Beginning at a very early age, our ability to find meaning, purpose, happiness and love in our lives is made difficult by the introduction of our “ideal self,” as opposed to our authentic “real self,” the self we were born with. Demands of Society This ideal self, as proposed byContinue Reading
Our thoughts –including negative thoughts, are very powerful. When we use negative words in our self-talk, we reinforce negative attitudes. This produces negative chain reactions that ultimately make us feel terrible, especially when our expectations are not realized. Lazy Thinking Using over-generalizing statements and words should also be avoided. EmployingContinue Reading
From the time we are toddlers, we spend most of our lives talking to ourselves, through our thoughts. That little voice inside our head is our self-talk. It tells us how we feel about every situation and event that happens throughout our life. It becomes our best friend. It tellsContinue Reading
Many people go through life assuming that situations – people, places, things, make them feel and react in certain ways. We get trapped sometimes, thinking our feelings are caused by things that are just not in our control. If this is correct, then what causes our feelings – especially negativeContinue Reading
In our everyday experiences, sensations and perceptions are different aspects of one continual process. Sensation is the bottom-up process, a physical mechanism, by which the physical sensory system in the brain receives and represents stimuli. In addition to the five senses: vision, hearing, smell, taste, and touch, we also processContinue Reading
The ancient Greek philosopher Plato (428-348 BCE), believed that we perceive objects and events through our senses and with our mind. Twenty-four hundred years ago, he understood that in order to construct the outside world inside our heads, we must detect the energy from the environment surrounding us and thenContinue Reading
Almost everyone demonstrates one or more common thinking errors. This doesn’t mean you are psychotic or crazy, or that you can’t change. Once you’re able to recognize thinking errors you can begin to replace them with more helpful, honest and positive beliefs. The key to controlling the way you thinkContinue Reading
Self-concepts provide a way of understanding personality. Your self-concept consists of all your thoughts, ideas, perceptions and feelings about who you are. A mental “picture” you’ve built of your individual personality. If you were asked to “please tell us about yourself,” you would provide a rough outline of your self-concept.Continue Reading
If you ever feel like a square peg in a round hole, constantly frustrated that your life is not how you expected it to be, you may need to abandon your preconceived notions and see the world as it really is – and to see yourself honestly, as you trulyContinue Reading
Sometimes life can be a little overwhelming. Here’s a short list of do’s and dont’s to help you sort out your daily life. Write them in your notebook or calendar. Focus on yourself. Every time you allow your thoughts to dwell on something or someone else you escape and missContinue Reading