that breath moving through your body. You don’t need to change it or control it, only notice it.

When your mind begins to wander, and it will, simply recognize that it has. You might quietly note “thinking” or “planning,” and then return your attention to your breath.

You can do this for one minute or three. There is no requirement to go longer.

There are no images you need to create and no expectation that your mind will become perfectly quiet.

There is only awareness, returning to itself.

If you’ve ever believed that meditation wasn’t for you because you couldn’t visualize or because your mind felt too busy, those beliefs were never a sign that you couldn’t meditate.

They were simply misunderstandings about what meditation actually is.

And once those fall away, what remains is something much more accessible than most people expect.

If this way of approaching meditation feels more natural to you, I explore it more deeply in Living Is Easy With Eyes Closed, where I challenge many of the common myths that keep people from starting and share a more flexible, real-world approach to practice.

Bob Dylan - Seeking Mirth and Beauty

“That big fat moon, is gonna shine like a spoon”

(As I post this, a spaceship is racing toward the moon with four people aboard)

A line in a Dylan song suggested once that the first step in inventing our doom was touching the moon. Maybe and maybe not. I do know this though. We build rockets to take us to the moon, and those rockets are an incredible accomplishment. They are a wonderful testament to the ingenuity and technical skills and imagination of humans. But a rocket is not that thing we want to have. The rocket is not the great achievement. A rocket is just a tool that we make to get us a greater prize. Rockets are not the goal. We didn’t want great tools. We wanted to get to the moon. And we can go a step beyond even that in our thinking here—because we didn’t even really want to go the moon. NASA scientists were pretty confident that there wasn’t going to be much there. And Neil Armstrong proved them right. What we wanted to see is what it feels like to be a human being on the moon. What does it feel like to be a human here on earth and to know that we have put a man on the moon. What would be the effect? That’s what we wanted to know. And we didn’t do that so that just one person would know what it feels like to be able to go to the moon. We weren’t doing this for Neil Armstrong. We all wanted to know, in an articulate way, just what it feels like to know humans could get to the moon, but we didn’t all have to go in order to establish that particular array of cells in our brains. When Neil Armstrong got there, to some extent we all got there. He made a template of knowing and I laid that template across a small area of my brain and then I had something of what he had. And it was worth it. A picture is worth a thousand words—and we got both. He brought back words and pictures. We got the knowledge that we could do that. And we got a big bag of moon rocks.

“One small step for man, one giant leap for all mankind,” wasn’t just graceful eloquence. That was us standing there in an inch of moon dust, and that first step we took on the surface of the moon threw open wide the doors of our perception.

In the same way, Dylan writes those songs and delivers them by way of his forceful will and talent, providing for us the tools we need so that we can all see and feel that place within— “that hollow place where martyrs weep and angels play with sin.” Because if just one person can get there, to where Dylan got, or to where Neil Armstrong got, or even to where Jackson Pollock got with his flung house paints, then we can all get there—and be there. And some of us have done just that.

Seeking Mirth and Beauty is the title of a new book about songs and art, centering on the songs of Bob Dylan, from which this essay is lifted.

Genius Unbound is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Discover more reflections like this in Seeking Mirth and Beauty.

What if the stories behind your favorite songs were even more fascinating than the music itself?

Jim Berkenstadt—known as the Rock and Roll Detective®—has spent decades uncovering the hidden truths, myths, and mysteries woven into music history. In his latest book, Mysteries in the Music: Case Closed, he dives into legendary questions, conspiracies, and long-debated moments—from Elvis Presley to Nirvana—and brings them into the light through firsthand interviews and deep research.

This is more than music history—it’s storytelling, investigation, and discovery all rolled into one.

Meet Jim Berkenstadt

Jim Berkenstadt is the Rock And Roll Detective®. A true Sherlock Holmes, Berkenstadt uncovers the lost history and mysteries hidden within decades of popular music. An international authority on The Beatles, his recent book, The Beatle Who Vanished, is a multi-category Amazon Best Seller and headed to the silver screen. He currently serves as Co-Executive Producer and Script Consultant on the Ecosse Studio feature film based on his book.

He has co-authored three other books: Black Market Beatles; The Beatles Digest;
and Nevermind Nirvana, and edited John, Paul & Me: Before The Beatles. Berkenstadt’s books have been inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame permanent Library and Archives. He also served as an expert on two Reelz TV series: Celebrity Legacies and Celebrity Damage Control.

His next book and TV project is entitled Mysteries in the Music: Case Closed, which is coming on March 4, 2022.

Berkenstadt consults to The Beatles, the Estate of George Harrison (he served as the historical consultant on Martin Scorsese’s HBO Emmy winning documentary George Harrison: Living In The Material World), and other classic rock artists.

He lives in Wisconsin.

About the Book

“Mysteries in Music: Case Closed” is a book that uncovers the hidden, strange, and fascinating stories in the history of rock and roll. Jim Berkenstadt, known as The Rock And Roll Detective®, has spent years digging into these mysteries.

You’ll travel back to the 1950s to find out who really discovered Elvis Presley. In the 1960s, a famous folk musician tried to create a supergroup with members from The Beatles and The Rolling Stones—what happened? Learn how some big-name artists used fake names to hide who they were. Explore a mysterious CIA situation in Jamaica in 1976, involving an election and the reggae legend Bob Marley. Did The Beach Boys really steal a song and its copyright from the infamous cult leader Charles Manson, keeping all the money? And dive into the secrets behind Nirvana’s “Nevermind” album, which many consider the most influential rock album of the 1990s.

These mysteries have fascinated rock and roll fans for a long time because no one has asked the right questions or looked deeply into the evidence—until now. After many years, the untold stories of pop and rock music history are finally uncovered, revealing the truth in “Mysteries in Music: Case Closed.”

Ready to uncover the stories behind the songs?
Explore Mysteries in the Music and step into the world of rock’s greatest unanswered questions—now answered.

In Blood Red Deceit by Steve Rush, forensic pathology student Ridge Warner’s life spirals into danger after a shocking lab report uncovers a hidden truth tied to his past. What begins as an act of love—donating blood to save his fiancée, Olympic gold medalist Angel Meade—quickly transforms into a chilling web of betrayal, deception, and deadly intrigue. As secrets surface and trust unravels, Ridge finds himself fighting not only for answers, but for his life.

Nothing Shocks Like an Exposed Secret

Steve Rush

A pint of blood hurled my life into chaos. I, Ridge Warner, wasn’t the blood’s recipient. The outcome proved much worse than any disease I might’ve received through tainted blood.

Here is what happened. A competitor in the winter Olympics shot my fiancée, Angel Meade. I gave blood to save her. The Beijing hospital’s lab tested a sample. The analysis exposed a secret related to an event before my birth.

A lab tech showed the report to Angel while I retrieved her carry-on. The disclosure transformed her countenance from someone excited about going home to deep-freeze silence.

The information she harbored wormed through her like a parasite in heat.

Steve Rush, the author who wrote my story, described it this way. “The revelation injected poison into her opaque heart. Its acid burned her soul. In that moment, Angel Meade donned animosity as if it were her favorite pair of sneakers.”

I agree. Nothing I did or said penetrated the wall between Angel and me.

That perilous day arrived after a previous disaster altered my future. Losing my mother on my eighteenth birthday influenced my decision to go to medical school and focus on forensic pathology.

Fiction characters like me want more than a status quo. My journey led to an unforeseen career detour, and what I believed was the fortuitous meeting of Olympic Gold Medalist Angel Meade.

Our future faded to darkness when the lab’s report jolted Angel as though the Greek god of the underworld prodded her with his double-tined pitchfork.

Angel showed proficiency in areas beyond winning gold medals, including the ability to hide an IED in a deceased murder victim.

From that moment it exploded, I knew someone wanted me dead.

This scene depicts a bit of aftermath and my first encounter with Berky Raines, a woman I later dubbed Lodge Tsar.

“Welcome to Eagle Fire. From the look of it, you must be Ridge Warner.”

I stilled. Familiarity rang in her voice.

“I am.” I signed the form she presented and crossed to the window overlooking the street.

“Are you expecting someone?” she asked after my repeated gaze through the window.

“Just looking.”

“I insist you don’t touch anything, trash those clothes, and bathe. I want no blood and tissue adherent to you in my lodge.”

Berky motioned for me to wait. She stepped into the adjoining room. I admired the elk’s head mounted above the fireplace. A close inspection revealed camera lens for eyes. Curious, I examined further and discovered a listening device in the left ear canal.

“Nice elk,” I said when Berky returned holding two contractor-grade garbage bags.

“Thanks. These are for your soiled clothing. If they’re not evidence, I want you to double-bag and dispose of them in the bin located around the back corner of the main building. Otherwise, I’ll notify the police to come collect them.”

“No evidentiary value.”

In my suite, I peered out from behind the drapes despite Berky’s warning for me not to touch anything until I discarded my soiled clothing and took a shower. Sometimes caution takes precedence over fulfillment of a mandate.”

Survival often comes with a price. Mine is no exception. How much I’m willing to pay depends of what happens in the future.

My story continues in Blood Red Deceit. I’d appreciate it if you would allow me to share it with you.

Many thanks,

Ridge Warner

Ready to uncover the truth?

Continue the journey and discover the secrets within Blood Red Deceit.

Why would someone choose to write about tragedy in their retirement? For author and former journalist Bob, the answer lies not in darkness, but in remembrance, resilience, and the enduring pursuit of justice. In this deeply moving reflection, he shares the story that shaped his passion for true crime—and the unforgettable moment that reaffirmed his purpose.

People always ask me why I am writing true crime stories in my retirement. The answer walked through the door when I appeared recently for a book signing at the St. Louis library.

Many years earlier, while working for KMOV-TV, I did a story on the murder of Mary Macinski, a 33-year-old woman who was brutally killed in 1987. Mary had gone out for her evening walk, but never returned. Concerned, her father went looking for her, and found her body lying between two homes in a busy neighborhood. She had been stabbed 57 times.

Nobody heard a thing. Her killer was never found.

Mary’s family had dealt with their grief for years before I met them. But when I did, an amazing thing struck me. The family had come to peace with Mary’s murder, and in fact had forgiven the killer.

“People cry out for justice when what they really want is vengeance,” Mary’s sister Ann told me. Her other sister Emily agreed. “We have come to peace with it. We still would like the person to be caught. But we are at peace. We have forgiven the person.”

As I prepared to make my remarks at the library, and talk about the cold cases in my book 25 Frozen, 1 Thawed, I watched as a family walked in and sat in the front row. I had seen them before, but could not place them.

And then it hit me. It was Ann and Emily.

I talked about Mary that night. And after my presentation I hugged her family, just as I had years ago.

“You haven’t forgot us Bob,” Ann said. “And we haven’t forgotten you.”

Why am I writing true crime stores in my retirement? I think you know.

Discover the stories behind the headlines in 25 Frozen, 1 Thawed—a compelling collection of cold cases that honors victims, seeks truth, and keeps their memories alive.

Here is a short video of Kouri Richins, the Utah wife who was recently convicted of poisoning her husband., then writing a children’s book on dealing with grief. The video is from the officer who responded to the call at the residence at 3 a.m. Her husband, Eric, was unresponsive. It was later determined Kouri had given him a lethal dose of fentanyl in his drink. First, note how Kouri doesn’t seem to be under stress in the bedroom as she watches first responders attempt to save her husband. When an officer asks her to come out of the room and begins to ask her questions, the emotions then begin. Like most deceptive people, Kouri thinks this is the proper time to show that type of emotion. The officer asks her what time it was when she saw him alert. Kouri states they had a drink together at 9 (this is the drink believed to contain the drug). People normally start their story where the incident began. Kouri knows that was when the incident began because that was when she poisoned her husband. Kouri fails to make any eye contact with the officer as she continues to relate her story. She then goes into what is known as a quasi-fetal position. This is a comfort-seeking position often taken by those being deceptive. Kouri’s hands then go to her face, also often seen in those being deceptive. None of the signs in and of themselves are a clear indicator someone is lying; they are indicators of stress. In this case, that stress is due to deception. Could it be the stress from her husband being unresponsive? Yes, it could. However, so many indicators in this context in such a short period are certainly cause for concern... put your shovel down and start digging! All of these signs and more are detailed in my book, Uncover the Truth. If you want to know more about how people are truthful or deceptive, read the book!

Get your copy today… Uncover the Truth

We loved running our recent giveaway 🎉

Getting to see which books caught your attention, and hearing what you were excited to read, was honestly one of our favorite parts.

While we’ve now announced our winners, we didn’t want everyone else to miss out.

So we’ve gathered all of the featured titles into one place.

You can now shop the full collection at 20% off (paperback editions) through the end of April.
No code needed—the discount is automatically applied at checkout.

Browse the collection here:
https://geniusbookpublishing.com/collections/substack-collection

📚 Featured Titles

True Crime

• The Alabama Tryst Murder Mystery by S. Thorne Harper
• Through the Shadows by Lauren Samples
• The Laney Gwinner Effect by Randy Hubbard
• Guard by Philip Parker

Music History

• Seeking Mirth & Beauty by Kevin Kane
• Stalebread by Mike Shurtz
• I Went Down to St. James Infirmary by Robert Harwood
• Turn Me on Dead Man by Andru Reeve

Dark Fiction

• The Big Touch by Jack Fredrickson
• Sea of Glass by Patrick Shattuck
• The Ashes of Us by Ashley Baker
• Right There in Black and White by Jim Christ

Self-Discovery

• Living Is Easy With Eyes Closed by Andrea Thorfinson
• The Art of Being Found by Steven Booth
• Market Like It’s 1999 by Steven Booth

If one of these stood out to you during the giveaway, now’s the perfect time to pick it up.

Or… maybe a few 😉

💛 20% off all featured paperbacks through April
(Discount applies to these titles only)

Genius Unbound is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Seeking Mirth and Beauty by Kevin Kane is one of those books—a reflective, thoughtful exploration of music, meaning, and the quiet truths that live between words.

In this excerpt, Kane turns his attention to Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind”—not just as a song, but as something larger… something that lingers.

Seeking Mirth and Beauty: The answer my friend . . .

Blowing in the Wind is not Dylan’s best work as a songwriter. The brilliance of the song peeks through, but it’s in the simplicity, in the stark imagery, and in the ambiguity the song uses to delineate a hard and an ineffable truth—it’s not in the songwriting. Sometimes with popular music it’s just the song that is brilliant—and not the songwriting.

What was incredible was that Dylan was able to write an iconic folk song, foundationed deep somehow, but set in no specific time period at all. Because that’s not where his talent really lies. Though he did write quite a few of those iconic folk songs. Of course, he says that Blowing in the Wind took just five or ten minutes to write. It took me just one listen or two—just three or four minutes to get the words and the chords of that song in my head. There’s not much there. No more than there is in Oh, Susanna. Which may not be much either, but is still—all that there is in the world. All of the ache and the mystery and the wonder that could ever be found in one place. There are a lot of questions in Dylan’s song and few answers—and not very good ones—and if you need to know what those answers are, well, you know where to look. They’re blowing in the wind.

About the Book

Seeking Mirth and Beauty is a meditation on music, art, and the deeper emotional currents that shape our experience of both. Through personal reflection and cultural insight, Kevin Kane explores how songs—especially the simplest ones—can hold complexity, contradiction, and truth all at once.

It’s a book for readers who love music, but even more for those who have ever felt something they couldn’t quite explain… and found it echoed in a song.

You can explore more from here:👉 Seeking Mirth and beauty

Dr. Ashley Baker, PsyD, is a clinical psychologist turned fiction writer who brings a rare depth of insight to her work. Blending her professional understanding of the human mind with emotionally driven storytelling, she creates fiction that is both unsettling and deeply human.

She joins the ranks of authors like Jonathan Kellerman and Lucinda Berry—professionals who have stepped beyond their clinical work to explore the darker corners of human experience through fiction.

Ashley lives in North Georgia with her family, where she balances writing, reading, and continuing her work with clients.

Her Work

The Ashes of Us
A gripping and emotionally complex novel that asks a haunting question:
What would you do for your child?

When a young woman turns to her father after a brutal assault, she asks for something unthinkable—and he must decide how far love can go before it crosses a line that can’t be undone. The novel explores moral boundaries, generational trauma, and the devastating weight of justice and revenge.

The Furious Others
A powerful and unconventional psychological horror novel that flips the script.

Instead of focusing on the killer, this story centers the victims—their lives, their voices, and their humanity. Through deeply personal portrayals, the novel challenges the way we consume true crime and horror, reminding us that the real story is often the one left untold.

Fiction with Teeth

Ashley Baker writes what she calls “fiction with teeth”—stories that linger, challenge, and stay with you long after the final page.

She continues to write and dream up new work, pushing the boundaries of psychological and emotional storytelling.

Which story would you pick up first—The Ashes of Us or The Furious Others?

Maybe most viewers don’t notice, but if you know the world being portrayed, it pulls you right out of the story.

So where’s the line between accuracy and entertainment?
And do writers really have to sacrifice one for the other?

Reality vs. Not Reality

I was watching a TV “cop show” the other day and saw an officer tuck a Glock, a striker fired weapon, into the front of his pants without a holster. I let out a breath, rolled my eyes, and shook my head.

Why do they have police technical advisors if they’re not going to listen to them? Or perhaps they have the wrong advisors? Or maybe their advisors have outlived their experience, or at least their tactical knowledge? Or maybe, it was their day off when they filmed that ridiculous scene. This is why the real police often hate, or don’t watch, “cop shows.”

One simply does not put a striker fired weapon in one’s waistband without a holster. If any cop does so, they’re an idiot and I’ll be happy to tell them so. It’s as dumb as shoving a cocked and locked 1911 .45 caliber handgun that doesn’t have its safety engaged into your pants. Bad idea. Stricker fired handguns do not have safeties or decocking levers and their triggers are engaged rather easily. One definitely wants to cover the trigger guard in a holster, especially if it’s tucked into the front of one’s pants, pointing at the family jewels.

Now, for the record, I do not want to be a technical advisor, and am not vying for a position as such. I just wonder about the quality and veracity of their advice.

Which brings me to early in my writing career. I was advised by bestselling author John Sandford that I should “be careful to not let reality get in the way of entertainment.” Sandford (whose real name is John Camp) said he understood much of police work hour-by-hour was boring, and he knew because he had served as a police reporter for many years in the Minnesota Twin Cities area.

As much as I love John Sandford, and/or Camp, and his books, I disagreed with this premise, primarily because I understood the rules well enough to manipulate them to my advantage, that is to say, the advantage of my story. I believed then, and still do, that I can make a story exciting and realistic at the same time.

For instance, spoiler alert if you haven’t read Out of Cabrini, and shame on you if that’s the case, lol, but I wanted a one-on-one battle between the hero, Stacey Macbeth, and a secondary antagonist, Antwan “Boo” Simms. I didn’t want Macbeth to have his radio as the scene unfolds, because in real life, a cop would call in a foot chase and more officers would descend on the area and search until they found the bad guy. It would probably culminate with twelve guys tackling Boo into submission, or at least it would have back in the day the book is set, when every community had more cops on the street than we see today.

What I did is have Macbeth begin to chase Boo, but he is sideswiped by a responding squad car, sending Macbeth into a group of plastic garbage cans, breaking his fall. He gets up, more or less unharmed, and commences to chase Boo. After a short period of time, when Macbeth recognizes that it’s going to be an extended foot pursuit, he reaches for his radio to call for reinforcements and discovers his radio is no longer in his vest. He is faced with continuing the chase by himself or going back to the scene and getting help, thereby giving the guy he knows has probably killed several people the chance to escape.

Of course, our protagonist would never allow such a thing as an escape to happen and continues on by himself, thereby setting up the story’s climactic one-on-one battle. I know the rule and was able to engineer a reasonable way around it. Ta-Da! Reality 1, Not Reality 0—or in literary terms, Realism 1, Not Realism 0. And just for the record, all of the cop’s handguns in Out of Cabrini were in department approved holsters—not tucked in their waistbands! Score another point for Realism!

If you’re someone who cares about getting the details right without losing the story, this is exactly the kind of balance we love exploring at Genius.

Check out Out of Cabrini here:

And let us know—
Do you prefer strict realism, or are you okay with bending the rules for a great story?

Meditation Isn’t Always Calm (And That’s Not a Problem)

When people first try meditation, they often expect stillness, silence, and immediate calm.

But for many, the opposite happens.

The mind gets louder, the body gets restless, small sensations—an itch, the need to swallow, a shifting discomfort—suddenly feel impossible to ignore.

This isn’t failure.
It’s your nervous system reacting.

If you’re used to constant motion—thinking, doing, staying alert—then stillness can feel unfamiliar. Even unsafe. The body tries to pull you back to what it knows through restlessness, urges, or distraction.

Over time, though, something shifts. As your system learns that nothing is wrong, those sensations begin to settle.

Myth #5: Meditation Should Feel Relaxing

We’ve been taught that meditation is supposed to feel peaceful and easy.

But relaxation is a side effect, not the goal.

The real practice is learning to notice what’s happening, thoughts, emotions, physical sensations, without immediately trying to change or escape them.

And when you get quiet, what you’ve been avoiding often rises to the surface.

• Old memories

• Anxiety in the body

• Emotional tension you didn’t realize you were holding

This can feel uncomfortable at first, but it doesn’t mean something is wrong. It means something is finally being noticed.

Myth #6: If It’s Not Calm, You’re Doing It Wrong

Meditation isn’t about forcing calm. It’s about allowing what’s there… and not fighting it.

That might look like:

• Noticing a thought without following it

• Feeling an emotion without immediately trying to fix it

• Sitting with discomfort for a few breaths longer than you normally would

Over time, this changes your relationship to your thoughts.

They don’t disappear, but they no longer pull you in the same way.

You start to recognize them:

“That’s anxiety.”
“That’s a memory.”
“That’s just a thought.”

And instead of getting caught in them, you begin to let them pass.

What Actually Changes

With consistent practice, things begin to soften. Not all at once, but gradually.

The mind becomes less reactive. Emotions feel less overwhelming. And moments of calm begin to appear, first in meditation, then in everyday life.

Sometimes meditation feels peaceful.
Sometimes it feels uncomfortable.

Both are part of the process.

Closing

If meditation doesn’t feel calm… or easy… or even good sometimes—

It doesn’t mean it isn’t working. It might mean it finally is.

This is exactly what I explore in Living Is Easy With Eyes Closed, making meditation accessible for real, everyday minds.

We’re doing a giveaway 🎉

Not just one book—we’ll be selecting one winner for each genre. You get to choose the one you want.

Choose from the following titles:

True Crime
• The Alabama Tryst Murder Mystery by S. Thorne Harper
• Through the Shadows by Lauren Samples
• The Laney Gwinner Effect by Randy Hubbard
• Guard by Philip Parker

Music History
• Seeking Mirth & Beauty by Kevin Kane
• Stalebread by Mike Shurtz
• I Went Down to St. James Infirmary by Robert Harwood
• Turn Me on Dead Man by Andru Reeve

Dark Fiction
• The Big Touch by Jack Fredrickson
• Sea of Glass by Patrick Shattuck
• The Ashes of Us by Ashley Baker
• Right There in Black and White by Jim Christ

Self-Discovery
• Living Is Easy With Eyes Closed by Andrea Thorfinson
• The Art of Being Found by Steven Booth
• Market Like It’s 1999 by Steven Booth

To enter:

Click the links above for descriptions, then comment below with the book you’d choose if you win.

We’ll randomly select one winner per genre and contact you to arrange shipping. Paperback copies only.

That’s it—no purchase, no signup.

Just pick your book and drop it in the comments 💛

Winners will be announced on Tuesday, April 14th.

This week, we’re featuring two authors who take us straight back to the golden age of pop-rock—Mark Arnold and Charles F. Rosenay!!!

If you’ve ever found yourself smiling the second you hear “Happy Together”… you already know why this one matters.

Why This Book Stands Out

Not Just Happy Together: The Turtles from A–Z (AM Radio to Zappa) is more than a music book, it’s a deep dive into a band that helped shape the soundtrack of a generation.

This isn’t just a highlight reel of hits. It’s a comprehensive, behind-the-scenes look at The Turtles—from their early days to their evolution into Flo & Eddie and beyond.

With hundreds of pages of research, interviews, and commentary, it’s the kind of book that both longtime fans and curious newcomers can get lost in.

A Personal Thread That Runs Through It

One of the things that makes this book special is the heart behind it.

Charles Rosenay shares how his love for The Turtles started as a kid, singing along with his family on long car rides, discovering their music in the most ordinary, joyful moments.

That feeling—music as memory, music as connection—runs through the entire book.

About the Authors

Mark Arnold
A respected pop culture historian and author of multiple books on music and entertainment, known for his deep research and thoughtful analysis.

Charles F. Rosenay
A pop culture personality, author, and longtime music enthusiast whose passion for classic bands shines through in both his writing and storytelling.

Together, they bring both knowledge and personality, which honestly fits The Turtles perfectly.

Featured Book

Not Just Happy Together: The Turtles from A–Z (AM Radio to Zappa)

This 400+ page deep dive explores:

• You love 60s pop-rock and the stories behind the music

• You enjoy discovering bands beyond their biggest hit

• You like music history that feels fun, not academic

• You’re curious about the personalities behind the songs

It’s part history, part tribute, and part celebration of a band that was always more than just one hit.

Why You Might Love This Book

• You grew up with ‘60s or ‘70s music

• You love discovering the stories behind the songs

• You enjoy music history with personality (not dry, academic writing)

Final Thought

The Turtles were never just “Happy Together.”
They were funny, creative, a little unconventional and full of heart.

And honestly… this book feels the same way.

Explore the Book

👉 https://geniusbookpublishing.com/products/not-just-happy-together-color-paperback

Your Turn

Have you listened to The Turtles?
Or is there a band from your past that still instantly takes you back?

This week, let’s look at two more that tend to quietly get in the way.

Myth #3: “You have to sit perfectly still.”

Reality:

Meditation doesn’t have to mean complete stillness.

It can include gentle movement such as walking, breathwork, rocking, or subtle hand movements. Expanding even further, practices like qigong, yoga, tai chi, swimming, running—even dancing—can all become forms of mindful meditation.

Stillness is just one option, but not the only one.

For trauma survivors or those with anxious bodies, movement-based meditation is often far more accessible than silence. Sometimes stillness isn’t calming; it’s overwhelming. Movement gives the mind and body somewhere safe to land.

At its core, movement meditation invites your body and the sensations around you to become your anchor. It’s about being fully present through your senses: noticing what your body is doing, what you can hear, smell, and see.

Take walking as an example. Most of the time, we walk simply to get from point A to point B. We rarely notice our bodies or our surroundings. Instead, we focus on the destination or get lost in the constant stream of thoughts running through our minds.

Mindful walking shifts that.

We walk with intention. We slow down. We notice how each step feels as it lands. We tune into the rhythm of our breath, the swing of our arms. We take in the sounds, sights, and scents around us, allowing all of it to become the anchor.

When our minds drift to our to-do lists, a recent argument, or an upcoming meeting, we gently notice and return our attention to the body and the movement.

This same principle applies to any form of movement meditation.

It’s not about getting somewhere or completing a task. It’s about being with yourself, your body, your breath, and the present moment with full awareness.

Myth #4: “You have to sit cross-legged on the floor.”

We may have already tossed this one out the window with Myth #3!

Reality:

You can meditate anywhere. Sitting in a chair, lying down, outside, or even in your car. In stillness or in motion.

Posture only matters insofar as it supports your practice.

For some, sitting cross-legged on a meditation cushion feels natural and supportive. For others, it’s uncomfortable or even impossible. Sitting upright in a chair with your feet grounded may work better. For some, lying down is the most accessible option.

What matters isn’t achieving a “perfect” posture; it’s comfort, alertness, and ease of breath.

It’s about listening to your body and responding to what it needs in the moment.

Some days, I sit cross-legged on my zafu. Other times, I pause at my desk, sit upright, close my eyes, and take a five-minute meditation break. And sometimes, what I need most is to lie down. On other days, it might be a mindful walk in nature.

There’s no single “right” way.

What works beautifully for one person may not work at all for another. For example, guided visual meditations can be powerful, but for those with aphantasia, like me, they can be frustrating or ineffective.

Posture is no different.

For one person, sitting cross-legged may feel grounding and meditative. For someone with knee or lower back pain, it may be anything but. A chair—or even lying down—can offer far greater comfort and presence.

No one earns extra points for knee pain. Comfort isn’t a shortcut; it’s what allows the practice to actually work.

At the end of the day, meditation isn’t about how it looks; it’s about how it feels.

If you can come back to your breath, your body, or the moment you’re in… you’re doing it.

There are many more misconceptions around meditation—some obvious, some more subtle—but each one has the potential to keep people from discovering how accessible the practice can be.

Living Is Easy With Eyes Closed

In Living Is Easy With Eyes Closed, I explore these myths more deeply and offer a flexible, accessible approach to meditation, especially for busy minds, aphantasia, beginners, and those who’ve felt like they were “doing it wrong.”

👉 [Order here]

You work on these stories, you meet people, and your heart breaks. You long for the day that maybe, just maybe, you can bring them some good news.

I will never forget the day I met Dominic Consolino. We sat on a park bench in St. Louis, and he spilled his guts. It had been more than 40 years since his younger brother Gary was murdered, along with Gary’s date, Ellen Dooling. Despite one of the largest investigations in St. Louis history, the case went cold, and was never solved.

And 40 years later, now pushing 70, the memories of his brother were as strong as ever. “I would do anything to find out who killed Gary and Ellen,” Dominic told me. “It would be the greatest thing that could happen the rest of my life.”

I promised Dominic that I would tell Gary’s story. We prayed together, and with tears in his eyes we said goodbye. His final words to me were “Bob, thank you for writing about Gary. Someday, I believe you will call me with good news.”

Knowing that would take a miracle, all I could do was squeeze his hand and nod.

A couple of years went by. I began writing my Frozen book, keeping in contact with my police sources on the various cases. And then my phone rang.

“Bob, we may have a lead on the Consolino case,” a St. Louis police detective told me.

The suspect was in a prison out of the area, and was willing to talk. I hung up the phone and rushed to find Dominic’s phone number. We had not talked in over a year. I knew that any news would bring a smile to his face.

I called but could not reach him. I left phone and text messages, Days went by. I finally began calling other people I had met while working on the story, asking them to put me in touch with Dominic. Finally, a family friend called back.

“Bob, I’m sorry. Dominic passed away last week.”

Some stories get answers. Some don’t… at least not in time.

But every one of them matters.

This is the heart behind 25 Frozen, 1 Thawed.

In this powerful feature, Steve Monier reflects on one of the longest armed standoffs in U.S. Marshal history, offering a rare inside look at the strategy, restraint, and human judgment required in moments where force isn’t always the answer.

👉 Read the full article here: https://texastoday.com/patience-over-force-steve-monier-reflects-on-the-longest-armed-standoff-in-u-s-marshals-history/

Read the full piece, then tell us—what would you have done in that moment?

It’s a compelling reminder that sometimes the strongest move is… patience.

Get your copy of No One Has to Die today.

Meditation Myths #1 & #2
Two of the biggest misconceptions that keep people from starting

A few weeks ago, I shared a simple 5-minute reset meditation.

Since the launch of Living Is Easy With Eyes Closed, I’ve been invited onto a few podcasts… and there’s one question that keeps coming up:

“What are the biggest myths about meditation?”

There are quite a few.

But I thought it might be fun to explore them here, slowly and simply, one or two at a time.

Let’s start with two that stop people before they even begin.

Myth #1: “You have to meditate for a long time for it to count.”

I hear this one all the time.

Somewhere along the way, meditation became something we imagine doing for
30 minutes…
an hour…
in complete silence…
with nothing else pulling at us.

And for most people, that’s exactly where it ends… at the imagining.

Because life doesn’t look like that.

But here’s what I’ve found, both personally and through everything I’ve learned:

Short, consistent practice changes far more than occasional long sits.

Five minutes can shift your entire state.

Not dramatically.
Not all at once.
But gently… and reliably.

When you sit for even a few minutes each day, something begins to build.

A rhythm.

Your body starts to recognize it.
Your breath begins to soften a little sooner.
Your mind doesn’t fight it quite as much.

And over time, that calm doesn’t stay on the cushion.

It follows you.

Into conversations.
Into stressful moments.
Into the pause before you react.

You begin to notice your thoughts more clearly, especially the ones that loop or pull you off center.

And that awareness?
That’s where choice lives.

That’s where things start to change.

Longer meditations absolutely have their place.

They can open the door to deeper reflection… creativity… even spiritual exploration.

But they’re not the entry point for most people.

A simple way to think about it:

Short sits support daily well-being.
Longer sits deepen inner exploration.

Both matter.

But five minutes is enough to begin.

Myth #2: “You have to clear your mind.”

This one might be the biggest myth of all.

And honestly, it kept me from meditating for a long time.

Because I thought,
“If the goal is no thoughts… I’m already failing.”

But meditation isn’t about having no thoughts.

It’s about noticing them.

Thoughts will come.

They’ll wander, repeat, distract, interrupt…
sometimes all within a few seconds.

That’s not failure.
That’s just the mind doing what the mind does.

What changes with meditation is your relationship to those thoughts.

Instead of getting pulled into every story, you begin to see them.

You might notice:

planning
worrying
remembering
… or yes, even itchy nose

And then—without judgment—you gently come back.

Back to your breath.
Back to a sound.
Back to whatever you’ve chosen as your anchor.

That moment of noticing?

That’s the practice.

Not perfection.
Not silence.
Not a perfectly clear mind.

Just noticing… and returning.

Over and over again.

Meditation isn’t about escaping life.

It’s about having something to return to
when life gets loud.

Next week, I’ll share two more common meditation myths.

🌿 Living Is Easy With Eyes Closed
A meditation guide for busy minds and anyone who thought they “weren’t good at it.”

👉 [Order here]

✨ I’m also collecting true miracle stories for an upcoming book project.
If you have one you feel called to share:
📩 mouseandmeditation@gmail.com

Thanks for being here 🤍

THE POLICEMAN’S DAUGHTER

On March 22, six weeks after Sabrina Cain disappeared from home, she was reported missing to the Belleville Police Department by her stepfather Fred Roark, who was the last person to see her. Roark was an officer for the police department.

Two men were target shooting on April 20, 1974 at Fournie Lake in Belleville, Illinois when they spotted it: a fully clothed body floating in the pond in two feet of water. Her name was Sabrina Jean Cain. Her bullet-riddled body was tied to a cement block, and her hands were tied behind her back.

Sabrina Cain was only 18 years old.

Now the Belleville Police Department had a murder investigation on their hands, and the last person to see the victim was one of their own. Detectives questioned their officer into the evening. He told police Sabrina was last seen on February 5, when she left the house angry, but would not say what was bothering her. He said their last conversation was about her going to look for an apartment, which Roark said he tried to talk her out of.

Officers asked Roark if he knew why anyone would want to kill Sabrina.

“You think she might have been pregnant?” Roark asked. The officers said they didn’t mean that, and the autopsy revealed she was not pregnant. Roark began crying.

“She is all I had,” he said.

Then the ballistics report came in: Sabrina was shot with a .38 caliber weapon. They went back to Roark’s house asking if he owned a private gun. He did, he told them. “What kind?”, they asked. A .38, Roark told them. Police asked to see it. Roark brought them into his house to get the gun. It was nowhere to be found.

“I must have lost it somewhere,” he told them.

With Fred Roark clearly in their spotlight, the Belleville Police Department had little choice. First, they suspended Roark with pay during the investigation. Then, they ordered Roark to take a polygraph. Roark relented, but refused to answer any questions other than his name, address, and occupation. They then suspended him without pay. Finally, two months later, Roark was fired.

Their investigation led them to only one possible suspect. Fred Roark. And then...

That’s just the beginning…. Get your copy of 25 Frozen, 1 Thawed today

Coming soon: She’s A Lot Like You by Jim Christ

In the meantime, readers can explore Jim Christ’s powerful storytelling in his currently available book:

👉 Right There in Black and White

A gripping story that examines the complexities of truth, justice, and the choices that shape our lives.

But what if you were the detective?

In True Crime in Real Time, author Steve Scarborough turns the traditional true-crime format on its head by placing the reader directly inside the investigation. Instead of simply hearing about the crime, you walk the crime scenes, examine evidence, interview witnesses, and decide who you think is responsible.

In the interview below, Steve talks about the idea behind the book, the research that went into it, and why this immersive approach offers a completely different experience for readers who love crime stories and investigative puzzles.

Watch the conversation here:

If you enjoy true crime that lets you think like an investigator instead of just a spectator, True Crime in Real Time offers a unique twist on the genre.

Step into the role of detective, follow the evidence, and see if you can solve the cases yourself.

👉 Pick up a copy of True Crime in Real Time and test your investigative instincts.