For me, freedom without personal responsibility, discipline, structure, accountability, and something meaningful to work toward, is a death sentence. Turns out I’m not alone. Agency, our ability to influence our own lives without consideration for externals, is our power. Agency is my power to chose what’s best for me. But here’s the rub, how the hell am I supposed to know what that is?I like to think I know some things about some things, but every day I’m reminded that, in many areas, I’m still pretty ignorant. Sometimes, I’m full-on stupid. I’m a work in progress. These essays help me to make concrete the more abstract ideals I have floating around in my mind. You supporting me, with a like, share, SUBSCRIBE (I won’t sell your email address.) a follow over on Instagram (@arunningdialogue), or even some encouraging words means the world to me for more reasons than most might comprehend.Thank you for that.Be safe out there.-Marcus Get full access to That Existential Trail Runner at marcusthornton.substack.com/subscribe

Hello everyone!I did it! My blitzkrieg of posts playing catch up has finally come to it’s foregone conclusion. Beginning next week I will post like a normal human. Thank you so much for checking out my work. If you find any value at all, please consider subscribing, sharing, or reaching out and letting me know your thoughts. Be safe out there.-Marcus Get full access to That Existential Trail Runner at marcusthornton.substack.com/subscribe

Hello everyone!!First, thanks for all the support! Truly, it means so much to me that so many people have started reading, listening, and randomly hollering at me. Super rad. Keep it coming.We all have a voice inside of us that knows literally everything about us. All the good, as well as all the bad. It’s important to observe it so that we can know when we may be getting in our own way, sabotaging ourselves and our relationships due to an unprocessed trauma response. I process my shit here, and on the run, and in therapy, and in my journal. Funny enough, my first essays were just journal entries I thought someone might get value from. Anyway, without further adieu, “An Inner Monologue.”Be safe out there.-Marcus Get full access to That Existential Trail Runner at marcusthornton.substack.com/subscribe

“How you doing, man?” “Shew, busy. Good. You?”We wear our busyness and inability to be still like a badge of honor. But what if instead of half-assing a bunch of things we whole-ass a few? Well, let’s talk about that for a minute.Does my data suck? You can be the judge of that. Feel free to subscribe, share, and like if you get any value from my writing. Really pushing to get this thing moving this year, and I need your help if I hope to be successful. Thank you so much. Be safe out there!-Marcus Get full access to That Existential Trail Runner at marcusthornton.substack.com/subscribe

Why suffer imagined troubles? Well, because it tends to lend itself to safety and longevity. Then you have continuation of the species. But, I digress…In our modern world, most things are either known to me or easily accessible if I simply pull my phone out. It’s up to me to take the initiative and do the shit. LFG.Be safe out there.-MarcusSUBSCRIBE!!! FOLLOW @ARUNNINGDIALOGUE ON INSTAGRAM!! THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!! Get full access to That Existential Trail Runner at marcusthornton.substack.com/subscribe

On this episode of ARD I will be providing you beautiful humans with the audio to my critically acclaimed essay, “Self-Awareness, Save Me From Myself.” The world has been clamoring, and so I obliged. Take care, be safe out there.-Marcus Get full access to That Existential Trail Runner at marcusthornton.substack.com/subscribe

Thank you so much for listening! Like, subscribe, share, and comment if you want. Every seemingly small act helps me make my dream of becoming a writer a reality. Take care, be safe out there.-Marcus Get full access to That Existential Trail Runner at marcusthornton.substack.com/subscribe

Hey, everyone! It’s finally here, the very first episode of A Running Dialogue. In this episode I do a reading of “Mark, the Shadow, and the Scared Little Boy.” I went for a walk around the college campus I work on and figured “what the hell.” I’ve spent a lot of my life waiting for the timing to be perfect before I take action. Well, fuck that.Thank you for giving me your time and attention. It truly means the world to me. Be sure to like and subscribe to keep receiving my work. It also goes a long way in helping me to realize my dream of being a professional writer. Enjoy.-Marcus Get full access to That Existential Trail Runner at marcusthornton.substack.com/subscribe