I’m not calling you whores, per se. Tee hee. We all think ‘sex-for-money’ when we hear the word prostitution. Forget that. That’s not my focus here. I’m talking about archetypes, an ancient and universal concept of what it means to prostitute one’s self. Wha…? A Couple Definitions To Prostitute: To sell parts of one’s Self [...]
I’m re-reading a remarkable, practical self-help book, Self-Esteem, which is in its third edition and subtitled, A proven program of cognitive techniques for assessing, improving & maintaining your self-esteem. Between them, the authors, Matthew McKay and Patrick Fanning have written many, many other self-help guides as well. The first time I read Self-Esteem, and then [...]
I’ve been witness to two lessons from nature over the past several months. Both out in my garden and inside my house: One: Given a roomy pot and some fertilizer a near-dead plant will flourish. Two: A good pruning can re-focus a plant’s energy and allow it to flower. We grow when the environment is [...]
I’ve been borrowing books from my local library lately. (I make good use of their online database, reserving books from across their member branches, which the librarians kindly set aside for quick pick-up - an email comes when the book is ready. The only thing that could make it even easier would be a drive-thru window! But then I wouldn’t [...]
The pain of others, that is. Who would want to breathe in, inhale, suck up the pain, illness, and damage that’s in others? Eww. That was the train of thought that started, reactively, in my mind as I read a really interesting (and life-enhancing) article, “Love & Emptiness,” in the magazine Shambhala Sun. (The January [...]
Here’s a question that a reader just asked me, which I’m answering in a post for everyone: “What recommendations do you have as far as a daily routine, therapy, or books to make the fear of losing control less prominent?” Her question was related to this post about the fear of losing control. While this [...]
In this post I’m focusing on Practice #2, the practice of doing therapeutic work. This practice is meant to be integrated with the other steps—ahem, like, started right along with Practice #1 (not after anything is ‘perfected’ ). The Four Practices to Raise Yourself Up #1 The Practice of Learning Who You Are & What [...]
You can't worry and smile at the same time. Try it. First, smile. Now, think of one of the typical worrysome or anxiety-provoking thoughts that messes with your self-esteem and sense of everything being all right. For me, today, it's, "What was I thinking when I signed my toddler up for swimming lessons–I should have known his nap time [...]
Do you often find yourself thinking, “Why does this seem to always happen….?” Do you realize that OF COURSE it always happens? It always happens because your frame of mind hasn’t changed although the situation may have changed — your frame of mind will continue to interpret things as it does until you reconsider how you view your world.
Are you prone to feeling dumb and insecure about your intelligence? It’s common for people who grew up in alcoholic homes to feel this – but it’s time to say goodbye to embarrassment and shame.
