When one looks at all of the great achievements in the world – intellectual, technical, scientific, artistic, athletic, and humanitarian – it appears obvious that humans are conditioned in the direction of achievement. While opportunities to achieve are limited for some people because of where they live and/or because of experiences that have interfered with…
As I begin to work on updating my e-book, WHAT CAN GO RIGHT? The Thinking Person’s Guide to Making Good Things Happen, I’m noticing one important message that I neglected to include in the original version. I’ve been very proud to have helped so many readers who have changed their mode of thinking after reading the…
One of the questions that I typically ask my new therapy patients is, “When was the best time in your life?” Almost everybody can identify a best time. It may not have been objectively great or even a time to which a patient may want to return, but it was generally positive and memorable. It’s…
During one of the forms of relaxation training that I teach my patients, I ask them to picture themselves in a relaxing scene that has personal meaning to them, and I ask them to experience with all of their senses. While that is often an effective exercise that leads to a relaxed state, it often…
Activity is a cure for many ills. It is difficult to be active and depressed. It is difficult to be active and lonely. It is difficult to be active and obese. It is easier to be active and healthy. It is easier to be active and positive. It is easier to accomplish things when you…
Some time ago, I developed the concept of “Competent Person’s Disease” which I consider synonymous with being addicted to 2nd place. Over time, I have become increasingly convinced of this phenomenon – which I consider to be one of the most self-limiting behavior patterns that I observe. A major problem with being addicted to 2nd…
Most people who eat healthy have something in common with those people who exercise regularly and those people who meditate and those people who consistently try to see the good in others. Actually they have several things in common – including maintaining a healthy lifestyle and exercising self-discipline. But the thing they have in common…
The world is changing. An increasing number of people are working from home – either telecommuting to their place of employment or creating their own entrepreneurial place of employment. Others who work in more conventional work settings spend their break time on their smart phones or other mobile devices. The end result is less interaction…
I’m not usually very big on making New Year’s resolutions. The main one that I annually make, and usually am pretty good at keeping, is that I resolve to write the current year – rather than last year – on checks, progress notes, and other material that needs to be dated. Other than that, I…
For many years, I couldn’t imagine that I would sit down to a dinner that was composed of salad or fish or anything that wasn’t meat and potatoes. Although I always participated in sports, for many years I resisted the discipline of a regular exercise program. The profession of psychology has been a good career…
In the course of my work with patients, I often ask some positive-oriented questions such: When was the best time in your life? What do you like about yourself? What makes you so resilient? While some patients don’t expect that type of question in therapy, and some struggle to answer, eventually most come up with…