Dennis E. Bradford

If life is worth living, it's worth living well. To live well is to be wise. Being wise automatically shows others how to be wise. That increase of wisdom has been my central motivation.

The common theme through all my work is detaching from dissatisfaction. It's impossible to be happy and enjoy life if you are dissatisfied (discontent, miserable, unbalanced, unhappy, sorrowful, suffering). I've finally figured out that being dissatisfied is optional. That's always what is behind what I write about in my books and blog posts.

If that topic interests you, the Personal Transformation series may interest you. The first is PERSONAL TRANSFORMATION: 5 WAYS TO DIMINISH FAILURE ALMOST INSTANTLY. The second is THE THREE THINGS THE REST OF US SHOULD KNOW ABOUT ZEN TRAINING. The third is THE MEDITATIVE APPROACH TO PHILOSOPHY. The fourth is GETTING THINGS DONE. The fifth is MASTERY IN 7 STEPS.

These are all introductory books that stand alone. They may be read in any order. (MASTERY IN 7 STEPS is the most comprehensive.) More than one has earned Amazon Kindle #1 Bestseller ranking in a sub-category. None is expensive. None contains fluff or filler.

Interestingly, becoming wise (living well or excellently) is not a matter of gaining anything. Instead, it's a matter of letting go, dropping compulsive thoughts (including and especially gratuitous, egocentric evaluations). This is something all of us are able to learn to do. Each of us is a potential sage. What's required? Be of one mind.

As a practical matter, I think in terms of six domains of well-being [in no particular order]: emotional, financial, intellectual, moral (inter-personal), physical, and spiritual (and that is not necessarily the same as religious). My blog posts are categorized into those six areas; if one interests you, go to any blog post, use the navbar on its left, scroll down to the appropriate category, and select a post that may interest you. [The link is in the "Blogs" section below this section.]

If you have a troubled mind, not much else is important. The practices I present and promote are not original with me, but they are effective in promoting peace of mind.

Background: Although I was born in Teaneck, New Jersey, I grew up in Toledo, Ohio. I attended Deveaux elementary school and later, from grades 5 to 11, the Ottawa Hills school system. My father was an internist; my mother was a homemaker and part-time writing teacher. I was the oldest of five (surviving) children. Like my father, I graduated from Blair Academy in Blairstown, N.J. Four years later I graduated with a B.A. in philosophy from Syracuse University. After working for a few months as a parole officer for juvenile delinquents, a bartender, and a hospital orderly, I spent two years as a lieutenant in the U. S. Army with overseas service in Korea. I later received my M.A. and Ph.D. in philosophy from The University of Iowa; Panayot Butchvarov was my dissertation director. I taught philosophy and humanities for 32 years at a very good college in upstate New York. I'm a former member of MENSA and The American Philosophical Association. I've written over twenty books, including a novel. I founded Ironox Works, Inc., in 2004.

I've been extremely fortunate in life. For example, I've always been healthy and athletic. I was captain of a hockey team in high school and lettered at Blair as a (second string) quarterback in football. I played hockey as an adult for many years and still enjoy regular strength training. For example, I have lived since 1977 on the shore of one of New York's beautiful Finger Lakes. For example, although I'm twice-divorced, I've enjoyed some wonderful love affairs as well as long-lasting friendships.

I consider myself to be extremely blessed to have discovered zen meditation in 1994. Until then, I was a spiritual zero. Ideally, everyone ought to have an effective body (spiritual, yogic) practice, but finding the right practice and the right teacher can be challenging. I'm very grateful that, once I was open to it, I quickly found both. Practicing zazen on a nearly daily basis and attending many retreats has immensely improved my life.

Bottom line? I have no complaints whatsoever.

If your life isn't yet going as well as you'd like and you don't have an effective body practice, I encourage you to do some investigating. In terms of your living better, that's my most valuable suggestion. Be well!