Tag Archives: happiness

You May Be Privileged

You may be privileged
If animals and plants
Give you their bodies
Each day, to feed your body. Continue reading

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When Mental Illness is Environmental

Self-compassion might come from realizing how our behaviors and emotions are shaped by our environment and our past environments. Continue reading

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The Joy Within

Each of us has this stream of joy within us. It may be bricked in and covered over with layers of grief, pain, fear, or anger. It may be curtained off by thoughts, entertainment, things we want to do or have to do. Still, it’s always there and can’t be destroyed, because it comes from the life force itself. Continue reading

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The Animals Are Trying to Save Us

In one celebrated case from Ethiopia, a pride of lions came across a group of men who had kidnapped a teenage girl, possibly for sale in the sex trade.. The lions ran the men off and sat around the girl until people came to find her. Then they quickly left. What explains their behavior? What can we learn from them about ourselves? Continue reading

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Happy Gratitude Day

I don’t like the term Thanksgiving anymore. It’s been stolen to teach us to feel good about genocide. But I do think giving thanks and getting together with family and friends and celebrating the harvest time is good. Here are 25 things I’m thankful for right now. Continue reading

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Don’t Ask Why

Most times, “why” doesn’t matter. There’s nothing we can do about what has already happened. Why did your company downsize your job? Why did I get multiple sclerosis? I can wonder, but what difference does it make? The point is deciding what to do now. Continue reading

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Five Things Not to Think About

Thinking about sex is the opposite of doing it. Thinking in general is the opposite of experiencing. Save the brain for what it evolved for, solving real problems, and give it a rest when you want to create, love, laugh, relax, or be sexy. Continue reading

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Why Fear is Boss

Fear causes us to focus on the negative. You go to a party and eight lovely things happen – meetings, conversations, food, attraction, dance – and one clumsy thing – you bump into someone and they glare at you. You’ll probably remember the one negative over all the positives. This focus on fear is a survival strategy from long ago. If that one negative was a tiger behind a tree, you really needed to focus on that. Continue reading

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Addicted to Sad

If you find yourself doing something even while telling yourself, “I shouldn’t do this,” or asking “Why am I doing this?” or hiding the fact that you are doing it, you are probably addicted to it. Continue reading

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Because It Can’t Last

“Do not confuse value with permanence.” – Irvin Yalom Charlie Jane Anders hosts the Writers with Drinks literary events every month at San Francisco’s Make Out Room. The dimly lit club drips with streamers, glitter, a jumble of art work … Continue reading

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