One of the great societal gifts provided in most countries is the right of free speech. It allows for the free exchange of ideas, the broadening of perspectives, and the ability to project yourself as a unique human being. By exercising this right, we are able to learn from what others have to say and…
As the New Year approaches, it is natural to want to focus on plans for the future, changes that we’d like to make, and hopes for improvement in ourselves, our community, and the rest of the world. That’s great! A forward looking mindset keeps us open to growth and change. The process of looking ahead,…
It’s two months until the new year begins. When January 1st rolls around, many people throughout the world will be making New Year’s Resolutions. A high percentage of those resolutions will fail. While there are a lot of reasons why people are unsuccessful in keeping their resolutions, including a lack of serious motivation or choosing…
Woody Allen has been quoted as saying the 80% of success is just showing up. Although there is obvious humor in that quote, there is also a good deal of truth to it – in both directions. If you show up and participate, you have a lot better chance of having your talents noticed and…
Most of us have more good ideas, intentions, and plans than we ever achieve. We increase the chances of achieving them if we turn them into goals. Certain behaviors are important in order to transform our thoughts into goals. We move from having thoughts to having behaviors when we establish goals that are concrete, realistic,…
Thomas Edison said it best: “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” Anybody who has achieved anything has made mistakes along the way. The only way to avoid mistakes is to take the safest course, aim below our potential, and not try anything new. Making a mistake should not be…
When I drive down the road and I see a sign that reads, STOP, I stop. I generally don’t try to figure out why the sign was placed there. I assume that most stop signs are there for a purpose. They are not the result of some random process but rather are placed where they…
The late Albert Ellis, one of the pioneers in the field of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, introduced the word, catastrophizing, into the psychology practice literature. Catastrophizing refers to the cognitive processing of information in such a way that things that are objectively annoying, inconvenient or unpleasant are treated as if they are awful, horrendous, or tragic. There is…
Do you wake up with enthusiasm? Or do you wake up with apathy or even dread? If you are not beginning your day on a positive note, it is probably because your expectations are low. You may be going to a job you don’t like or dealing with a project that doesn’t interest you or…
Like many of you, I am on Twitter and find it to be a really helpful source of information. There is one thing I don’t like about it, however. The people in one’s network are called your Followers. I’ve always felt that Participants would be a better name because your so-called followers who re-tweet the…
One of the concepts that I have difficulty relating to is boredom. I’m seldom bored, but I frequently hear others complain that they are. It’s not a subject that I’ve studied a whole lot, but I think that I’ve had enough experience in avoiding boredom to enable me to help others by sharing my thoughts…