Do you ever find yourself in a downward spiral of self-criticism and negative self-talk? I’ve had those days, so I know first hand how mean we can get when we talk about ourselves using our internal, relentless “inner voice.” It’s hard to imagine those thoughts not having a deep impact on our lives. We can […]
Don’t talk about my friend like that Read More »
“The rules are made up and the points don’t matter.” I’ve always loved this line from the iconic improv comedy show “Whose Line is it Anyway.” Now, before you get caught up in reality testing here… yes of course there are some rules, and there are some points that matter… and there are A LOT
You don’t have to act on every thought you have or emotion you feel. Let me swing a little harder… acting on every thought you have or emotion you feel is not wise, respectable, helpful, or your right to do without consequence. What you can do with every single thought you have or emotion you
We get grumpy when we don’t get what we want. So maybe… if we controlled our desires we would be less grumpy? Take a moment and just list off all the things you want. Maybe you are lucky and that little exercise made you feel motivated. More than likely you are like a lot of
Temperance isn’t just a virtue, it can be a tool. Temperance has a lot of nuisance and meaning. For me it invokes thoughts of self-regulation, self-restraint, and discipline. When we think of temperance as a tool I think there is a natural tendency to see it as useful for controlling our physical desires, but I
Temperance as a Tool Read More »
Last night I finished reading “Zen in the Art of Archery” and I have some thoughts I’m playing with. First off, I think it is a profound book about cultural openness and exploration of the self through novel experiences which I think is super powerful. Explorations like this give us the chance to put our
Zen in the art of…. Read More »
I grew up in the Boy Scouts of America, and the motto “Be Prepared” is something that has stuck with me over the years. When I was younger I thought being prepared meant taking care of very practical things like having all the gear you needed for a camp out. As I got older I
The only opportunity you have to be happy is right now. Look, I’m not even sure being happy all the time is the goal or even a potential reality… but feeling happy every now and then (or as often as possible) is pretty nice so let’s talk about it a bit. What is happiness? Well,
As we gather education, training, and experience we grow our knowledge, skills and abilities which results in expanded capabilities and increased capacity. This thought came to mind early this week and I think it is worth unpacking it a bit further. Education is a structured process of gaining knowledge, general skills (writing, math, speaking ect),
Education, Training, and Experience Leads to Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Read More »
I like this concept as a general framework for understanding the temporal orientation of depression and anxiety to our thoughts. When we ruminate on the past we can start to feel down, guilty, ashamed, or angry. Dwelling on the future can lead us to feeling worried, uncertain, timid, or scared. Of course it can be
Depression lives in the past, and anxiety lives in the future Read More »
