So there it sits, buried under Scrooge McDuck wrapping paper and pine needles: The gargoyle ashtray from Uncle Hiram (you haven’t smoked for 43 years). Not to mention the dented cheese log glaring back at you from the refrigerator. But … Continue reading
I think pretty much everyone will admit that most New Year’s resolutions fail. In spite of the best of intentions, most are destined for disaster. Why? Because they’re artificial. You can’t resolve to do something just because it happens to … Continue reading
The holiday season is intertwined with warm feelings of love and romance. But in life – holidays or not – it is important to know that to genuinely like or love someone, that person must first earn your respect. The … Continue reading
All the holiday talk of good cheer and good will sounds great, but the fact remains that certain transgressions or betrayals can be impossible to forgive and forget. People often ask me if it is unhealthy to just NOT forgive … Continue reading
According to a Gallup Organization survey, 20% of Americans believe that it is possible to communicate with the dead. Films such as “Bless the Child” and “Sixth Sense,” along with TV shows peddling self-proclaimed mediums like John Edward, continue to … Continue reading
‘Tis the season! Credit cards are polished and ready, as rosy cheeked shoppers gleefully embark on the adventure of Christmas shopping 2014. Really? Even I can’t believe I just wrote that. What I usually hear is, “The holidays are so … Continue reading
I often speak to people who proudly describe themselves as “perfectionists.” However, after we talk for a while, it’s interesting how many of their anxieties appear to stem from that very description. Though the word has a virtuous ring to … Continue reading
For two decades I’ve been questioning the concept of the alleged disease of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Suddenly, mental health professionals are beginning to say the same things I’ve been saying for a long time, and one of those professionals … Continue reading
Lately it has become fashionable to label people who have accomplished great things as being “arrogant.” Why this is happening is best left to another column, but I suspect we wouldn’t be enjoying many of the conveniences and comforts around … Continue reading
Everything we do, we do for a reason. All behavior, no matter how self-destructive it may seem, serves an emotional purpose. It’s not that somebody “shouldn’t” be acting in a certain way; it’s that they ARE acting that way to … Continue reading
A reader emails that she doesn’t get the idea of gift giving for the sake of gift giving, or just to not look bad in front of others. She’s referring to Black Friday, and goes on to say that people … Continue reading
I see so many examples of spouses and partners who endure consistent and systematic meanness from their significant others. This pattern is more prevalent than you might think, and the clinical term for it is emotional abuse. There are a … Continue reading