Happy Fourth of July! OUR DECLARATION As Americans, one of the reasons we observe July 4th is to commemorate and celebrate our many freedoms as a country and as individuals. Our Declaration of Independence states our basic rights as human being derived from that freedom; life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. HAPPINESS? It can be tough […]
There have been many menacing villains throughout time; The Joker, Voldemort, Michael Myers, Jason, and Hannibal Lector to name a few. At the top of most “Greatest Villains” lists stands Darth Vader of the Star Wars franchise. Why is that? What is it about Darth Vader that freaks us out, yet makes us feel such […]
With so many polarizing opinions and points of view of today’s topics, emotions are sure to get in the way. When we disagree with someone, it is easy to lose control of our emotions, feel personally attacked, and return those feeling through harsher attacks. It comes from our survival instinct (reptilian) brain that is tightly […]
With all that is going on in our world and our nation, there are a lot of opportunities to have challenging conversations. They are often loaded with emotion, opinion, and personal experience, particularly if you disagree. Drs. John and Julie Gottman have provided evidence based research on how to make these conversations more productive and […]
We Need Some Empathy What’s the answer to the question, “What’s wrong with the world today?” Lack of empathy. I’m sure that’s an oversimplification. Regardless, it’s a great place to start. Every human being deserves respect, equality, freedom, and to be treated like a human being. It’s even in our constitution. However, our world polarizes […]
During the quarantine, I continue to hear in sessions about the difficulty of dealing with and expressing emotions while being forced to stay inside around loved ones. Emotions are important to understand in order to successfully navigate under “normal” circumstances. However, under quarantine, it becomes even more critical. Why Emotions? Emotions are the manifestation […]
What do you see in this picture? A dark hole in the ground? Look again. Look for something less dangerous. Do you see it? It’s a bale of hay casting a dark shadow on the ground that looks like a dark hole. The reason you see the negative first is because your brain is wired […]
A few days ago, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced that the state’s stay-at-home order will end on April 30, providing the opportunity for many non-essential businesses to re-open on May 1. Some businesses are being allowed to open as early as next Monday. As expected, this has created a variety of emotional reactions for the […]
People close to you may be watching you handle this pandemic. Heck. They even may be learning how to respond by observing you. What are you teaching them? Panic? Fear? Anxiety? Or might they find there are ways to be a better human being during this time of crisis? Yes. Crisis can actually bring out […]
It seems everyone feels the anxiety of not knowing the future these days. When will school start again? What about the sports? Will I be able to pay this bill? What about my aged parents? When will that stimulus check arrive? So many unknowns. So we tune into the news each day. We talk […]