This is being written on the day before Thanksgiving in America. Although celebration dates differ, many countries have similar holidays. While it is appropriate to take a day off and focus on the many things for which we are grateful, particularly if we can spend the day with family and friends, I always see Thanksgiving…
Each day is sort of a new beginning. That’s not exactly true because our days do not exist in a vacuum. We carry-over tasks from one day to another. Our relationships can last for many days and weeks and years. And the goals that we work toward are typically based on plans that we’ve made…
As a new NFL season begins, it is interesting to note the paths that pro football’s greatest quarterbacks took to achieve their immortality. Tom Brady of the New England Patriots is arguably the greatest quarterback of all time. He has achieved this status despite the fact that he was taken in the 6th round as…
The way that some people avoid pursuing their dreams could suggest that DREAM is a dirty word. There is a lot of controversy about the meaning of dreams occurring while you sleep, so – for purposes of this blog – I will concentrate on another definition of dream. A dream can be a vision of…
When you get stuck in traffic and arrive at your destination late, do you focus on disappointment due to the tardiness – or do you feel grateful that you weren’t in the accident that caused the traffic backup and none of your fellow drivers struck your vehicle to make up for lost time? When you…
If you met me when I was in my 20’s and 30’s, one of the easiest ways to bore me would be to engage me in a conversation about the importance of saving for retirement. It seemed so far away; I didn’t have a lot of extra money to put away; and I assumed that…
When you take out your car to drive to your job or the market or a restaurant or the gym, there is a good chance that you will be following a course that involves making several turns at different corners before you get there. If you drive in a straight line, you will probably find…
Occasionally, a retired friend of mine asks me why I continue to work as much as I do – probably more than I ever have before – even though I could also be retired. My response is, “Because I can!” It’s pretty much the same response that I give when I’m asked why I go…
One of the most widely adapted practices in the psychotherapy field in recent years has been the inclusion of mindfulness in conjunction with more conventional therapies as well as being a distinct treatment modality on its own. While formal Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction programs (MBSR) have received the most notice, the use of mindfulness in addressing…
At The Mental Health Gym, we make a big deal about doing the right things to maximize your potential. Nobody accomplishes all that they can achieve, but you can come pretty close by maintaining a positive mindset, taking reasonable risks, being willing to make mistakes, and learning from our non-successes rather than dwelling upon them.…
I’m a pretty competitive guy. There have been times, however, particularly when I was younger when my competitiveness worked against me. Why? Because I hadn’t yet learned that I am my competition. Whether I was in the classroom or in the gym or in a social setting, I sometimes held myself back from trying as…