Let us get one thing straight before we start. Buddhism gets a bad rap as some mystical, incense-scented religion where you sit on a isolated mountain and ignore the world. It is not that at all. At its core, it is a gritty, hyper-practical system for mind training and a philosophy of life designed to cut through the noise.
Look, if you want my deep dive on whether this entire series is worth your time, go hit up my other article first. But if you are just looking for a clean, spoiler-free rundown of the absolute madness that goes down in book one, you are in the right place. Grab your coffee, lock the door, and let me break down how the world ends and the real game begins.
I am a massive World of Warcraft fan, so it was really only a matter of time before I stumbled into the wild world of LitRPG. It all started when I randomly came across the audiobook for He Who Fights with Monsters. Before I knew it, the internet algorithms were screaming at me that I absolutely had to read Dungeon Crawler Carl*. Normally, I am not a fan of starting a new, similar series when I haven’t even finished the one I am currently on.
Look, I didn’t just „watch“ Tulsa King on Apple TV. I inhaled it. Every single night, I found myself itching to get back to the couch just to see what Dwight Manfredi was going to do next. The first season moved at a breakneck pace, and honestly, it left me wanting more.
I told you that I would use this space not only to show you cool songs I discovered, but also to share the immense amount of knowledge I have picked up while spending way too much time deep in the internet again. I already mentioned that I would follow up on Sleep Token. For that, I had to look within a bit more, organize my thoughts, and put everything into a logical order.
Look, I have told you before that I am doing everything I can to kick my smartphone and social media addiction. But I am also incredibly weak when it comes to online shopping, which means right now, I am in the middle of rationalizing a massive impulse buy.
I just wrapped up The Midnight Library*, and I needed to get these thoughts down before they drifted away. If you have been tracking the literary circuit lately, you have probably seen this one bounced around quite a bit. It is a book built on a massive, fascinating premise, but the execution left me feeling incredibly conflicted.
Ted Lasso is a clinic on humanity, disguised as a sports comedy. If you came for the soccer, you might stay for the biscuits, but you will definitely leave with a different perspective on how to treat people. Here is the breakdown of the first three seasons and a look at where the Richmond universe is headed.
It has been a minute since I posted anything in the EDC category. Maybe that is because I am currently tearing my daily carry apart and rebuilding it. Summer is creeping up, which means fewer layers, fewer pockets, and less space to hide your gear. But it is more than just a wardrobe shift. I am actively questioning what I actually need to carry.
I am a massive MGK fan. I have followed the transition from rap to pop-punk and back again, and usually, I am the first one in line when a new drop hits the atmosphere. But we need to talk about his new track with Wiz Khalifa.
I’ll admit it: I’m a massive Sleep Token fan. There was a long stretch where their album Take Me Back To Eden was the permanent soundtrack to my entire workday. It is just phenomenal music. If you want to lean in and really listen, it’s a masterclass in composition. If you need to lock in and get stuff done, it’s the perfect non-distracting background noise to keep your brain from wandering.
I just found a new band that earned an immediate spot on my MUSIC OF MAYHEM PLAYLIST. If you have been following the blog, you know I am all about the heavy stuff, but I am specifically looking for modern metal bands that aren’t afraid to break the rules. It is part of the whole „Mayhem“ philosophy: finding the signal in the noise and sharing the stuff that actually sticks.
I told you recently that I wanted to get serious about improving my chess game. Well, I might have taken a slight detour. Or maybe not. It depends on how you look at it. I stumbled across Gambonanza, a chess rogue-like that is basically Balatro but for people who prefer kings and queens over aces and joker.
I would not call myself a music nerd. I do not have a deep understanding of the technical art or the complex theory behind the tracks I love. But let’s be real: I cannot live without music. For a long time, I was the kind of person who stayed in a comfort zone, keeping the same few albums on repeat.
I have been what most people call a „gamer“ for as long as I can remember. It has always been a major part of my life, usually balanced by a healthy (or maybe unhealthy) dose of sports. Back in the day, that meant surviving on zero sleep between late-night World of Warcraft raids and morning classes.
Let’s be real: we all know that feeling of being constantly busy while simultaneously achieving absolutely nothing. You are moving, you are working, you are „doing,“ but at the end of the day, you can’t point to a single thing that actually feels right. I have been stuck in that cycle lately, which is exactly why I picked up Make Time: How to Focus on What Matters Every Day by Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky.
I will be the first to admit that I am straight up late to the party on this one. But honestly? Better late than never.
To my defense, I am currently suffering from a severe case of streaming service fatigue. Between Netflix, Disney plus, and everything else, I figured I had enough content to last me three lifetimes.
Manhattan was my home base in 2018. It was the most stressful, high-octane year of my life while I was living and studying in the city that never sleeps. Honestly, I still find myself falling back into that 2018 bubble, reliving the grind of the world’s busiest borough.
Clément La Croix is the mayor of a small town. For many years, everyone loved him for his warm character. However, as the years went by, he became increasingly grumpier. He really just wanted to improve his little town and did not ask for much from his citizens in return. They should just put in a little more effort. Plant the gardens more neatly, clean the windows so they are streak-free, and mow the front yard every once in a while.
I know I am supposed to be a role model when I have a platform to reach people, but let us not pretend I am holier than the Pope. I have a major weak spot. I love snus. To explain why, I have to go way back to when I first started.
Look, if you have been anywhere near the YouTube space over the last decade, you know the name Casey Neistat. I have been a massive fan since 2015, back when the daily vlogs of him started. I have watched every single episode, mostly because I have an unhealthy obsession with New York City, but also because his Casey Neistat storytelling is just on another level
I remember it like it was yesterday. It is 2006, I am sitting in a friend’s room, and the opening chords of „Ready to Fall“ hit the speakers. In that moment, everything changed. I was not just listening to a song; I was being pulled into a world that felt more real than anything I had experienced before.
It feels like there is always so much going on and a constant stream of new things to read or hear. Lately, I have been falling down a serious rabbit hole with new music discovery. Maybe I am just burnt out on my current playlists, but I have been on a mission to find something that actually feels fresh.
Let’s be real for a second. If your job involves staring at a screen for eight hours a day, your mobility is probably taking a hit. We all know the feeling of planning to be active, only to end up glued to the couch after work.
I am constantly on the hunt for something fresh to blast in my headphones. Since I started this site, I have made it a point to share the gems I find because keeping this kind of new music discovery to myself feels like a missed opportunity. Lately, my YouTube algorithm finally got the hint that I want stuff I haven’t heard a thousand times already.
Alright, I am not going to hide it from you anymore: If you are anything like me, you are constantly hunting for something real in a sea of algorithm-optimized noise. Lately, I have been obsessing over an artist who reminds me why music is actually an art form and not just a product for Spotify playlists.
I am officially kicking off Books of Mayhem, a new corner of the site where I can finally put a name to my obsession with reading and sharing the stuff that actually sticks. To get things started, I wanted to dive into a book that has been blowing up my feed lately: A Short Stay in Hell* by Steven L. Peck.
I have wanted to run a blog for as long as I can remember. I would start a project, post a few times, and then watch it slowly die as I lost interest or got distracted. But ThoughtsOfMayhem is different. This blog is the longest I have ever stayed consistent with a creative project, and I think I finally figured out why: I stopped trying to force myself into a specific niche.
Imagine a 2D MMO where you control a whole stable of characters. Instead of just playing one hero, you manage a team. You send one to mine ore, another to chop wood, and a third to fight boss monsters. The „magic“ happens when you close the app.
Tired of boring walks? Discover WalkScape, the RPG that turns your real-world steps into in-game progress without the need to stare at your screen.
Tired of the PARA method? Discover the PGN Method! A streamlined way to organize your Obsidian vault and digital life for better focus and less clutter.
You know that feeling?
You really plan on finally reading a book again in the evening, listening to a podcast with total focus, or just watching a series with your family. But in the end, you find yourself back on the couch, staring blankly at your phone.
It feels like there is always so much going on and a constant stream of new things to read or hear.
Even as a dedicated fan of a certain podcast app, I struggled for a long time to keep up with their latest updates. I told you before that I use SNIPD* to listen to podcasts.
This is one of the books that changed my life the most. Or maybe not my life, but definitely my creative mindset.
It completely shifted how I think about sharing things on the internet and encouraged me to keep going with this blog… or actually start it the right way.
I struggle with willpower more than anything else in my life, which is weird, especially since I consider myself self-employed. Still, I battle my own willpower every morning and every night.
Alright, I am not going to hide it from you anymore: If you are anything like me, you listen to an insane amount of podcasts. Lately, podcasts have become my main way of staying informed about things I am interested in.
In my attempt to figure out the correct chronological order to navigate World of Warcraft and understand the complete story, the first book I would read and have on my list is: „Of Blood and Honor“ by Chris Metzen himself.
The story takes place several years after the Second War. Tirion Fordring, a highly respected Paladin of the Silver Hand and Governor of Hearthglen, is living a quiet life. That changes instantly when he encounters an old Orc named Eitrigg in a dilapidated ruin.
World of Warcraft is a game that has been with me my entire life. I have never really stopped playing, and I probably will not as long as this game exists. Unfortunately, the older you get, the less time you have for it.
This book* challenged me to reflect on my own life choices and how I set my priorities…
I gotta admit, I started this whole thing to get all this junk out of my head.
And right now, that’s exactly what’s stopping me from posting stuff here. I keep getting lost in all the news about Google Gemini and NotebookLM.
Caffé Latte and Flat White are definitely the most ordered espresso-based drinks in coffee shops all over the world, but what are they really?
Have you ever wondered what the difference between a Caffé Latte and a Flat White is?
I have to Google it every single time I am standing in front of my machine or looking at the wall in a cafe to remember which is which.
Beekeeping is a fascinating and rewarding hobby and with this step-by-step guide for beginners without prior experience…
Thanks to my TikTok algorithm, I stumbled upon Manacled, a Harry Potter fan fiction that takes a rather different turn from the original storyline. It also features a lot more sexual content than J.K. Rowling’s universe ever did.
In this podcast, Torstein Horgmo talks about his remarkable career as a professional snowboarder, his personal growth, and the profound experiences that have shaped him. His rise to global snowboarding fame was swift, taking him from a bullied child to an international icon.
Tom Holland speaks frankly in this podcast about various aspects of his life, from his unexpected acting career to his personal journey toward sobriety. His career began by chance when his dance teacher encouraged him to audition for Billy Elliot—an opportunity he hadn’t actively pursued.
I’ve been using the WHOOP fitness tracker for quite some time now, and I have to say, it has completely changed the way I approach my training and recovery.
One of my favorites.
Thanks to Tim Ferris, I actually had two copies at home because I loved giving it as a gift.
As you can already tell from this page, Thoughts of Mayhem isn’t just packed with all kinds of topics and ideas—it’s also a reflection of the minds behind it. But sometimes, you have to focus on specific things.
My first book out of the BookTok universe. It was very different from what I’m used to reading, but I decided to give it a try because I grew up as a huge Harry Potter fan. I really loved the books as a kid, and even today, they are my go-to audiobooks when I need something to listen to while falling asleep.
Stephen King may be best known for horror, but 11/22/63 is something else entirely—a blend of historical fiction, time travel, and suspense, all wrapped around a surprisingly emotional core.
I know, I know – mayhem is a strong word. Maybe it makes you think of outlaw bikers. Maybe Sons of Anarchy comes to mind. Or perhaps you picture total chaos – burning buildings, screaming people.
It is another one of those phases where I am writing more. Mostly because I am reading a lot lately and trying to optimize things. Even through stuff like temptation bundling. But while doing that, I realized that everything I am doing right now revolves around one big topic: The Second Brain.
Darren Shan’s A Living Nightmare kicks off The Saga of Darren Shan, a young adult horror series that blends vampires, morality, and coming-of-age themes into something surprisingly addictive.