John was a 45-year-old stockbroker who seemed to be living the American dream. He had a $600,000 house in the suburbs, an attractive and athletic wife, two good-looking and healthy children, and a dog. The only thing missing was the white picket fence – and a heart. If you [...]
Anger is positive. Here's why. People aren't born afraid of their anger. They learn it. As children, yelling, screaming, or hitting lands you in the time out chair or, in the old days, gets you a spanking. Religious education reinforces the fear. Wrath is listed as one of the seven deadly [...]
Without realizing it, you have been trained to see yourself and others in a very destructive way. You were given a looking glass that reduces the patterns in human behavior to character traits. This understanding is not only limited but also it is destructive to your belief in yourself and [...]
The idea of learning how to trust your gut is an appealing idea. It smacks of internal strength, telling right from wrong and not being unduly influenced by the opinions of others. If you can trust your gut, you can believe in your self and stand up to others [...]
How do you know when you are fully grown up as an adult? Some psychologists use the term, “fully self-actualized” to describe this achievement. I take a different approach to the problem. I don’t think we are ever fully actualized, or fully grown-up. I think there is always something [...]
People misunderstand anxiety and depression. When you don’t want to get out of bed in the morning, or life doesn’t feel worth living, you think there is something wrong with you. If you panic, can’t think straight and feel overwhelmed, you think you are losing your mind. If you [...]
