Does this sound like you? This phrase keeps running around in my head: Hyper-Vigilant Perfectionist Mind-Reading Empath It isn’t complete, but it broadly sums up fifteen years of therapy. It describes me, my childhood, and my healing struggle. And I wonder if it describes others as well. That’s the point…
Tag: therapy
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We Can Reach Fitness by Returning to the Optimum Condition
Have you ever sat down and thought about your values? Values are important, motivating, and provide guidance. I’ve done a lot of values work in therapy and find it challenging. I value many things, but prioritizing the top five to ten is difficult and dynamic. One thing I have learned during…
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Is Punctuated Equilibrium a Good Way to Change the World?
It’s monolithic Have you seen (or read) “2001: A Space Odyssey”? This joint effort by Stanley Kubrick and Author C. Clarke blew minds when it came out in 1968. And it still does, today. Some people complained that the story was too slow, but I think it is amazing that…
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Making a Good Life
The unexamined life is not worth living — Socrates Do you ever think about this quote? There are probably plenty of people who disagree with Socrates, but I, for one, do not. It seems natural, even innate, to want to make the most of one’s life. To have a good life seems…
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If Natural Selection Determined Human Value Systems
Do you suffer? Humans have problems. It’s hard to deny. Despite many pleas for ‘looking on the bright side of life’, we live in a world full of suffering. For whatever reason, I think about these problems, the causes, and potential solutions. While it is difficult to maintain a positive mental…
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The Beauty of Your Comfort Zone
Do you ever think about your comfort zone? I’m sure most people are at least aware of the concept. To me, our comfort zone is like an invisible egg that surrounds our physical body. Near the center, we are, well, comfortable. As we near the edges we become less comfortable. …
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Is This a Testable Personal Growth Hypothesis?
Does science play a role in your life? Do you value hard data and evidence? Do you think humans are good at proving things? Or maybe you defer to religion or culture to decide what is real? I talk a lot about how science is over or undervalued. Some folks think…
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Reincarnation May Not Be True but It Can Be Helpful
Do other people ever make you angry? I’d be worried about you if you said no. Or assume you are the Dalai Lama. Many of us struggle to find connections to people we disagree with. Or people who act out, are annoying, or mean. I preach a lot about how we…
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Learning About Where We Goofed Up
What went right? Do you ever wonder how we got here? Do you ever think about what has changed over hundreds of thousands of years of human evolution? The past few decades have seen exponential growth in technology. Smartphones. Passenger trips to space. Electric vehicles. Lots of crazy new tech. In…
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Can We Treat Death as a Mentor?
Ok, I know, this sounds weird but hear me out. Humans are freaked out by death. I’m not saying I’m any different, just drawing attention to this in hopes of reducing our suffering. Today I’m wondering what life would be like if we could change our relationship with death. The Toltec…