Browse Positive Psychology

It is bad enough when a stranger or foe betrays you, but when it is someone you believed to be a close and trusted friend, partner, or spouse, it is especially hurtful. It might feel like you were taken advantage of, deceived, humiliated, despised, cheated, or stabbed in the back. Oftentimes it comes as a surprise. That is why it is so painful. You would not expect to be hurt so badly from someone you thought you could trust. So you are left in disbelief and unbelievable pain.

How many times have you said to yourself, “I wish my mind would just shut itself off. I need to sleep!” Then you began thrashing around in bed, trying to find a comfortable position … never quite finding it. Mind on go. Body exhausted. Beating yourself up for having a sleep problem. Angry and at a loss for a solution.

When we love ourselves and trust ourselves all things are possible.

Holistic mental health counseling is a new and growing field based in traditional mental health wisdom, herbal and nutritional medicine and many other integrative therapies. Holistic mental health care is a total person approach that includes all aspects and layers of an individuals life. Most holistic mental health professionals believe that real and lasting healing begins on the inside, within the person’s heart, mind, body and soul and extends outward through positive change in thought and behavior.

Relationship management becomes more important as you assume more professional responsibility. You need skills to build bonds, inspire, influence and develop others. All the while you need to be open to change, manage conflict and establish teamwork. Emotional Intelligence author Daniel Goleman believes it is possible to build better relationships one step at a time.

The Rosebush - Mindful Gardening is an excerpt from Janet's mindfulness book, Pathwasy to Wholenss If we are being mindful (fully aware) of a newly purchased Rosebush, we carefully attend to it so that it can be planted, root, mature and thrive in a way that is mutually beneficial to the Rosebush, to ourselves, the environment surrounding the bush, and to the environment of our yard and beyond. • Compatibility of all living things

Inner Oasis is a term I coined ten or more years ago to help my clients and class participants create a lush, rich imagery of their core self. Our Inner Oasis is our soul-self, our inner wisdom, our inner joy and our innermost source of pure, unconditional love. It is ever replenishing, ever nurturing, ever there to support our jou ey and guide our life.

A jou al is a way to keep a record of something that is important to us. This jou al safely keeps our thoughts about the creation of Joy. I kept one for a long time, and now I think it would be fun if you kept one too. There is no better way in the world to have a visual of our daily blessings and all the little miracles that happen. Joy Jou alr

This article was first published in Sibyl on line magazine for women, December 1, 2011 “WHEN YOUR SENSE OF SELF IS NO LONGER TIED TO THOUGHT, is no longer conceptual, there is a depth of feeling, of sensing, of compassion, of loving, that was not there when you were trapped in mental concepts. You are that depth.” ~ Eckhart Tolle You are that depth. You have within you an inner oasis, a place of harmony and love. It is there to provided you with the comforting feelings of self-love, including the feelings of peacefulness.

If someone were to throw a punch at you, you would likely try to defend yourself from getting hit. And if you were to feel the heat of a flaming fire, you would keep yourself far enough away to avoid getting burned. Self-preservation comes naturally as no one wants to experience pain and injury. So threats to our well-being motivate us to distance ourselves from anything with the potential to harm us. It is a necessary and reasonable response in many situations.

To be demanding isn’t all bad, but there are many ways in which it can be unloving. It is one thing to be persistent in asking or requiring something, but excessively demanding one’s own way regardless of others’ rights or how they are treated indicates self-centeredness. Overly demanding people are not conce ed with what others want because they are mostly conce ed with themselves. And they can be very insensitive and uncaring when it comes to getting what they want. Demanding people are often forceful in trying to get their way.

Life feels positive when you experience happiness. Happiness is one of many ingredients that make a positive life positive. However, it takes many more ingredients to create the positive life you want.

We go through our days, busy and rather unaware. We run our errands, care for our family, go to and from work not really having consciously experienced all the wonderful moments of the day. Keeping a Joy Jou al is about becoming more conscious of your joys and less focused or your pain.

Academically Speaking “The field of positive psychology at the individual level, is about positive individual traits: the capacity for love and vocational courage, interpersonal skill, aesthetic sensibility, perseverance, forgiveness, originality, future mindedness, spirituality, high talent and wisdom. At the group level, it is about the civic virtues and the institutions that move individuals toward better citizenship: responsibility, nurturance, altruism, civility, moderation, tolerance, and work ethic.” (Seligman and Csikszentmihalyi, American Psychologist: 2000)

If you believe that greater happiness is something you can achieve on your own, think again. In his groundbreaking A Primer in Positive Psychology , Chris Peterson summarizes positive psychology in three words: "Other people matter." Happiness resides in the individual, in one-on-one relationships (dyads), and within groups. Although we can achieve happiness alone, we are biologically wired and evolutionarily selected to find happiness in our relationships with others. Pursui

In relationships, we are always on the lookout for ways to please the other person. Nothing wrong with that, except when you constantly try to seek validation from others and act in a manner that is not the natural ‘you’ then the relationship suffers. Personal empowerment and a belief in your self-worth are essential aspects for the success of any relationship. If you are depending on your relationship to fill the voids in your life, then you are looking for trouble. It is a much better idea to empower yourself.

What happens if I believe I am physically, emotionally and spiritually whole? Better yet, what if I take a leap of faith and I think, behave, make choices, and live within the belief that I am whole, healthy, secure, peaceful, loving and lovable? Belief Silence. We are born from silence. If we live from the silence within, we know our wholeness lives there too. It is limitless, ete al, trustworthy, joyous, compassionate, loving and real. Wholeness is not broken. It cannot be broken, as each piece is part of the whole and contains the mystery of the whole.r

Published in The Art of Wellbeing Magazine, 2009 There are various pathways that guide us in our quest for wholeness and unification with our innermost self. One pathway that I have come to cherish is Walking Meditation. This method seems to nurture me, relax me, and provide the space and time I need to be alone with myself in satisfying, restful and renewing introspection. This is true whether I walk or whether I simply practice Meditative Breathing and the other skills associated with this healing art.

Janet Gallagher Nestor, MA, LPC, DCEP Holistic Mental Health Therapist Just like most of humanity, my response varies on different days depending on what I am experiencing, where I am and what I am doing. My goal is to stay centered and balanced, but sometimes I choose to employ my self-care skills to help me through a rough patch of emotion.

BIG, HAPPY SMILES ARE FREE and they are instantly understood regardless of language or culture. Receiving a big smile, complete with twinkling eyes, is a gift. My heart opens wide to all the possibilities that shine within your smile.

EACH NEW YEAR WE ARE REBORN. The slate is clean. You choose the canvas, the medium, the brush and you'll paint 2012 with your own colors. The result of your art, the final product, is up to you. You build your new year one brush stroke, one thought at a time. Regardless of your past history, regardless of the problems you face today, your finances and the quality of your life, you choose how you live your life. You choose the thoughts you think, the beliefs you live by and the actions you take regarding your thoughts and beliefs.

Love, trust and forgiveness are the essentials of life. I know that I need these three nurturing ingredients, and I know you need them too. I have found that living within a family is a magnificent gift and a loving commitment. To make the family work, each member offers the gift of being physically, emotionally and spiritually available to the other family members. As insurance, we grow a connection between us so deep and strong that love, trust and forgiveness reach across time and distance to mutually nurture each others heart and soul.

Life is now. There was never a time when your life was not now, nor will there ever be.rn- Eckhart Tolle When asked about being fully present and focused, my client answered something like this: I don't know that I am ever present or fully focused. My mind is all over the place and my friends tell me I don't know how to relax. I am a type A personality, and I am always busy.

From Pathways to Wholeness, p. 85-86 Recorded for you at www.mindfulpathways.com I created this exercise for my own personal healing jou ey, and share various versions of it with my clients on a regular basis. The exercise can be practiced daily. If we have physical health issues or any sort ofrndifficult emotional history or trauma, I suggest the exercise be practiced as often as possible. It is deeply soothing and healing and meant to help us contact our “authentic self” … the one that is exquisitely formed, whole, unified, and at perfect peace.

February/March Article written for Sibyl Spiritual EZine for Women

In my counseling work I see a lot of people with chronic physical health issues and chronic mental health issues. We all think that chronic illness begins with the diagnosis from the doctor. I don't think that is true. I know it is not true energetically. It takes a long time to get sick, and the chronic illness that is now official might have begun 20 or more years ago. This is why self-care and self-love are so important. The more love and acceptance we give to ourselves, the healthier we are in mind-body-emotions-spirit.

Some relaxation music to read by: Dolphins Delight by Ambient Space) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UThOseyShA8&feature=youtu.be You probably don’t like feeling stressed or that unidentifiable underlying unease that defines anxiety. Many of us lump all of our symptoms into one broad category and call it stress – but many of us are really suffering from chronic anxiety.

TO MAKE SENSE OF OUR FAST PACED WORLD and our hectic lives we need emotional balance. With balance comes a kinder more flexible life. When our inner environment is balanced we are free to enjoy ourselves and accomplish our goals. Without balance, we feel frustrated and hopeless, wondering how to survive life's rat race.

Pages 23-25 from my book Pathways to Wholeness All positive thought is based on the principles of unconditional love and by definition, contains the following ingredients: 1. Positive intention 2. Positive content 3. Positive outcome for self, others, and for all life in generalr Why is positive thought important? A thought is pure energy and therefore has a life of its own. Once the thought is formed, it drifts into an unseen current and becomes part of a universal collective of thought that affects life not only today, but throughout all time. If you thinkr

I don't know the percentage of people who come into my office living in abuse or needing to work through past abuse. The ratio is astoundingly high. When I worked in substance abuse residential care, the percentage was probably 99%.

I thought you might enjoy an excerpt from my new book, Nurturing Wellness Through Radical Self-Care: A Living in Balance Workbook. I hope you find the information helpful.

n n Overcoming Adversity nIt seems there are two main types of coaching clients: Those who are defeated by nothing and those who give up at the first "bump in the road". The operative word is "bump", not "hill", not "mountain", not "mountain range" but "bump”.nnWhat does this mean? This refers to the type of person who chooses a goal and plans a way to accomplish it, but gives up at the first minor setback, disappointment or adversity. Perhaps the goal is to get physica

“People Tested” suggestions that help us build and strengthen our existing inner resources. Enrich YOUR life one step at a time.

Positive psychology is a wonderful state of mind, a way of thinking that brings joy, happiness, fun, laughter and contentment into our life. This article, origninally written for Sibyl spiritual e-zine for women, is about a positive consciousness that allows all of us to be part of the wholeness of being human and spirit - a unity of being. Creation gives us everything we need, somtimes in the form of physical helpers and teachers. Sometimes in the form of experience. Recognizing our helpers, teachers and growth opportunities is our challenge. Earth Angels

After a morning filled with an Easter Egg Hunt, moments of remembrance related to Easter's deeper meanings, and a breakfast fit for a prince and princess my husband and our grandson Kodiak went off for some time together. Our granddaughter Lucy and I went for a walk along the greenway that boarders our neighborhood and follows along beside a pretty little creek. We decided to walk toward the woods and then on into the trees as far as we could go. We did not expect the old narrow path to be so expanded, but it had been turned into a bike trail!

I have come across many articles and discussions on infidelity lately and find that there is a consensus. Infidelity, adultery, having an affair, cheating, betrayal... or whatever it is you want to call it, is a growing problem. Why is this? Some say that our culture has contributed to an increased discontent and unhappiness in our lives. We seek pleasure and expect our partners to meet our needs. If they don’t, we blame them for our unhappiness. Marriage becomes more about meeting my needs and making me happy.

The detrimental effects of a negative attitude hinder your life’s progress and severely limit your life’s satisfaction and happiness. Effects Of A Negative Attitude Let me discuss some effects of a negative attitude, and how you can quickly banish it from your life. NEGATIVE ATTITUDE A negative attitude is the simple perception of seeing the bad things in life. This is a continuing and pervasive disease which is very common amongst adults. Psychologists have stated that t

I love books and I often go on a reading binge that lasts for weeks at a time. Pathways to Wholeness is about mindful meditation, personal growth, spiritual development and personal healing. I'd like to mention some of the books that touched my heart and inspired my personal wellness jou ey. Wayne Dyer: Your Sacred Selfr

I have chosen to share a philosophy of healing that was defined for me a year or so ago during meditation. This new way of thinking is going to change your life and the lives of those you love and cherish. You’ll change your self-talk and change the way you interact with members of your family when they are sick or suffering. It applies to the work you’ll encounter during your Nurturing Wellness through Radical Self-Care Program. You’ll have some new things to consider as you choose your strategies for a positive life jou ey.

I am Thankful for… A Fit & Healthy Body The first entry in this gratitude series focused on mental and emotional health. Here I will share my gratitude for physical health which I believe is a very significant part of our overall well-being. We sometimes overlook the mind and body connection, focusing on one or the other when trying to resolve problems. I know I did until I began to learn and discover how close this connection really is. A weak or sick body can have an influence on a person’s mood or motivation.

He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion. ~unknown Anyone who loves and owns a pet knows the joy of companionship and love they provide. Pets are our devoted friends. Following are just some of the many benefits that having a pet can bring: Love & Affection Pets offer humanity one thing that we all need and seek, that is, the miracle-working power of unconditional love.

I have been wrestling with a very deep trust issue, one that has been with me since conscious memory. This morning in meditation I asked for understanding and I was guided through the meditation by a member of my spiritual family of guides and teachers. I think Mataji has been with me all my life. I don't remember how I first met her, but she was an “imaginary friend” when I was about four years old. At the time I named her Gently and Gently remained her name until about 1999 when an exceptional meditation teacher and clairvoyant showed me her picture and told me her real name was Mataji.

Published in the Dec/Jan 2010 issue of Sibyl On-Line Spiritual Jou al for Women Circuit: A partial or continuous path over which a current flows. Winter holiday excitement is literally floating in the air and into our hearts. Radio stations are offering continuous play of holiday tunes and our homes are festively dressed for celebration. We want these joyous feelings to last forever.

I am a nurse and shift work is hard on the body. I have 12 hour days and 12 hour night shifts to contend with which makes it hard on circadian rhythms and getting proper sleep. I also work every other week-end. Some workplaces that have shift work have two weeks on one shift and then two weeks ...

Can love be real without sincerity? Most would agree that sincerity is what makes love what it is. Genuine love is true. And it is true love that we all want. We want to know we are sincerely loved for who we are. We want to know that it is with sincere motives that those who love us say and do the things they say and do for us. We want to know a love that enables us to trust without fear of being unloved and rejected. We want a love that remains loyal and faithful to us no matter what happens. We want to be loved sincerely. And that is how others want to be loved by us as well.

The Acceptable 3 F’s (Faith, Family, and Friends)” Our focus today should be faith, family, and friends. I want to emphasize the importance of all three because each increases the quality of your life. Find time out of your schedule for each priority of faith, family, and friends. These three things will create a foundation for happiness. When you are overly busy with work and rushing from place to place, you will realize that an important area of your life is keeping in touch and connecting with your faith, family, and friends.

One of the most important decisions you will ever make is the decision of who you will spend the rest of your life with. Why is this so important? It is important because the direction of your life will be greatly influenced by that very choice. With time couples become alike in many ways. They learn from one another’s way of thinking and behaving, and they come to share values and world views. Their relationship shapes who they become, their level of happiness, their outlook, as well as their goals and dreams.

I am Thankful for… A Healthy Mind & Emotions If we stop to think about it, there are so many things to be grateful for. As I was reflecting on all the good things, people, and blessings I enjoy, I starting compiling a long list. It seemed it would never end. In all actually, it never will end because our blessings are new every morning. In this series, I am going to share different areas of gratitude in my life. I am going to start the first of this Gratitude journal Series with: I am Thankful for A Healthy Mind and Emotions. 1. I am thankful to be free from negativity.

Introduction: Thoughts are much finer than the electricity. Human thoughts are the greatest dynamic force on the earth. A strong thought makes a man stronger from within. There is a famous and good quote in English that “Thinking makes the man”. Therefore, one should always have positive thoughts. Each and every thought has its own value and power. If one thinks positively, then positive energies are attracted towards him and he gets positive results and vice-versa. A fam

Understanding the role of the ego in how we live our lives is essential to understanding the mystery of life. Usually when people describe themselves they are referring to the egoic self or the personality, the finite side of the whole package we call me. We speak about our likes, dislikes, what we do to fill up our days. We speak of others regarding the actions they take in their lives.

“Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one's definition of your life, but define yourself.” Harvey S. Firestone Bully: a blustering, quarrelsome, overbearing person who habitually badgers and intimidates smaller or weaker people .

A person's mindset as well as thought process contributes significantly for their character. Individuals who stay positive possess a much better lifestyle as well as a driven attitude. They are factors which have an effect on your own belief with regards to making the kind of life you want. Research has shown that you simply perception of life also affects your wellbeing as well as nicely-being. Most of the negative thoughts come from presumptions all of us help to make. We

Why Detoxify? We live in a polluted world. Our environment, air supply, water and foods are full of herbicides, pesticides, chemicals of all kinds, and normal every day allergens like dust and mold. Our organs and our bodies get worn down by all the extra work they do attempting to filter out all of the pollutants and allergens. The world has seen an increase in cancer, lowered male sperm count, heart disease, birth defects – including developmental disabilities and many other illnesses and disorders since the early 1900's. Here are some statistics.r

There is overwhelming evidence that the higher the level of self-esteem, the more likely one will be to treat others with respect, kindness, and generosity. ~Nathaniel Branden You may have heard it said that you can not love others if you do not love yourself. Having self-love means you care about and like yourself in a healthy and balanced way. It means you have self-respect and believe you are worthy of love.

Although similar in many ways, jealousy and envy are not the same. Deep insecurities often lie at the root of jealousy. When someone is jealous they are afraid of losing something. They try to guard and protect what they fear losing. In doing so, they may become very possessive, competitive, and resentful. For example, they might be jealous of someone they fear can steal their boyfriend’s heart away from them, someone who got the promotion they worked hard for, or the person who got the praise and adoration they felt they deserved. Jealousy can be fear of losing any of the following:

by Janet Gallagher Nestor, MA, LPC, DCEP Holistic Mental Health Therapist Most women are multi-taskers. Our culture says we can do it all: Get a good education, be an engaging conversationalist, be beautiful, marry, have children, keep a size 6 figure, have a career, clean the house, drive the car pool and be a home room mother. Even more stressful, we are expected to do it all well … and sometimes all in the same day! Even after the children are grown, the facts remain the same. We are expected to have a life that is overflowing and too busy for one person to handle comfortably.

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. - John F. Kennedy How trustworthy are our words if there is no action behind them? We can tell our kids not to smoke, but if they see us smoking, can we realistically expect them to listen? We can say we care about our health, but do our eating habits support our claim? The old adage rings true: Actions speak louder than words. It is not just the words we say that reveal the condition of our hearts. People watch what we do more than what we say.

It's only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth -- and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up -- that we will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only one we had. ~Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

We are either the masters or the victims of our attitudes. It is a matter of personal choice. Who we are today is the result of choices we made yesterday. Tomorrow, we will become what we choose today. To change means to choose to change. ~John Maxwell What kind of thoughts come to your mind when you think about your life? How about your family, your work, your future? Suppose your thoughts could change your destiny. Would you want to change or improve any of them?

Money is the hot topic these days. Whether you have it and are afraid of losing it or you don't know where your next paycheck is coming from, right now we all seem to share some form of 'money fear.' What if your beliefs about money were fueling how money flows in, or out of your life? Take this simple test to find out your FEQrn(Financial Emotional Intelligence) “Money Money Money Money, MONEY — Some people got to have it …..- Some people really need it…Almighty Dollar!

Take care of yourselves, your body and your family and friends, with much love Both the vitality level and the energy level of our bodies are affected from the way we live our lives and from the way we treat our bodies. We are influenced by the food we eat, the drinks we sip and consume into our bodies and the physical activities that we do. These are all in turn influenced by the level of happiness and love that we have in our lives. And so it is important to be aware and to take responsibility for the way we feel and live. Foodr

There is nothing that adequately prepares us for the most important job there is—parenting. Children and teens do not come with an owner’s manual, and most of our training is on the job. With our own parents as our most prominent role models, we tend to repeat what we have learned about parenting from them. We do our best, learn as we go, and make our own mistakes along the way; but we don’t have to leave our parenting to chance. We can become more effective parents. We can parent with more confidence instead of frustration.

A general definition of, "normal," according to the dictionary, is: "conforming to the standard or the common type; usual; not abnormal; regular; natural." The Psychology definition is: "approximately average in any psychological trait, as intelligence, personality, or emotional adjustment"; also, "free from any mental disorder; sane."

You cannot be grateful and bitter. You cannot be grateful and unhappy. You cannot be grateful and without hope. You cannot be grateful and unloving. So just be grateful. ~author unknown

Thank God every morning when you get up that you have something which must be done, whether you like it or not. Work breeds a hundred virtues that idleness never knows. ~Charles Kingsley Work keeps our minds occupied. It forces us to set and meet goals that lead to a sense of accomplishment. It encourages us to put our skills and talents to use. Work helps us to develop confidence in what we can do and how we can contribute. It connects us to other people. It is an essential part of our lives and a human need.

It’s challenging sometimes to know what’s wrong in your relationship. If you’re like many other people, you probably want a loving relationship more than anything else in the world. Maybe you’ve tried and tried and tried to make your relationship work and yet somehow you just seem to be going back over the same old arguments again and again. Questions to consider about control or verbal abuse: • Does your partner always monopolize the conversation? • Does s/he always need to be right? • Does s/he regularly judge or criticize you for things you do and say?r

Recently, my daughter made a trip to the town where she was born. Unfortunately, it was not a happy occasion. The daughter of one of her childhood friends had committed suicide. The girl was 15 years old when she decided that she could not tolerate any more bullying. The only way she could stop the pain and humiliation was to take her own life. The day of her funeral, the daughter of another friend was found unconscious on the bathroom floor in her home. She had overdosed on some prescription drugs she had found in the medicine cabinet.

Many people cling to the myth that those who are successful inevitably feel good about themselves and are free from self-doubt and insecurities. I’ve worked with many clients whose résumés, personal achievements, and reputations garner the deepest respect and admiration, yet their negative self-talk is often utterly brutal. Despite their low opinion of themselves, they’ve managed to fashion lives that many would envy.

“Take a deep breath” you must have heard these words many a times but hardly anybody knows how it helps us. Breathing is very important part of our life. If we don’t eat we might survive for one week or if we don’t drink then we might survive for 3 or 4 days but if we don’t breathe then we can’t survive for more than 2 minutes. So let’s understand how deep breathing works and what are its benefits.

A lot has been written about the effects of our thinking on our life. By now many people know that in some way or another our thinking affects our life. We hear things like: “Think positive, there are two sides to the coin, the glass is either half empty or half full”. Does this sound familiar? ...

Depression is very serious and often goes untreated in children and teens. Symptoms are commonly overlooked or minimized as part of growing up or something that will pass with time. Child and teen depression has a negative impact on development, school performance, and relationships. Children and adolescents with depression feel sad or hopeless. They might be easily irritated or angry. They lose interest and motivation for the things they once enjoyed. They may feel bad about themselves and lack in confidence.

I remember when I was a child how much I loved my grandmother Rose Silverman's things. They were not just the functional plastic items, earthenware and stuffed sofas that most families had when I grew up. All of the furniture and things in her apartment were 'alive' with romance, magic and ...

Making a big deal about the “little things” can make your life richer and more fulfilling. We’ve all heard the phrase “Don’t sweat the small stuff” and I wholeheartedly agree. We must not let life’s little daily annoyances and irritations cause us to “lose our cool” or bring us to a place of tension and stress.rn rnOn the flip-side, it is easy to overlook the right “little things” or “small stuff” unless we intentionally decide to rnMake a Big Deal A

"With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts."Eleanor Roosevelt Very few people might know that how we spend our day depends on how we start it. Have you ever noticed that your entire day becomes a mess if something goes wrong in the morning like, you could not find your shirt you wanted to wear or you missed your daily bus or train or you had a fight with your spouse. We can make every day best days of our life if we start it in a positive way. We just need to give a positive momentum and everything else will be taken care of.

Today let's concentrate on being happy. Live life like a child! If you capture the spirit of a child, life becomes much easier. Never let life's pressures bring you down! This is the day the Lord has made--we will rejoice and be glad in it! ~Rev Run Take a moment and think about how you began ...

We’ve got this gift of love, but love is like a precious plant. You can’t just accept it and leave it in the cupboard or just think it’s going to get on by itself. You’ve got to keep watering it. You’ve got to really look after it and nurture it. ~John Lennon

Ninety-nine percent of the failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses. ~ George Washington Carver There never was and there never will be another person exactly like you. Your way of thinking, your appearance, you inherent talents and interests, your skills are like no other. You have untapped potential inside you yet to be discovered and released. As Og Mandino would say, you are "nature's greatest miracle." Are you living like the successful person you were born to be?

If you want to be a healthy, happy person, it’s very important to learn to love the person you see in the mirror. Although loving yourself can be very challenging if you grew up in a dysfunctional family, it’s definitely worth the time and effort! Whether you feel stressed, anxious or depressed, or whether you are in a challenging relationship or going through a divorce, learning to love yourself is a crucial step in your healing process. When you honestly love yourself, your love overflows to everyone around you and everything in your life begins to sparkle and shine!

As a therapist in Los Angeles I’ve seen more than my share of patients who are dealing with various forms of depression and unhappiness. One common personality trait I’ve found with them is their unwholesome thoughts and beliefs that come from what I call the “wanting mind.” In wanting mind, we feel that our current state of unhappiness can only be cured if we have more money, recognition, fame, or power.