A Must See For All College Graduates (Link to video now available)
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It's time we prepare our college graduates for the REAL world. |
Mental health
May 20
The Question to Command Your Life
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Can one question lead to a happy life? I think so. |
What’s your metaphor for life? Is life a roller coaster? A series of ups and downs or an adrenaline rush thrill ride? Is life a journey, a marathon, or a dance? Is it a battle, a symphony or a three-ring circus?
Would that metaphor change if I asked you on your graduation or wedding day versus the day you lost your job?
Our outlook is constantly adjusting. Like a swivel chair, we’re busily twirling around and our emotions shift depending on what we’re facing at the moment. Then we compare what we see to what we want.
Is happiness really about meeting our own (or other’s) expectations? It’s like trying to hit a bulls eye with a moving target. There has to be a better way to “dance” through life.
The answer we want is “yes”. The question we need to keep asking is………..
Read more
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Tangled- Parents as First Responders
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Sticks and stones have been replaced with clicks and phones. |
Welcome back to my 5 part series on Parent Involvement called Tangled! (Previous posts in series here). In this final post of the series, I’ll address our parental role as crisis counselor.
Concerned about child abductions, cyber bullying, gangs, and mind altering substances– today parents are concerned. Rightly so.
The playground has gotten bigger….and it’s all inclusive. The internet is a web that entices and captures. The lure of social media satisfies two human needs: curiosity and belonging. Kids still want the very same thing we wanted on the jungle gym. A bar to grab and a place to hang.
The goals haven’t changed only the methods to achieve them.
Awareness can be the ticket to despair. Social media can be the glue that binds or a pie in the face. A relentless slideshow of images, tweets and videos viewed by many as evidence of the green grass elsewhere.
Parents are first responders. Like soldiers in foreign lands, we don’t always know who the enemy is or when the next drama bomb will go off.
All parents need to learn CPR: Care. Protect. Respond. Here’s some tips to help comfort and guide your children during crisis.
Yoga & Creativity
This is a guest post by Dr. David Kulla.
Creativity is required of all of us. We need it to do our jobs well, raise our children properly, and to create– whether writing, decorating, cooking or painting. Even if you don’t consider yourself a creative person, you still exhibit creative traits in the things you do throughout the day without even realizing it. Increasing your creativity through yoga can lead to an abundance of positive outcomes. Read more
★ The Gun Debate- Who is the Boogeyman?
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Sometimes the best solution is choosing the lesser of two evils. |
If every teacher had a concealed gun in his/her classroom on December 14, 2012, would fewer children and teachers have died in Sandy Hook Elementary School?
Probably. Read more
Filled Up On Empty
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There's a lot pack rats can learn from disposers. |
I’m a ditcher. I get great pleasure out of dumping unused clothes, items and household goods. I don’t develop deep attachments to stuff. Clutter is my enemy. I hate clutter– the look of it and how I feel around it. It makes me nervous and uncomfortable.
I’ve always enjoyed visiting homes for sale even if I’m not in the market. Why? Because they’re empty. I like empty rooms. It’s as if there is more oxygen to breathe. There’s a sense of lightness and freedom. No heavy objects or distractions.
Do you prefer to walk into the Apple store or Macy’s department store? Your answer reveals a lot about you. Read more
The 6 Needs That Drive All Human Behavior
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Understanding your personal hierarchy of needs is key to sustaining happiness or creating change. |
I’ve spent most of my life interested in what drives human behavior. Always believing there has to be a formula to motivate people. The belief that if you have the will, you can find the way.
Walk into any bookstore and the secrets to happiness are in abundance. So why isn’t everybody happy? There is someone in the world who has been successful at whatever you’re failing at right now. Find that book, read it, and follow the instructions. Why isn’t it that simple?
Because happiness, personal drive, desire, perseverance, and success are personal. Very personal. We attach pain and pleasure to different things leading us to happiness or despair. These attachments are based on a hierarchy of 6 universal needs. How you meet these needs determines your level of satisfaction and fulfillment. I first studied these driving forces decades ago in the book, Awaken the Giant Within, by Anthony Robbins.
While these 6 needs are universal, the key is to determine the hierarchy for you. As you rank them, keep in mind what brings you immediate joy may not be behaviors that ultimately make you feel good, are actually good for you, are good for those around you, and serve the greater good.
True life mastery is achieved when your experiences align with these six priority needs. Read more
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WAKE UP AMERICA! The Hungry Brain
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Diabetes, dieting, attention deficit disorders are better understood when we look at how our brains and gut work together. |
Food For Thought
In the conference I attended lead by Dr. Merrily Kuhn, I learned the powerful relationship between our brain and our gut health.
In order to repair or minimize damage to our bodies, whether brought on by ourselves, our environment, or our genetics, we must understand what’s broken or missing.
Ever eat too much, get stressed, or have trouble sleeping? Your brain chemicals are having a party. These words from Dr. Kuhn may help you to be a better chaperone.
Plus I’ll let you in on a little secret to boost the benefit from that cup of coffee for your next race or exam!
Peel Yourself
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Peel back the layers and then solve your problem. |
I often wonder if I resumed being a therapist today, would I rely more on my college degrees or my wisdom from living 48 years? I know. That’s laughable.
There’s at least one concept I did learn in class that seems to have stuck. Here’s a jump start to solving your own (or someone else’s) problems. Read more
“Toy” with Your Life
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It's all in the shake. |
Who dreams of an Etch-A-Sketch when they’re my age? And why would this game come to the forefront of my mind when I haven’t seen one since I was a kid?
If you believe dreams are hidden messages, this one was sent as a reminder to practice a skill I hold dear. And one I’d forgotten. Read more
Hoo-Rag