This is a version of my post from a couple of years ago. It highlights an important but often overlooked truth. Our health is strongly tied to our evolutionary need for connection to others. Part 1 highlights the now famous Roseto Effect. Part 2 will reveal how social isolation has grown over the decades seriously degrading our nation’s health and [...]
We often tend to dwell on the small mistakes, mishaps and frustrations that naturally happen throughout the day and seem to "forget" all the positive moments that almost always outnumber the negative ones. Such as - if ten people greet us with a kind word and a smile, we usually remember and focus on the one person that did not [...]
How often have you heard “I have a bad back, neck, arm, wrist, foot etc. My problem started when I lifted a heavy box, hiked in tight boots, twisted my neck, fell down, etc. about a year ago (or many years ago), and now I really need to be careful not to aggravate my injury.” We tell the story of [...]
Life is “like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.” The words from the 1994 film, Forrest Gump, pretty much nail it. We cannot foresee the future – but we sure expend loads of time and energy trying to predict and control it! A few weeks ago, a close family member was admitted to hospice. He [...]
During times of unrest and uncertainty we need to be mindful of the voices in our heads – you know the ones I mean - our inner critics, catastrophizers, analyzers and predictors of the future obsessively spouting what-if’s and oh no’s. The great American author, speaker and teacher, Byron Katie, created a method of self-inquiry called The Work. The Work is [...]
As we enter a new calendar year we often spend time reflecting on the old year and setting goals for the new one. This practice involves the thinking mind and how we use it to talk to ourselves. The voice in our heads is often judgmental and critical. It is important to recognize that thoughts and beliefs that focus on [...]
The past week has been a wake- up call for us. Our country is facing massive challenges and many of my friends, family and teachers have addressed this in their internet posts. These individual messages all converge into one powerful cry for solidarity and compassion. I am sharing some of these with you today as I encourage each of us [...]
You may be wondering, what’s the problem? Doesn’t positive thinking lead to happiness? We all want more of that! However……there is a huge difference between seeking out and celebrating positive experiences and what most of us refer to as “positive thinking.” Yes, it is important to notice and savor the many beautiful moments in our lives…. we need to stop and [...]
“A dishonest yes is a no to yourself.” Byron Katie How many times have you lied to yourself by saying yes when you truly meant no - and why is that one tiny word so hard for many of us to say? Let’s take a glimpse into this phenomenon: We evolved to live in cooperative societies, and for most of human [...]
A number of years ago, I was in the neurosurgeon’s office viewing the results from the MRI of my lumbar spine. I shuddered at the image – it looked like a train wreck. My surgeon and I discussed my options for dealing with the severe chronic pain supposedly caused by the “abnormalities” revealed on the MRI. I decided to try [...]
