Pete Wiley, Author at Blocks of Life

September 13, 2025July 23, 2025 by Pete Wiley

Courage—When You Need It and What Drives It

There’s a lot of talk of courage these days. In challenging times, it takes courage to face new risks, to be a force for change, and to stand up to oppression. If your life has been relatively free from risk and danger, suddenly having to find courage can be harrowing. But if you can: a) identify what you fear and why it’s scary to you, and b) explore what courage means to you, you may find courage you didn’t know you had. Some must find courage because they have no other choice, while others can see a context where courage is needed and must decide whether they have the courage and the conviction they need to test it. We all have some measure of courage, and we’ll invariably face situations in which we have to draw on it.

August 30, 2025June 17, 2025 by Pete Wiley

Motivation and Energy—How to Keep the Ball Rolling

Why is it that sometimes you can keep buzzing along—checking your boxes and making progress—and sometimes you just… can’t. We all have periods when the motivation isn’t there—when we can’t get off the dime and get going. This is fine as long as you are mindful of the dynamic. When you’re not feeling it, it’s essential to maintain self-awareness and know why you’re lacking in motivation. We all need downtime, but if your listlessness is due to something that’s within your control, it can be helpful to identify those factors and find a way to correct or adjust them. Motivation is one of the most important elements in a meaningful life. If yours is waning, it’s necessary to know why.

August 16, 2025June 17, 2025 by Pete Wiley

Maintaining Clarity Amidst the Challenges of Modern Times

The world has become a complex, busy, challenging place. It can be difficult to cut through the noise to focus on what’s truly important. It can also be hard to achieve mental and emotional clarity. Drastic changes have occurred in our world in a very short time, and people are facing unprecedented challenges, the nature of which was unknown only one hundred years ago. We’re writing the script as we’re acting in the play, and it has resulted in mental health challenges for many, if not most, people. The good news is that we can move toward clarity by acknowledging our circumstances and taking steps to address our challenges.

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August 12, 2025August 12, 2025 by Pete Wiley

New Release: Civil Living

Today, I’m honored to share something that’s been years in the making: the publication of my book, Civil Living: Finding Civility In Society, In Our Interactions, and Within Ourselves (link). Civil Living is a series of essays that represent a deep and ongoing exploration of how we live, relate, and show up in a world that often feels anything but civil.

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August 2, 2025June 2, 2025 by Pete Wiley

Making Meaning Matter—Finding Fulfillment in Your Life

What are the ingredients of a meaningful life? The simple answer is finding something personally meaningful to you. But, of course, it’s not that simple. It’s vital to understand how endeavors are meaningful to you. What do they give you? How do they make you feel? There are several ways to consider this. One is that an activity fills you with pride and makes you feel good about yourself and how you spend your time. Another is having a positive impact on the world and making a difference. A third is discovery or developing a deeper understanding of something. A meaningful life may be related to your career, a hobby, or how you interact with people. There are many ways to find meaning in your life.

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