“One who returns to a place sees it with new eyes. Although the place may not have changed, the viewer inevitably has. For the first time things invisible before become suddenly visible. —Louis L’Amour I’ve always felt there is something fundamentally wrong with me. Sometimes I get these anxiety spells out of the blue. …
“You don’t really control anything.” —Sheldon B. Kopp, Psychotherapist and Author All of us have times when we’re obligated to carry out duties as part of normal life rituals. Having relatives visit us from out of town may prompt us to clean our houses ahead of time and get the guest rooms ready. Doing so …
“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” Eleanor Roosevelt, This Is My Story I had an eye-opening experience at church last week. A bunch of ladies at our coffee hour were all talking about their adult kids and how well they were adjusting to the challenges of college life. Being that my …
Too many of us today have almost no idea who we really are. Nor do we even know that we have no idea. We simply exist without a clue and hope for the best. If we ran into some sharp corner of ourselves we wouldn’t know how to round if off. Nor would we even …
“It’s not things but how we think of things that makes us happy.” — Epictetus (Greek Philosopher, 50-135 AD) Let’s suppose you are struggling with a significant life challenge. Perhaps you’re thinking about finishing your college degree and going back to school, are in the grips of an addiction and contemplating getting help for your …
Something very humbling happened to me this past week. It’s really shaken me. Our son, Isaac, periodically has meltdowns at school that seem to come out of the blue. He swears and yells at other kids over innocuous things and can’t calm down. As a result, he loses friends and is often on the outside …
“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 …
“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 …
I hate being in a group of people I don’t know. If I can find a way to get out of such gatherings I will. My mind gets nuts with anxiety. I fear that I will be seen as abnormal—that people can see my flaws. My voice usually cracks, sweat pours off my forehead, and …
Anger is probably the most poorly handled emotion in our society. From time to time we all experience this very powerful feeling. Some of the common causes of anger include frustration, hurt, annoyance, disappointment, harassment and threats. It is helpful to realize that anger can be our friend or foe, depending on how we express …
