As we close out this MLK day, I thought I'd share some of my favorite of his quotes. I was reviewing several of his quotes today and settled on these three as some of my favorites. He said many wise and insightful things, so this doesn't come close to representing his passion, but I guess I like these in particular because they mirror sentiments I have expressed previously. On hate, that … [Read more...]
To Get Out, Go Through
April 7, 2017 by
"The best way out is always through." - Robert Frost As a therapist, I see these as words to live by. Certain things in our emotional lives we can let roll off pretty readily, "like water off a duck's back." "Suck it up and drive on," as the Army teaches. Other things, we will be upset about for a time and then come to see differently after awhile, such that they don't bother us as much. Very … [Read more...]
My Papa and Danielle Bregoli
April 5, 2017 by
My family just buried the most amazing man I have ever known: my Papa. My grandfather was 91 years old and led a life of impact. Among many other things, he fought for his country in World War II, he was active in the local church, he was the mayor of our Texas farm town, he was a hardworking small business owner and he never met a stranger. I know he had his faults, but I'm pretty sure he was … [Read more...]
Stop Living in Fear
March 13, 2017 by
Fear comes from the Enemy, and it plagues all of us to varying degrees. There are at least as many things to be afraid of as there are people to be afraid. Here, I’m not talking about being afraid of snakes, elevators, spiders, bridges and so on. I’m talking about fear that keeps you from moving forward in your life. When we are blocked from doing something, however big or small, it’s fear that’s … [Read more...]
The Orlando Shooting: A Common Enemy
March 12, 2017 by
I started doing research for this post at midnight, after lying in bed thinking about it for over an hour after my husband and I had a lengthy discussion about recent goings on. Needless to say, I've thought about this a lot before writing it. Only God knows why I am up at this hour writing it, but I felt compelled to write about my thoughts. Am I doing it out of passion? Out of hatred? Who knows? … [Read more...]
Live in It or Learn from It: Overcoming Parental Abuse and Neglect
March 8, 2017 by
As you might imagine, I talk with people on the regular who were abused, neglected, abandoned and/or betrayed by their parents. Whether we like to admit it or not, our upbringing has a significant impact on our present-day living. This can be good or bad or some combination thereof. It may not be something we are consciously aware of, but trust me when I tell you that it's there. I've also seen … [Read more...]
Life is Like a Rubik’s Cube
March 3, 2017 by
Last year, Santa brought our son a Rubik’s Cube. I forgot how much I love that thing! The minute I started manipulating it, I was transported to my dad’s recliner in my childhood home, the place where I spent many hours playing with that cube. I immediately got sucked back in to trying to solve it. So, I persuaded our son to let me play with the cube on a recent flight to Texas. As I struggled … [Read more...]
Leave it to Beaver vs. Shameless: What is Normal and How Do I Get There?
February 28, 2017 by
One of the most common questions I’m asked as a psychologist is if this or that experience, thought, feeling or situation is “normal.” The bottom line is this: Normal is what you know. My normal and your normal will differ, just as each of us is different and so are our upbringings and life experiences since. Normal is very subjective, so there are about as many different definitions as … [Read more...]
Hope, Trust, Self-Esteem and Love
January 27, 2016 by
What follows is just a quick snippet on each of these topics. Each one is a discussion unto itself, but I thought I would share the response I recently gave someone. Maybe it will generate additional questions or questions about deeper layers of these topics for you or someone you know. Just shoot me a private message if so. ATAQ: "How is it possible to lose something if you never had it to … [Read more...]
Permanent Change, Part II: Just Do It!
June 4, 2014 by
Thank you, Nike, for that awesome motto that has oh so many applications! This blog is a follow-on to my previous blog, Permanent Change, Part I: Getting Motivated. As promised, this blog will discuss just how we go about real, lasting personal change. Mahatma Gandhi said, “If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the … [Read more...]
