This morning I came to the desk where I sit when working from home. As I internally expressed gratitude that my work is continuing, I looked at the small fleet of mobile phones plugged into their various charging cables and the “easy” button which I use to celebrate various tasks I accomplish. The subject of …
I fell in love with a few pages of the book that I found on social media and started sharing them while I waited for my copy of “The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse” to arrive. I’ve shared the pages at seven treatment groups in three days. I’ve shared the images on …
In 1958 and 1959 Gene Deitch drew a cartoon series called Tom Terrific. For 26 episodes Tom, along with his companion, Mighty Manfred, the Wonder Dog, would be featured on the Captain Kangaroo television show where each of the the 26 stories was presented in daily 5-minute excerpts, most of which ended in some sort …
Everybody falls short, falls off the wagon, fumbles, stumbles, slips up, gives up, or gives in. It happens…to everyone! Disclaimer: I don’t believe in jinxes or I wouldn’t be writing this. We’re human and every human has the experience of failing. (There, I said it – the “f” word.) What happens after we fail is …
I think we all need a checkup from the neck up at times – perhaps often! I understand that the spirit of mindfulness would have us be aware of our thoughts without judging them. But I also understand that holding certain thoughts can have a distinctly negative effect upon our well-being. So I will always …
Being kind to self isn’t always easy. Even understanding what self kindness is can be a bit confusing. We have talked about how harshly we sometimes judge self and how that can make matters worse. We don’t criticize a leopard cub for not being able to fend for itself. (is that little critter not adorable?!) …
Kristin Neff is a researcher on the topic of self-compassion and author of “Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself.” She believes that there are three steps toward greater self-compassion. The three steps or aspects of self-compassion are: Mindfulness Common Humanity Self-Kindness Today, let’s look at the …
Kristin Neff is a researcher on the topic of self-compassion and author of “Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself.” She believes that there are three steps toward greater self-compassion. Her book sounds interesting and I’ll put in my listening queue. According to a recent Washington Post article by Carrie Dennett, the three …
As we continue to talk and think about how we come to know who we are, I thought it might be good to weigh in with the world of psychology. According to Carl Rogers, the self-concept has three different components. (Sources cited below) The view you have of yourself (Self-image) How much value you place …
By Wil Darcangelo Spiritual Coordinator at First Parish Church of Fitchburg, MA I’m very excited to share a meditation I experienced yesterday. It so resonated with some of my core beliefs that I asked Wil if I could share it. With the grace he seems to wear so comfortably, he allowed me to share it …
This week we’re going to be looking at the idea that “how I see me will determine how I treat me.” This is quite literally a daily utterance for me. I rarely, if ever, have a conversation about addiction without sharing this idea. And this topic isn’t only relevant for addicted folks – this absolutely …
Singleness of Purpose “You can have anything you want if you want it badly enough. You can be anything you want to be, do anything you set out to accomplish if you hold to that desire with singleness of purpose.” ~Abraham Lincoln (Happy Birthday, Mr. President!) A singleness of purpose is rare and it’s rare …
If have sufficient courage, we can own our story. Doing so will mean coming to terms with our faults, flaws, character defects, shortcomings, mistakes, missteps, and the lies we’ve told to ourselves and others. This is not a journey for the faint of heart, but it is certainly a noble journey. Owning our story also …
The story I choose to tell myself today can and will change my day.The story I choose to tell myself EVERY day can and will change my world. What story do you tell yourself about you, your past, and your worth? Those words are shaping your present and future in subtle and not so subtle …
Not Perfect I’ve said it before and I’ll keep on saying it and trying to demonstrate it as I interact with people each day; “You don’t need to be perfect to be amazing!” Daring to face making changes in our lives requires some critical thinking. We need to be honest as we look for the …
