Hi, welcome to my newsletter!
M.O.N.K.E.Y. B.A.R.S. is my acronym for the system I use to create and maintain a happy life. If you struggle with monkey mind or negative self-talk as I did, consider subscribing. This stuff works and I am living proof. Though everyone’s “M.O.N.K.E.Y. B.A.R.S.” will look a little different, I write this newsletter to show how it CAN look and how this method continues to pour happiness into my life—especially when I need it most.
As of January 2025, my intention is to keep the Substack live and write occasional posts, but for the foreseeable future, I will not be internally committing to publishing weekly, as I did when it launched in January 2024. It might be monthly. It might be quarterly. It might even be less frequent than that. Read more here.
My name is Jon…
…or Jonathan. As a singer / songwriter / producer you might know me as Jonathan K. Waller or Big Red Capes or One Reality or Days of Leo. As a community teacher at Awake Yoga Meditation, you might know me as Dhruv.
I have become a spiritual seeker and experienced meditator who has always loved creating — music, lyrics, musicals, articles, videos, websites, marketing materials, romantic moments… so much. I founded Jonny Creations Studio as a home for those creations (and to support my continuing interest in creating romantic moments with my wife).
My music is signed to industry-leading music libraries and agencies and has been heard on Netflix, Peacock, Amazon Prime, NBCUniversal, USA Network, Amazon’s Freevee, and on hundreds of stages around the world.
You’ve arrived at my newsletter, Monkey Bars for the Monkey Mind, where I share, openly practice, and experiment with the ten things I do to create a happier life. The best way to understand what that means is to read the first article:
I started this newsletter for a number of reasons, but one of the biggest is that I know there others are out there like me who have struggled with their mental health and suffered (or are currently suffering) from the kind of pain I used to feel. For me, it blocked my inner spirit and my creative outlets and led me to a low point where I was clinically depressed and losing sight quickly of why I wanted to keep on going. The path out of that was hard, but also illuminating.
My intention with Monkey Bars for the Monkey Mind is to be of service. When I was struggling, it was helpful to find others out there like me, to learn how they got through the pain, and to see how they keep getting through it. I have no expectations for the newsletter, other than I want it to be part of my spiritual practice.
At this time, my intention is to keep the Substack live and write occasional posts, but for the foreseeable future, I will not be internally committing to publishing weekly. It might be monthly. It might be quarterly. It might even be less frequent than that. Read more here.
Why subscribe?
If it resonates with you, please consider becoming a subscriber. You’ll never miss an update and every new post will be sent directly to your email inbox.
Free and paid subscriptions are available. Paid subscriptions:
Are a way for people who appreciate my work to support me and my family.
Receive access to recordings of me reading articles, which can be a more human experience and helpful if reading time is hard to come by (or if you just want to hear which words I choose to emphasize and stumble over haha).
Have access to the full archives.
Have the ability to comment and participate in discussions within the Monkey Bars for the Monkey Mind community.
Hope you have a happy day!
With love,
Jonathan
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