I’m Brian Bagrov, and I made Brian’s Blog to promulgate the culmination of what I’ve learned in my 27 years. My intent is to document my thoughts and findings for anyone who cares to listen.

I may, perhaps, potentially, possibly know more than the average 27-year-old, but that’s certainly not enough time to gain a lifetime of wisdom. Why listen to me?

Well, it’s not about listening to me. I’m not here to instruct you or to coach you. I’m not a guru or a charismatic leader of man. My goal is to learn, and I believe I’ve learned valuable lessons during my life. Some I’ve learned from first-hand experience and some by synthesizing second- and third-hand experience. 

There is a ridiculous amount of information out there, and it is certainly overwhelming. It’s important to be open to learning and accepting new information without being inundated and paralyzed. This is where I may be able to help. I’m not telling you what I know; I endeavor to relate experience and knowledge in a digestible and applicable format. Knowledge is great, but what’s the point if you can’t use it? I like being able to apply knowledge in order to improve my life and the life of those around me.

Okay, now you know the basic premise of this website and how I view things. Who am I? What’s my background? What is the perspective that influences and informs my affect, behavior, and cognition?

I’m so glad you asked!

I was born in the state of Georgia in the United States of America. When I was quite young my family moved to the Pacific Northwest, and lived there for several years. After that, we relocated to Victoria in south-western Canada at the bottom of Vancouver Island, across from Seattle and Vancouver. Most of my childhood was spent here. When I was fifteen my parents, brother, and I moved to Prince George, the frigid “Northern Capital” of British Columbia, Canada. 

All this moving around and living in the godless frozen tundra gave me a unique perspective, as most children are not so jostled about during their younger years. The first question I usually get is “Was your dad in the military?” Apart from his brief stint with the marines, in which they realized that he was mostly deaf and promptly kicked him out—no. My father was not in the military. Was he the reason for all the moving? Yes, he was. Why? Well, it’s easier to show you than to tell you. See if you can develop an understanding of the dynamic by using deductive reasoning from my blog posts (you can do it!).

I think I had a “normal” childhood, but that doesn’t mean much. From what I’ve gathered through the years, there is nothing particularly amazing about the way I was raised. I wasn’t locked in a dungeon, I didn’t invent any formulas, and I can’t see through walls. Instead, I went to school, played baseball, got the absolute excrement beaten out of me, did martial arts, ran track, got bullied a little, went through some awkward phases, played the drums, got into metal music, and grew into a full-fledged tax-paying adult without losing any limbs (thank God!). 

In my early adult life I played a lot of music, met some good friends, moved to Tennessee, finally got myself a cute girlfriend , had several jobs, and finally discovered what I wanted to do with my life. In my early twenties I became intensely fascinated with psychology—the way people think, act, feel, and believe, and why. I kept this career path in roughly the middle of my mind (not the forefront or the back).

At some point in my mid-twenties I had started attending personal counseling to work through some trauma and dysfunction in my life. One of the things that was weighing on me was my lack of vocational direction. After a couple sessions with a career counselor, I decided what I wanted to do. I wanted to become a research psychologist.

I promptly got my HiSet certification (a high school equivalency diploma) and enrolled at the local community college. At first, I decided to pursue a counseling degree so that I could practice without having to go through a doctoral program to be a clinical/research psychologist. “Oh well, this is the next best thing,” I thought. 

I started classes and became locked into a routine. The more time I spent, the more I considered, and the more I studied and learned, the more I warmed up to being a counselor. Now, there’s nothing else I want to do. Being a research psychologist sounds very interesting, but also involves a lot of math (no thank you). You’re telling me I can implement psychological findings by applying them to my practice and help people turn their lives around? Yes, please!

I can think of nothing better (for me) than to have deep conversations with struggling people every day with the cumulative result being a positive shift in their life. I know what it’s like to struggle; for many years I suffered from depression. Not the kind where I couldn’t get out of bed and take a shower, but the kind that was serious enough for death to constantly be on my mind. I suffered. I don’t want anyone else to go through that. I, thankfully, worked through it with a lot of time and effort in conjunction with the help of friends, family, and licensed counselors. If I can save even one person from the needless suffering of depression, my life is worth living.

I’m staying the course. I’m currently a junior psychology student at Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville. In four years  I’ll have graduated with an expensive piece of paper that gives me license to counsel people professionally. Until then, I spend my time reading, studying, going to the gym, playing games (hopefully not too much), working, and investing for the future. Of course, now I’m also a certified blogger®.

Stick with me and I promise that you will perhaps, potentially, possibly learn at least one thing at some point. I promise.