Latest Wow: Face the Truth About Yourself
“The bad thing about not liking myself is not being able to get away from myself. I can’t just go into the next room.” Anna was being her usual witty self when she made that comment in my office but, sadly, she meant it. Also sad is the fact that a multitude of people feel […]
Our Favorite Illusion
Some dreamy-eyed part of us clings to the illusion that through a sheer act of will we can change another human being. Such misguided thinking is as unrealistic as believing we can get a walnut tree to start producing apples. For six years Sonya has asked her husband—who works in the remodeling industry—to fix the […]
Trained By a Dog
Let’s face it, if we’re vague about what we want, we won’t get it. Like Karen, a former client, we’ll only cultivate inner frustration. “Never—ever!—did I anticipate the day I’d be jealous of a dog,” she said, “but I am . . . If the dog wants to play, Sam drops everything and plays with […]
It Takes Courage to Feel
Some people think that being tough has to do with muscle strength and detached emotions, but it’s the opposite. It takes courage to feel. Brenna, a client in her 20’s, mistakes strength with being stoic—devoid of emotion like one of Clint Eastwood’s characters. Her mom matches those qualities, and Brenna feels weak in comparison. “I […]
The Latest Wow: Rebellion’s Treasure
Not long ago, a client—in her 40s—wowed me with this: “Rebellion, at any age, is a means of repositioning ourselves with our parents.” I can only agree. I’ve come to see that the good side of rebellion is that it allows us to break into new horizons of empowerment—to transcend existing limits. Another client, Sonya, further […]
Love Scored a Touchdown
The week of Thanksgiving is upon us and our thoughts turn to turkey, pumpkin pies, family gatherings and … football—ew! Sorry, football fans. I couldn’t restrain myself. To me, football seems … well … brutish. Don, my partner, who just so happens to be a former football coach (go figure), tells me I’m suffering from […]
Don’t Settle for a Ho-hum Life
At a young age, we begin the habit of limping in order to harmonize with friends, our family, a job, a social order. By the time we’re adults, it’s become so much a part of us that we do it unthinkingly—automatically. To stop doing it now would be jolting because we’re used to it. But […]
Rehearsing for a Harried Lifestyle
This is the extent of my thoughts on stress: My life’s much too stressful for getting stressed out. I don’t have time for it. ~Salee That said, I once wrote a column about an overachieving teenager, Jamie. You can read about her story here. In that column I pointed out that: Young overachievers are rehearsing for […]
Perfection Is Highly Overrated!
Relinquish the need to be perfect. Effort is perfection. Imagine a roomful of babies all trying to perfect the skill of walking. What we witness is a lot of bumping into things and falling down. We don’t expect babies to get it right immediately—we don’t scold them for failing in their attempts. No. Instead, we’re […]
The Latest Wow: More Beautiful Than Leaves
A friend of mine, Patti, who helps me with my tech challenges, wowed me with something that caused me—without any reservation—to demand that she write it up for my blog. She did just that and here it is: I was gazing out my kitchen window the other day, captivated by the beauty of the changing […]