In my counseling sessions with couples, I often hear a partner’s defensive and sometimes angry reply to his or her partner’s expression of hurt or disappointment. The perceived blame, taken personally, quickly turns into the issue, and the original event or issue gets lost in the proverbial shuffle. If the communication comes across as an … Read more
The philosopher Soren Kierkegaard once wrote, “Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards.” Kierkgaard’s statement is a powerful reminder of three pieces of timeless wisdom pertaining to the uncertainty of life. First, we need to make “room” in our thinking for the unfolding MYSTERY of our lives. While our choices … Read more
At this time of year, what if we could come up with only one resolution that would take us significantly closer to all our goals, assure us a higher level of self-esteem and ultimately come closer to true happiness and fulfillment by the same time next year? While we cannot always control the actual outcome … Read more
Along with its festive spirit, the Holiday season tends to bring lots of pressure to “perform”. Regardless of whether the expectations come from ourselves or others, many of us appear to be relentlessly caught up in that mutual material madness. And that dizzying treadmill of shopping, gift exchange, parties and “celebrations” does not end with … Read more
At Thanksgiving time, we are reminded to give thanks, count our blessings, and adopt an attitude of gratitude. What if we could “choose the attitude” with which we face every day of our lives? As a little girl, I often heard my father, in his Russian accent, implore that “the power of attitude approximates magic”! … Read more
In my practice, I often see men and women who struggle with the truth about their marriages. Deep down, they know that something needs to change or else their marriage will die a slow and meaningless death. Very sadly, many are not able to summon up the necessary courage and humility to do the right … Read more
In each moment of choice, we are given the opportunity to define our character …….and how we feel about ourselves. We can habitually come from our old conditioned ways of thinking and stay stuck in our fear . But every time we can go to a deeper, more knowing place within ourselves, muster up the … Read more