Jordan Bell used to take his pit bull, Prince, and his husky, Koba, to the dog park, and let them run around with other canines. But now he takes them to a regular park and plays catch with them. He isn’t babysitting anymore but spending quality time with them.



“I just started enjoying them more,” Bell said.



He’s also taking walks now, something he’d never do previously. Instead of heading straight home from the gym, he might just venture off on foot, follow the warmth of the sun, and let the ambient sounds be the background music for his thoughts. Another thing he does now, after not doing it much before, is pray. More than ever. He’ll bless his food and break off into a conversation with his higher power. Sometimes, the pouring out of his heart goes on long enough for his food to get cold.



Oh, and Bell is reading. He credits Andre Iguodala, who put him up on “Rich Dad, Poor Dad,” among other literature. Bell...