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OldDogZeroTricks

OldDogZeroTricks

The Thoughts We Rarely Admit

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OldDogZeroTricks

Grant here. I’m a British expat living in Japan, teaching English, growing vegetables, and writing honestly about aging, purpose, and trying to evolve without the BS.

OldDogZeroTricks is where we talk about the things most people keep to themselves – the awkward truths, the questions we don’t ask out loud, and the reality of figuring life out as we go.

New here? The Welcome page is a good place to start – or just pick a post below.

Should I Read the Bible? (And Where Should I Start?)

Updated on December 3, 2025by OldDogZeroTricks
A wooden cross next to an open bible in a field of spring wildflowers and grass with rays of sun light shining down

A friend passed away holding a Bible in his hospital bed. It made me wonder if I have missed something essential. I am 57 and asking for your advice: Where should I start?

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What If Hard Work Isn’t Enough Without God?

Updated on December 2, 2025by OldDogZeroTricks
watercolor illustration of spiritual man praying in meditative pose with clasped hands

I have worked thousands of hours on four different blogs, but I am still living paycheque to paycheque. I am starting to wonder if I have been “laboring in vain” by building without God.

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The Modest Dreams We Can’t Afford (And the Selves We Leave Behind in Midlife)

Updated on January 1, 2026by OldDogZeroTricks
Blue luxury sports car showroom with a man in a suit admiring high-end vehicles, modern automotive dealership, stylish interior design, and a focus on premium automobiles in a high-tech environment.

I am 57 and I have never bought a new vehicle. It is a modest dream I cannot afford. But admitting it helped me reconnect with the person I used to be.

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Why I Tell AI Everything (And Don’t Really Care Who’s Listening)

Updated on December 3, 2025by OldDogZeroTricks
A watercolor illustration depicting an open book and abstract brain with wires and data streams gracefully flowing out and connecting to an AI symbol.

I used to guard my digital footprint like my life depended on it. Now, I tell AI everything. Here is why giving up privacy made the tools actually useful.

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The Old Dog’s New Trick: Using AI to Get My Life Back

Updated on December 2, 2025by OldDogZeroTricks
A soft watercolor of a hand holding a brightly colored pen, drawing a unique, flowing line over a faint, symmetrical grid of gray geometric shapes (representing AI-generated structure)

I learned the hard way: if you let AI draft your posts, you sound like everyone else. Here is my strict rule: AI is my editor, but never my author.

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Why I’m Still Dropping Into Virtual Battlefields at 57

Updated on December 2, 2025by OldDogZeroTricks
Watercolor Illustration of a Classic Video Game Controller with Colorful Splatters and Artistic Flair

I am 57, my reflexes are slow, and I will never make the leaderboards. That is exactly why I play. Discover the freedom of being gloriously mediocre at something that doesn’t matter.

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What If Death Isn’t The End? (What Near-Death Experiences Tell Us)

Updated on December 4, 2025by OldDogZeroTricks
An older lady having an Out-Of-Body experience with her spirit floating above her bed.

Skeptics say it is just the brain running out of oxygen. But why do 5-year-old kids and brain surgeons describe the exact same thing? Maybe these stories point to something real.

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What’s Worth Keeping?

Updated on December 2, 2025by OldDogZeroTricks
Pairs of shoes in entryway with open door and sunlight coming in.

I stored empty water bottles in my kitchen for months. Then one day, I threw them out and felt an unexpected shift. Sometimes clearing physical space is the only way to clear your head.

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When Does Devotion Become Obsession? (And How Would You Even Know?)

Updated on December 2, 2025by OldDogZeroTricks
A woman sitting at a desk devoted to her computer work

I woke up at 3 AM excited to blog. Then I debated whether I really needed to shower. This is my honest look at the line between healthy passion and quiet obsession.

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