As a therapist, I often ask myself a fundamental question: Is there some essential trait or circumstance that my happiest, most well-adjusted clients have in common? It’s certainly not financial success or professional accomplishments. It’s not religious affiliation, or lack thereof. It’s not physical beauty or even health. It’s not having a big supportive family or being […]
The Wisdom of Uncertainty
“I don’t know.” There is incredible power and creative potential in these three little words. Yet it’s in human nature to avoid them like the bubonic plague. By the age of 25, I felt I’d looked into most of life’s Big Questions and come away with some definite answers. By the age of 35, I’d […]
Growing Beyond the Gold Star Mentality
When you’re in kindergarten and you behave well or you accomplish some task you get a gold star. In and of themselves, these gold stars are worthless. But they’re shiny, they represent your teacher’s approval and — perhaps most importantly — you stick them to a prominently displayed chart for your fellow students to see. […]
Are You Playing Whack-a-Mole with Your Life?
Most people are waiting on something. Better job, financial freedom, better relationship, improved health, completion of a stressful project. Maybe the thing you’re waiting on will happen, maybe not. But even when you do finally complete that stressful project, for instance, what then? Then something else comes up. It’s like the whack-a-mole game: smack down […]
Staying Centered when Everything Goes Wrong
by James Robbins, M.A., LPC Happiness is not a “cure” for unhappiness–no more than day is a “cure” for night. It’s human nature to seek more and more happiness while trying (rather desperately at times) to avoid unhappiness. But happy and unhappy are part of a natural cycle. Life is up. Life is down. Things […]
