Browsing all posts in Behavioral Change.

Waiting Out Feelings

Ever had an overwhelming feeling that you just thought you couldn’t stand another minute, only to have it disappear soon after?  Most of us have. In the moment something feels intolerable and just too much to take, then an hour, a day, a week later, we can’t figure out why we thought it was so [...]

Contempt Prior to Investigation

I’d like to talk about this concept because I think this attitude poisons so many aspects of our society (particularly politics) and its “practice” leads us down very dark paths.  First, the full quote from Herbert Spencer, a 19th Century British philosopher.

“There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is [...]

Is Fear Your Primary Motivator?

I remember some years ago realizing I was not doing something because I was afraid to try it.  I didn’t want to risk any negative consequences even though I knew it was absolutely essential to my mental health and well being to deal with the situation. I was afraid of change. I was afraid to [...]

How Honest Are You – with Yourself?

Sometimes we forget that honesty is not just about how ethically we deal with others by not deceiving them, it’s also about not deceiving ourselves.  Self-deception plants the seeds for relapse because it allows us to ignore real problems in favor of our little self-lie.  There are so many ways we can lie to ourselves [...]

Grousing or Grateful?

Ever stop to really take note of how many times you express thanks vs. how many times you complain?  If the complaining about the bad stuff is far outweighing appreciation of the good, it might be time for a tune up – or it might just mean you need to move away from the glass-half-empty [...]