I recently read a short essay by Emily Perl Kingsley about her experience of raising a child with Down syndrome. Although the essay is widely shared among parents of special needs children, the message is for all of us.  It’s about having your expectations turned upside down. Welcome to Holland When you’re going to have […]

Self-doubt shows up as different voices in your head. You get to decide how much power to give those voices. Why not listen to something bigger?

The fight between evil and good is going on inside each of us. Which wins will be determined by the one you feed.

Each one of us talks to ourselves much of the time. Not only does this self-talk determine our moods and behavior, they literally become self-fulfilling prophecies and eventually define our reality.

We habitually distract ourselves from our negative feelings. However, as we face them with compassion and non-judgment we experience emotional nourishment and personal liberation.

Our disappointments help us find balance and perspective. They bring variety (even adventure) to our lives. They are a source of learning and wisdom. And, perhaps most importantly, they help us develop character.

For years people assumed that IQ was more predictive of life and occupational success than any other variable. After all, doesn’t it stand to reason that the smartest people will outperform others most of the time? It’s logical, but not true. In fact, recent research has found that people of average IQ will outperform those […]

I’m passionate about understanding people like Eduardo. How is it that some human beings live in a place of such, joy, abundance, goodwill? Are they born that way? Were they fortunate to be born into incredible families? Are they of a stronger character or constitution than most of us?

I’ve wrestled with this topic for some time. On again, off again. Do I write about it or not? Obviously, I decided to go for it. My hesitancy was knowing that this is a complex topic. I studied developmental psychology in graduate school. In fact, it was the topic of my dissertation. So I’m aware […]

Hal hated Charlie, everything about him, from his knowing sneer to his rolling swagger. When he saw him enter the restaurant with Keith, he wished fervently he could get away and considered getting up and walking out of the breakfast meeting, without a word to either of his two former partners. But then he garnered his faculties and decided to accept this reality. He would choose how to respond, and his choice would be to be cordial and cooperative. He felt a surge of strength as he realized that handling himself in a dignified manner with both these men would be a bigger personal victory than if he met with Keith alone.