Occasionally in life there are those moments of unutterable fulfillment which cannot be explained by those symbols called words. Their meaning can only be articulated by the inaudible language of the heart. —Martin Luther King, Jr. As I reflect on my life, I realize there are critical life lessons that make me into the person …
Staying emotionally connected to your teen is essential both for you and for your adolescent. It may feel impossible at times but it is a crucial relationship task. A deep dark secret of adolescence is that being a teenager is often a lonely time, more than anyone cares to admit. The necessary loss of a …
All my friends know I just have this thing for women. They’ll say, “Who are you with this week, Jerry?” or “Man if I only had your problem.” Most of them think it’s cute that I keep meeting one woman after another. I have a good job and stay in shape. I’m always real nice …
Grandpa was a difficult man. He was kind and loving on his own terms, but not at all forbearant with people, places, and things that he did not understand. My wife and her family didn’t regard him as odd in the least—well, that’s not true. They had simply grown accustomed to his idiosyncrasies and each …
“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 …
I had difficulty in my love relationships, friendships and relationships with co-workers and my family. Everything felt so difficult. Why did I keep getting fired from jobs, even from my own business? Why couldn’t men love me the way I needed to be loved? I know how to fix everyone else’s problems, why can’t I …
How to experience relationships, confidently and peacefully, has been at the core of my writing since my first book, Each Day a New Beginning: Daily Meditations for Women, was published in 1982. It makes sense when one considers my history: I was the third child in a family of four children with an angry, chronically …
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 …
“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 …
