Many people are brought up to always be kind to others. But how many of us were taught to be kind to ourselves? Self-compassion, or self-love, can often seem like a foreign concept, particularly to those raised in an abusive or unloving home. Self- compassion and self-love are not to be confused with arrogance or conceit, which are usually indicators of a lack of self-love. Self-compassion has nothing to do with faux superiority and everything to do with being kind and gentle with oneself. It ...read more
How to Begin Healing After Personal Trauma
No one is ever prepared for a tragedy. In fact, most of us go through our lives believing that tragedies happen to other people. When people do experience trauma, a distressing or life-threatening event, such as a car accident, natural disaster, or terrorist attack, they often develop extreme anxiety or PTSD. Many develop ongoing problems with their personal relationships and their own self-esteem. We have learned that trauma is not just an event that took place sometime in the past; it is ...read more
TIME TRAVEL: What Time Is It In YOUR Time Zone?
TIME TRAVEL “Time travel is possible." While some do it more often than others, generally one of our biggest errors lies in spending our mental and emotional energy “living” in the future or the past, or in other words, in NARRATIVE mode. We think about what we need to get done (today, tomorrow, and last week’s procrastinated tasks). Or we think about what went wrong in the past (our own failures and past emotional drama and trauma). We think about what we want our spouses, children, bosses, ...read more
Why Compliments DON’T Boost Self Esteem
When a loved one is suffering from low self-esteem, it’s hard to know what to say. Naturally, you want them to see themselves as you see them. You want them to feel joyful about the reality of who they are, not be mired down in the falsities they insist are truths. In the past, you may have tried showering them with compliments, only to wonder why they never believed a word you said. People with low self-esteem have strong beliefs about themselves. While your compliment may be ...read more