I recently have become more interested in and enamored with the stars. I just received a book put out by National Geographic entitled Hubble: Imaging Space and Time with a lot of photos of stars, galaxies and nebulae from the Hubble telescope. Although the following image isn’t from that book, it demonstrates the wonder I am finding in the stars. At the same time that I am contemplating the incomprehensible enormity of the universe, I also am becoming more aware of how many people there are on earth. This month’s National Geographic title story is about the fact that the... Continue reading...
OK, first things first. I am a busy person. Currently, too busy. (I am writing this as I sit on a plane flying to Chicago for a business meeting.) So this is one of those entries where I call on the “psychologist’s privilege” of being able to expound on principles that I do not have implemented in my life yet. The principles are true. I’m just not consistently applying them. (Ask my wife) Busyness and the holidays seem to go hand-in-hand. There is the “normal” busyness of life – work, family, home responsibilities, extended family, friends, leisure activities, and community... Continue reading...
We usually think of opposites in terms of a simple, “either-or” relationship — such as light and darkness, large and small, heavy and light. And these opposites exist on a single continuum, with the opposing characteristics being on the ends of the spectrum. But there are some relationships which are more complex, where there is more than one characteristic that can be opposite of another. For example, in comparing a “good meal” with a bad one, there are different factors that can lead to that judgment. The quality of the basic ingredients, the correct amount of the ingredients, combining the... Continue reading...
November 21, 2009 3:28 pm
As a psychologist, I naturally find myself observing people’s behavior — their choices, what they are saying, and how they are feeling. And this is the case now, in the midst of the difficult economic times in which we find ourselves (I am consciously choosing not to use the term “financial crisis”.) There are three core aspects to any situation that involves human perception and response: Reality. What actually “is” — the facts of the situation. (Using a non-related example: the temperature — which is about 30 degrees F. on a mid March day.) Perceptions. How people perceive, view, and... Continue reading...
Almost all of us in the United States are now starting to personally experience some aspect of the global and national economic crisis. Whether it is through a personal or family job loss, friends and extended family members who have been laid off, a slow down in your business, or projected reduced sales for next year — the impact is now personal. This is different than hearing it on the news or reading statistics in a publication. I resent the frenzy and panic the media seems to want to whip up, because this type of communication doesn’t help anyone. We... Continue reading...
Most “gifts” in our culture are tangible presents — either something we buy, or sometimes make, for another. So when we think of Christmas gifts, or presents for other events like birthdays and anniversaries, we think of “things”. However, given that most people are hard to buy presents for because they “already have everything”, truly meaningful gifts are often taking on a different characteristic. This past week I had a birthday and I had a wonderful day. I started by sleeping in a little, and then went for a run on a cool, fall morning. I went to work for... Continue reading...
Major (repeated) upheaval in the financial markets. Hurricane Ike. Flooding across the Midwest. Concerns about who will be elected President (from both sides). Bombings in Pakistan. Political turmoil in Bolivia and Venezuela. The negative, worry-producing news keeps coming. What’s a person to do? Ignore it? Stress out? Drink more? (I heard a news report that beer and wine sales are up significantly in the last 6 months.) Previously, I have written about the role of thankfulness and gratitude in helping us live more contentedly. Rather than pontificate on the subject further, I thought I would share the things in my... Continue reading...
September 21, 2008 6:45 pm
Recently, my wife and I have had a couple of experiences together on which we both commented to one another. One experience was actually two separate events that were similar and which occurred close together. As a family, we enjoy music and frequently go to music events of various kinds — concerts by professionals, school concerts, musical theatre productions, and free community events (e.g. concerts in a park). This summer we had the opportunity to go to a couple of professional productions and were able to take along some younger friends of ours and our family. The evenings went well... Continue reading...
