One Year Ago I Made a Crazy Plan. Here’s What Actually Happened
I didn’t end up at Starbucks. But I did end up with a searchable database, a legislative push, and a whole lot of fabric sitting on my table.
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A year ago, I laid out a plan of what I wanted to accomplish in 2025. Looking back on it now, I’m astonished that I managed to pull off as many things as I did. There are also several things still in the “wait and see" category, and a few failures. Where to begin?
As some of you may have noticed, I have taken a long break over the Christmas and New Year holiday. While a significant amount of that has been spent in some much-needed rest and recreation, I also spent a fair bit of that time completing some big projects for the National Association of Scholars.
In the weeks ahead, I’m looking forward to sharing more about those, specifically a searchable database of all the CACREP-required multicultural counseling textbooks used across the country, which was one of my big projects for 2025 and resulted in FAIR’s OCR complaint against CACREP.
For folks who just arrived, CACREP is the largest accreditor of mental health and school counseling programs in the country right now.
Missions Competed
The big one, finding a way to continue doing this work, has been achieved! For now, I will be able to keep my home, I’ll be able to make a few much-needed repairs, and I’ll be able to go out occasionally and start putting my social life back together.
The second big goal, to see some success with my reform efforts, it’s both completed and still in progress. I spearheaded the CACREP OCR complaint with all the data I collected, and I also helped orchestrate the OCR complaint against CSU for the Whitelash study. While I didn’t do the legal writing (not a lawyer), I’m proud of the role I played.
I also initiated legislation here in Tennessee to limit accreditor power. Unfortunately, that is still filed under, wait and see. Though Tennessee Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson seemed receptive on the phone, I’m still waiting to hear back on a bill number. Right now, I’m tentatively hopeful, but time will tell. Here’s to hoping I’m not the girlfriend in the meme with the boyfriend staring at the new girl.
I also didn’t put those eggs only in that basket. My state Representative, Monty Fritz, is also working on something covering that angle. He’s also running for governor, so there may be some excitement in store for my state.
Looking Forward
This year, my current challenges are different. Most importantly, it is a huge relief to have some financial stability. Between the support of subscribers and my work at NAS, I will be able to continue for the foreseeable future. At the same time, that relief presents its own challenge.
For most of last year, I expected to finish 2025 and promptly apply at Starbucks, hoping I could make something work further down the road. That drove me to exceed my limitations and press onward when, objectively, I should have taken a break.
I don’t regret a bit of that.
At the same time, it did take a toll, and that toll must be paid. That’s why it has been a month since I last finished a post, though I have several that I started and just couldn’t bring myself to complete.
On my queue for 2026 is to do some things away from the political space, and even have a bit of fun here and there. There will be those overdue repairs I need to attend to. Projects and chores that were put on a shelf while I focused all my attention on writing and researching will need to be dusted off and revisited so I can decide whether to cut my losses and ditch the venture or carve out time to make sure things get done.
I’ve already done some of that over the holidays, organizing closets, and weeding out the things it's time to let go of, but there is quite a bit more still to do.
I have also started other projects, like revitalizing my wardrobe. Living the stay-at-home mom life, then the keyboard warrior, was all fine in pjs or sweatpants. But now I’m in a position where I’ll be speaking to people in power. I’ll be visiting groups and relating the findings of my research. Truth told, the sweatpants aren’t going to cut it.
So I’ve broken out my sewing machine, and I've been slowly using my rusty skills to make things that fit both my new position and my….uh…. mature shape.
I’m excited to see those come together.
I expect to be busy as the legislative season picks up, and for anyone watching any sort of news, 2026 has already started off with a bang. I’m thinking this year is going to be a handful and then some.
What does all that mean for this Substack? Whelp, first off, I have some guest writers who are generously lending their gifts and sharing their stories.
It’s also very likely posting may be a little more irregular some weeks, especially here at the start of the year. Alternatively, I may put up some short updates, with less investigative pieces, until I find a workable balance for everything I’m trying to accomplish right now. That said, I’m still committed to shining light on the stories currently overlooked by what they call the mainstream media.
I hope that you hang in there with me as I figure this out. We are living in interesting times, so the way I see it, we gotta help each other out.
For now, stand out of my sunlight, friends. We’ve got more shadows to chase.
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About
Diogenes in Exile began after I returned to grad school to pursue a master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at the University of Tennessee. What I found instead was a program saturated in Critical Theories ideology—where my Buddhist practice was treated as invalidating and where dissent from the prevailing orthodoxy was met with hostility. After witnessing how this ideology undermined both ethics and the foundations of good clinical practice, I made the difficult decision to walk away.
Since then, I’ve dedicated myself to exposing the ideological capture of psychology, higher education, and related institutions. My investigative writing has appeared in Real Clear Education, Minding the Campus, The College Fix, and has been republished by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni. I also speak and consult on policy reform to help rebuild public trust in once-respected professions.
Occasionally, I’m accused of being funny.
When I’m not writing or digging into documents, you’ll find me in the garden, making art, walking my dog,