Fixed By Nature

I was scrolling Instagram last night — yes, even I fall into distraction mode sometimes — and I came across a viral post claiming:

“The CIA proved we live in a simulation.”

Obviously…
that got my attention.

So I looked deeper.

The truth was less dramatic than the headline — but honestly far more interesting.

Back in the 1980s, the CIA reviewed research into altered states of consciousness, meditation-like states, sound frequencies, and human perception through something called the Gateway Process.

Not because they “proved reality is fake.”

But because human beings clearly possess capacities modern life barely understands anymore.

And that hit me.

Because the older I get…
the more I believe many people aren’t mentally, emotionally, or spiritually broken the way they’ve been told.

I think we’ve drifted too far from the conditions we were designed for.

We live overstimulated.
Overfed but undernourished.
Constantly connected but deeply disconnected.

Our nervous systems never rest.
Our attention is constantly hijacked.
Our minds absorb more noise in a day than people once absorbed in months.

Then we wonder why anxiety, addiction, burnout, depression, and meaninglessness feel almost normal now.

What if part of healing isn’t becoming something new…

but returning to something ancient?

Stillness.
Nature.
Purpose.
Faith.
Community.
Gratitude.
Presence.

Not escaping reality.
Not “manifesting.”
Not pretending suffering isn’t real.

Alignment.

That’s what Fixed by Nature keeps pointing me back toward.

Not perfection.

Just returning to the rhythms human beings were probably designed to live within from the beginning.

And honestly…

I think deep down, most people already feel this.

What’s one thing that helps you feel most connected, grounded, or aligned again?

Let us know in the comments 👇

Ten years ago today…

I made a decision that changed everything.

May 10 became my “Stop Day.”

Not the day life suddenly became easy.

Not the day everything magically fell into place.

But the day I stopped running deeper into destruction.

Today marks 10 years free from opioid addiction. 10 years without prescription drugs.

That still feels unreal to say.

And to be transparent…

Since July, I’ve taken aspirin and ibuprofen almost daily because of a herniated disc and the physical demands of my job. Life still happens. Pain still exists. Healing is still a process.

But addiction no longer owns me.

What’s strange is this:

Externally, my life probably doesn’t look dramatically different to most people.

I’m not rich.
I’m not famous.
I still work hard every day.

But internally?

Everything changed.

My mind changed.
My habits changed.
My relationship with food changed.
My connection to nature changed.
My understanding of gratitude changed.
My relationship with God changed.

I stopped believing I was broken…
and started realizing I was living out of alignment with God’s perfect design.

That realization changed the direction of my life.

Over the last 10 years, that journey led me to create:

• The Happiness Effect
• Empowered Sobriety
• The Balanced Life Daily Journal
• The Nature Signs Journal
• The 30-Day Gratitude Challenge Journal
• Multiple holistic lifestyle booklets
• Fixed by Nature

Not because I had life figured out…

But because I wanted to leave a trail for the person still trapped where I once was.

And if that’s you right now…

Please hear me:

You are not too far gone.
You are not disqualified.
You are not beyond restoration.

Sometimes healing doesn’t begin with a giant leap.

Sometimes it begins with one honest moment…
where you finally say:

“Something has to change.”

Science now confirms what Scripture has taught all along:

What we repeatedly think, consume, practice, and believe shapes who we become.

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” — Romans 12:2

Ten years later…

My life is still imperfect.
Some dreams still feel far away.
But every need continues to be met.

And for that…

I am deeply grateful.

If my story has ever helped you, encouraged you, or made you think differently about your own life… thank you for walking this journey with me.

And if you’re struggling silently right now…

This can be your stop day too.

Something feels off…

Even if you can’t explain it.

You wake up tired.
Your mind doesn’t slow down.
You try to build better habits—but nothing seems to stick.

And deep down… there’s this quiet thought:

👉 “Life shouldn’t feel this hard.”

You’re not crazy for thinking that.

Because the truth is—

When you move away from how you were designed to live… you feel it.

Not all at once.
But over time.

Low energy.
Stress.
Disconnection.
Habits that don’t serve you… but somehow stay.

Look around at what’s become normal:

Processed food instead of real nourishment
Screens instead of connection
Constant noise instead of real rest
Distraction instead of purpose

And then you’re told to “push through it” like nothing’s wrong.

But something is wrong.

Not with you…

👉 With the way you’re being asked to live.

Here’s the shift:

When you move away from how you were designed to live… you suffer.
When you return… you begin to heal.

Not perfectly.
Not instantly.
But in a way you can actually feel.

Your body starts responding.
Your mind starts clearing.
Your energy starts coming back.

Because life isn’t random.

There’s a way it works.

The more you pay attention, the more you start to see it:

Your body knows what it needs.
Your mind responds to what you feed it.
Nature restores what’s been drained.

And when you begin living in alignment with that…

things start to change.

That’s what I mean when I say God’s perfect design.

Not religion.
Not rules.
Just the way life actually works—working for you, not against you.

If this hits home, don’t overcomplicate it.

Start simple today:

• Step outside for 10 minutes
• Drink water before anything else
• Eat something real
• Take one quiet moment without your phone

Small shifts.

Real alignment.

Everything builds from there.

If this speaks to you, follow along.

There’s a way back.
And it’s simpler than you think.

🔥 You ever feel like something’s just… off?

Not broken.
Not falling apart.

Just… not right.

Low energy.
Short patience.
Habits you can’t seem to break.
A mind that won’t slow down.

You try to fix it.

More effort.
More willpower.
More noise.
More distraction.

But nothing really sticks.

I know that feeling.

And here’s what might surprise you…

I didn’t come out of that by “finding God” first.

I grew up in church.
Lutheran school.
Faith was always around me.

But somewhere along the way…
I lost the connection.

And when addiction took over…
I didn’t turn back to God.

Not then.
Not even early in recovery.

What changed everything wasn’t religion.

It was paying attention.

To what I was putting into my body.
To how I felt when I lived differently.
To what happened when I slowed down.

I started gardening.
Spending time outside.
Observing instead of rushing.

And I noticed something…

My body responded.

Not randomly.

Predictably.

That’s when it clicked:

This wasn’t just “health.”

This was God’s perfect design.

🔎 Science confirms it:

Your brain rewires based on repeated thought patterns

Real nutrients support real healing at the cellular level

Sunlight, movement, and rest regulate your nervous system

📖 Scripture has been pointing to it all along:

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” — Romans 12:2

“He has made everything beautiful in its time.” — Ecclesiastes 3:11

And my life became the proof.

I went from over 1,000 pills a month…
to learning what happens when you align with how the body was created to function.

That’s what Fixed by Nature means.

It’s not a trend.
It’s not something I invented.

It’s what happens when you return to alignment with:

Your body

Your mind

And ultimately… your Creator

Why this matters for you:

Because what you’re feeling right now…

👉 isn’t random
👉 isn’t permanent
👉 and it doesn’t mean you’re broken

It might mean you’re simply out of alignment.

How this works:

When you begin to:

Feed your body what it was designed for

Train your mind instead of reacting to it

Reconnect with real rhythms (nature, rest, gratitude)

Something shifts.

Not instantly.

But steadily.

And over time…

you don’t just feel better—
you become someone new.

This is the foundation behind everything I create:

📖 Empowered Sobriety → rebuild your life and break free from addiction through alignment

📖 The Happiness Effect → train your mind to support your life instead of sabotage it

📓 The Balanced Life Daily Journal → create daily structure that keeps you grounded

🌿 The Nature Signs Journal → learn to see God’s presence through creation and recognize how He is already working in your life

Because sometimes…

before we hear God clearly…

we have to slow down enough to notice Him.

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Here’s the hope:

You don’t need to overhaul your entire life today.

You don’t need perfect faith.

You don’t need all the answers.

You just need to take one step back toward alignment.

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Action Step:

Go outside today—without your phone.

Sit. Walk. Breathe.

Look around.

Ask yourself:

👉 What is working in perfect order right now… without my control?

Then write down one thing you notice.

That’s where this begins.

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Because sometimes the way back to God…

doesn’t start with trying harder.

It starts with seeing differently.

If this resonates, follow along or reach out.

This isn’t theory.

This is lived. Proven. And available to you.