“Those who don’t learn from history are condemned to repeat it.” — Carlos Santayana (1863-1952) Like it or not, we’re living in a historic era with all its suffering and promise. And what an era we’re living in! Most of us have feelings of unreality, worry, sadness and disbelief about what is happening, and uncertainty …
“You were born with wings, why prefer to crawl through life?” — Rumi First a note to my readers. I’ve decided to not write about the coronavirus (COVID-19). There is already so much written about this topic, often for very good reasons. These are times when following the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control …
“He who loves himself too much will have no rivals.” — Benjamin Franklin Self-inflation is a major problem in our culture and an impediment to personal growth and recovery. It is the exaggerated belief in our own exceptionalism—that we are a cut above others with little or no evidence to support our belief. It involves …
It can be quite shocking and discouraging to hear that apparently happy old married partners have chosen to divorce. Moreover, when a well-liked, celebrity couple like the Gores announce they are ending their 40-year-old marriage for no apparent reason it can make us quake in our boots. Could such a disaster happen in your marriage? …
A house divided against itself cannot stand. —Abraham Lincoln We live in the most divisive of times. Political parties hardly talk to each other. Sports teams are divided between the winners and losers. People can lose entire careers for an incorrect political opinion. Too many of us are alienated from each other: Rich and poor, …
Those of us in the field of addiction recovery understand all too well the concept of euphoric recall. We chase things outside ourselves to make us happy based on a thrilling memory of how they once did, albeit temporarily. Our pulse rate increases, we get arousing physical sensations and we can’t stop thinking about the …
“Be careful of how you use your tools as you can become the tools of your tools.” Henry David Thoreau *** My boss told me I need to do a presentation next week at our company sales rep meeting, on my personal philosophy on closing sales. Geeze, just because I was the leading salesperson for …
“Our life begins to end the day we stop being grateful.” -Anonymous It’s that time of year when many of us gather with loved ones intending to give thanks. We experience tender moments with family or at least what we hope will be tender moments. Too often we’ve become disappointed as the actual closeness with …
“Wealth is the number of things we can do without.” Leo Tolstoy If you’re one of the many people who are going overboard this holiday season, this article may not be for you. On the other hand, it may be perfect for you. So many of us express our love for others by buying things …
“If I had to live my life again, I’d make all the same mistakes—only sooner.” — Tallulah Bankhead (1902-1968) One of the most hidden and powerful aspects of human identity is how many of us have shame and harsh judgments towards ourselves. Some of us are barely aware of our self-contempt; others are drowning in …
