Champagne and a couple dozen cocktail wieners can sometimes result in pretty outlandish New Year’s resolutions. It can be a challenge to say what you mean and mean what you say when you’re balancing a lampshade on your head. But … Continue reading
I used to love the annual “Peanuts” comic strip where the perpetually grumpy Lucy Van Pelt suffered from “Post-Christmas Letdown” over gifts she didn’t get. In like fashion, the holidays are winding down, but for some of us, remnants still … Continue reading
The holidays and the approach of the new year can be an opportunity to organize your schedule and prioritize your goals. But some get tripped up by making their schedules too inflexible. An organized schedule reflects an organized mind, but … Continue reading
“I’ll be home for Christmas” can sometimes set the stage for tension, particularly among family and couples. The seasonal pressure to make everything (and everybody) instantly cheerful and merry can be stressful. Couples fight for a variety of reasons, but … Continue reading
Most of us tell lies at one time or another. Most are little white lies to spare somebody’s feelings, or to get out of a commitment that we probably should never have made. The majority of people feel guilty after … Continue reading
On online quiz suggests that constant concern about fire or burglary in your home or about catching a disease could be signs of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Though some attention to detail is perfectly reasonable and even necessary to avoid … Continue reading
A popular misconception about psychotherapy is that it’s just about one’s past. This probably stems from the clichéd image of the bearded Freudian psychoanalyst quietly dozing in his leather chair – not to mention the circus parade of insipid “self-help” … Continue reading
A reader emails me about disagreements she has with her friend. Their differences are on fundamental levels, and she wonders if there is a point that two people reach when the gap between their values is simply too wide. She … Continue reading
A Delaware Coast Press reader writes, “My husband and I (we have no children) have been happy for the last four years. But now, he has suddenly become Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. He’s fine one minute, then in response … Continue reading
Sage words from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: “We judge ourselves by what we feel capable of doing, while others judge us by what we have already done.” And it works both ways! If you underestimate your potential, or if you ignore … Continue reading
Thanksgiving is a time to be grateful. That sounds very nice, but it’s a bit too general for my taste. I like to look at Thanksgiving as a time of perspective: To think about what’s right, both with the world … Continue reading
We all know people who dwell on the negative aspects of things. They set their sights low, curb their expectations, and hope it will keep bad things from happening to them. That mindset is called “magical thinking.” Examples include rituals … Continue reading