The Fountain Pen Philosophy
How gratitude, journaling, and handwritten encouragement may be the missing ingredients to a happier life.
Click here for money, fame, and fortune.
Or better yet… buy now and lose 10 pounds in 10 days while eating chocolate cake.
In our society, many people desire wealth, health, and fame—or at least the approval of others. Those desires make it easy for marketers to sell us gimmicks, whether it’s a “get rich quick” scheme or a miracle weight-loss solution that promises transformation without changing a single habit.
Now, I don’t have the fountain of youth or some magical elixir to solve all your problems… but I do have a fountain pen.
And if I’m being honest, I think I may have discovered a small key to happiness at the end of that pen.
Yes, I use a fountain pen. Why? I’m honestly not sure. But normal has never been a word I’d use to describe myself anyway.
I realized just how abnormal I was when I ordered custom pens for our team at the office from a local pen maker. He told me he had made hundreds of pens over the years—but never a fountain pen. That’s when I knew for certain… I’m not normal.
(And yes, I’ll gladly share the link for these amazing custom pens.)
But enough about pens. What’s the key to happiness?
I believe it’s attitude—more specifically, an attitude of gratitude.
I use my fancy fountain pen for the things that matter most to me: morning notes to Ellen, handwritten thank-you cards, my weight-loss eBook Out of the Chair, and even my new children’s series, ChiroVille Adventures. In fact, you probably guessed it… this very email was handwritten long before my fingertips ever touched a keyboard.
There’s just something special about putting pen to paper. It creates a physical connection between your thoughts and your hand. For me, a creative pen somehow sparks the creative side of my brain. Even problem-solving requires creativity… and maybe, just maybe, a creative pen helps too.
But the most important things I write are the things I write to myself.
Yes, this strong, handsome, buff guy keeps a diary now.
Well… I prefer to call it journaling or “evening reflections.”
Writing down my thoughts slows me down enough to truly reflect on the day—the wins and losses, the moments I’m proud of, and the moments that taught me something.
Research consistently shows that journaling—especially writing down three positive things from your day—can significantly improve mental outlook and clarity. Studies have even shown reductions in anxiety and depressive thought patterns with this style of reflection.
I’ve said it before, but the most important words you hear are the words you say to yourself.
The human brain is fascinating: you tend to find what you’re looking for. If you spend your days searching for everything wrong with yourself or your life, you’ll find plenty of evidence. But if you intentionally look for good things—moments of gratitude, growth, and hope—you’ll begin finding those too.
An old professor once gave me a piece of advice I’ll never forget:
“Paper is cheaper than brains.”
He explained it this way: if you go to the grocery store needing only milk, eggs, and bread—but don’t write it down—your brain goes into replay mode:
“Milk, eggs, bread… milk, eggs, bread…”
Over and over again.
That repetitive mental loop steals mental space that could have been used for creativity, vision, or problem-solving. No room for big dreams. No room for new ideas.
Who knows… someone may have solved world hunger in the middle of a grocery store and forgotten it before they reached aisle five. Or told no one.
(Yes, that’s a Grinch reference.)
So tonight, write down a few positive reflections from your day. Better yet, write an encouraging note to a friend and actually send it.
Your words may become one of the greatest gifts you give—to yourself and to someone else.
Your friend,
Dr. Mosier
