Ideas on Mental Health & Meaning
Trust in Relationships
Successful, healthy, relationships and marriages are built on a foundation of trust. Without trust, we see relationships crumble under the weight of fear, anxiety, and contempt. Trust is fairly easy to build in the early stages of a relationship, and simple, in...
A Eulogy
As I sat and listened to people share their fond memories, as I looked at the sea of individuals seated in rows for the service and remembered the overwhelming flow of people coming to pay their respects at the visitation the night before, I couldn't help but think,...
Suffering in Good Humor
"Humor was another of the soul’s weapons in the fight for self-preservation. It is well known that humor, more than anything else in the human make-up, can afford an aloofness and an ability to rise above any situation." Pain, guilt, death. Frankl's "Tragic Triad". ...
Good work, Dad.
Happy belated Father's Day to all you Dads, and, of course, to all you Moms who support us! I hope you had a relaxing day with your family. Maybe you got to watch some World Cup Soccer, or enjoy a little quiet time out mowing the lawn. I've had the fortunate...
Rules for Fair Fighting
We all get into disagreements with our loved ones – spouses, significant others, partners. Most people only bring into a relationship what they learned from their family of origin and past relationships, both good and bad. It is impossible to agree on...
We Are All Just a Bunch of Addicts
I saw an news brief on teens entering “smartphone addiction” treatment centers in Malibu, CA at a cost of $50k / month… If I’m honest with myself, I’m pretty sure I’ve seen some evidence of this new phenomenon in my office and in my own home. We’ve all heard of the...
Life is Suffering
"LIFE IS SUFFERING. THAT'S CLEAR. There is no more basic, irrefutable truth." Ouch, that hurts... This is the start of "Rule 7" from Jordan B. Peterson's 12 Rules for Life : An Antidote for Chaos. I didn't expect him to get so dark in his "antidote". You can expect...
Overwhelming Struggles
Last week I had the privilege of spending time with some great people from all over the world as part of our graduation ceremonies. I renewed my friendship with Alain, an exuberant and gentle soul who works as a hospital chaplain in Missouri, as well as a US Army...
The Pursuit of Happiness
"I just want to be happy." So many people struggle with this today. I think we've been sold the wrong idea. We get wrapped up in chasing the next big thing - the next thing we are told we 'want' to buy - that when the chase is over and we have what we thought we...
When It’s All Too Much
What do you do when: The loved one you thought had given up drinking goes back to the bottle? The depression you thought you conquered comes back? You find out your spouse has been having an emotional affair with an old friend? You learn that lingering pain you've had...
This “Mental Health” Work is Hard
Most days, I get to encourage people to make changes in their lives that should lead to a more meaningful and healthy situation. I spent quite a while building up some knowledge and experience on the topic, so I find it pretty easy to talk about - honestly, I enjoy...
A ‘Why’ to Live For
“He who has a why to live for can bear with almost any how.” - Friedrich Nietzsche Viktor Frankl was fond of quoting this line from Nietzsche through his volumes. He survived three years in a German concentration camp - I'd say his reflection on this statement...