Ideas on Mental Health & Meaning
The State of Affairs – a review
I just finished reading Esther Perel's The State of Affairs: Rethinking Infidelity. I didn't like it. I fear I may owe some of you an apology for recommending it. It took me a little longer than I expected - perhaps because I didn't like it - or maybe because it felt...
How Are Your Resolutions Coming Along?
We are nearly two weeks into the new year. If you are like many people, this is about the time motivation and practice drop off for those resolutions we set a few weeks ago. But if you are still at it - still exercising, still changing your diet, still abstaining of...
A Mid-Winter Warning
With the holidays behind us and a full week of the new year already passed, we are entering into what can be a very difficult time for many people. "Post-holiday blues" set in. Days continue to be short, cold, and dark. Our bodies naturally want to hibernate....
Meaning of the New Year
Today could be a day just like any other. However, we have attached significant meaning to the last day of the year, its last few seconds, and the ushering in of the next calendar year. This is an excellent opportunity to take a moment to reminisce over the...
On Anticipation and Joy
During this time of year, many cultures, religions, and individuals are celebrating, or anticipating the celebration of, joyful holidays. It is also a time of year that many people find most stressful, overwhelming, anxious, and possibly even sad, for a variety of...
Bah Humbug! – Decaying Traditions & Values…
Viktor Frankl famously wrote that part of the modern "existential vacuum" was due to the decline of traditions and values - that in the absence of guiding principles, humankind was left adrift as to how to behave or think in a moral and meaningful way. This...
Feelings of the Season
It's that time of year where we all might feel a little down - maybe a little sluggish or depressed. It's the time of year where many people feel SAD - Seasonal Affective Disorder. There are quite a few ways to experience SAD - and even more ways to prevent it from...
Meaningful Giving
I hope you have returned to daily life after an enjoyable and restful Thanksgiving! Today, "Cyber Monday" we enter into what should be a "joyful" holiday season, but one that may sadly leave people feeling stressed and depressed. In order to avoid the "Holiday...
Finding Happiness
At least once each week, often more, I come across a distraught individual who bemoans the fact that they just can't find happiness. You may have heard me say this before - or even read it here, but life is NOT about finding happiness. I guess you could say,...
Responsibility and Right Action
"It does not really matter what we expect from life, but rather what life expects from us. We need to stop asking about the meaning of life, and instead to think of ourselves as those who are being questioned by life—daily and hourly. Our answer must consist, not in...
How’s Your Vision?
It's easy to get up in the minutia of everyday life. Does this sound like your life? Wake up, brush teeth, pour some coffee, get the kids off to school, get to work, work (meaningful work hopefully), come home, dinner, tv, bed. Get up and do it all over...
“Looking for a Sign”
This article could just as easily be titled, "Honor Thy Father and Mother," - you'll see why as you read on. As I write this, I am preparing to embark on a brief road trip with my Dad tomorrow. I'm sure it will be a bittersweet adventure as we honor my Mom's passing...