In the comic strip “Peanuts,” Lucy van Pelt referred to the beginning of the new year as “post-Christmas letdown,” when you mourn for the gifts you wanted but didn’t get. Interestingly, it’s also around this time when I get questions … Continue reading
Around this time of year, so many people tell me how they find the gift-giving process stressful and/or downright unpleasant. (Not everybody does, mind you, but some definitely do.) There’s got to be a better way to enjoy Christmas! I … Continue reading
I have to admit that I’m a private person. Though I welcome the opportunity to interact personally with so many people, I also like quiet and a bit of solitude when the day is finished. I got to thinking about … Continue reading
You can set your watch by the time it takes for the holidays to appear and for people to start complaining about “greed” and “materialism”. It even comes up in my office, especially from parents. My answer is sometimes met … Continue reading
‘Tiz the season for some people to set their holiday expectations very high. Sometimes too high. The requirement for “comfort and joy” can sometimes set the stage for tension, particularly among family and couples. Clients often admit to me that … Continue reading
I have an acquaintance who owned successful businesses and employed people his entire life. He is now retired. In order to fill his spare time, he took a job working in a small specialty store. Money was not really a … Continue reading
Few things are more annoying than being nagged (except perhaps being accused of it). Nagging stems from the false belief that repetition creates motivation. It never does, and in fact, it lowers respect and reveals weakness by implying, “I have … Continue reading
All this hubbub about food and feasting over the last week or so got me thinking about a fascinating case involving a friend. She had been morbidly overweight for years when she suddenly contracted a bad sinus infection that left … Continue reading
I always like to wait until AFTER Black Friday to publish an article on this subject. After all, it can be fun, and does help our businesses. But the question remains: is the frenzy good, bad or indifferent (and anyone … Continue reading
A Coast Press reader emails that her father used to tell her to “not be a quitter.” But when she realizes she’s fighting a losing battle, she feels guilty just “letting it go.” She asks at what point being a … Continue reading
“Say what you mean, and mean what you say.” This venerable and oh-so-true expression reveals a lot about the importance of integrity, honesty and keeping your word in your day-to-day life. Years ago, I had a neighbor who felt it … Continue reading
Dear Dr. Hurd, My mother is 91, lives alone, doesn’t drive, and is in pretty good health. Since she moved here, she has become very manipulative. She exaggerates her hearing and vision problems, and invents situations to get what she … Continue reading