Guilt is a tricky little devil. We all feel guilt from time to time -- at times much more than we would like. We're also pretty good at times at "guilting" friends, loved ones and even strangers into the proverbial "guilt trip" when we want things to go our way: "How could you be so selfish when I want things to go this way?" Have a familiar ring? As with most conundrums in life, there's … [Read more...]
‘Sometimes’ a great notion
How often we say the words "always" and "never" when we speak about events or experiences with people in our lives. Quite a lot, right? How many times have you heard someone blurt out, "I will never speak to (this or that person) again," or, "I'll never go to (this or that) restaurant again." Or, "I always go here every year for a vacation," or, "I always get my coffee every morning at this … [Read more...]
The capacity to both celebrate and grieve
Ding dong, Bin Laden's dead! Yes, and we in the United States celebrate, of course. In the midst of all that cheering, though, many of us also feel grief. For while our formidable enemy now sleeps with the fishes, the memory of the thousands of innocents he killed still carries an impact of epic proportion. We mourn the dead, reach out to their loved ones and never forget the shock and the … [Read more...]
Good stress, bad stress: a two-way street
Some stresses actually are good for you and your body. The right kind of stress can activate the flow of endorphins, evoke feelings of happiness and excitement, and provide a feeling of overall wellness. Examples of good stress may be the anticipation of a wedding or a birth. The excitement of going to Disneyland. Taking a vacation cruise. Buying your child's first pet. Riding a thrilling … [Read more...]
You gotta right to sing the blues
In a society that demands we "have a nice day" and keep up our perky smiles, what do you do if you just don’t feel that way on any given day? We all have down days -- times when nothing is going right, and we wonder if it ever will. It's important to normalize these down days when you only want to sing the blues. A variety of moods are essential to our human condition. Our feelings ebb … [Read more...]