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Showing posts from 2014

Wondering What Gift To Give? Put A Little Sunshine In Someone's Life!

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As the holiday season is upon us, it is only natural to think about what gifts we want to give and to receive. Everywhere we look, there is a ton of stuff from which to choose. And with all the advertisements in the stores as well as on our technology, there is no escaping the message – Buy!  Buy!  Buy! It can be overwhelming and expensive. And yet, there is something we can give that is not only completely free but it will give back to us as well! What can this gift be? Many years ago, I taught 8 th grade English and literature at a brand new middle school in Southern California. I will never forget my first year there where I met an extraordinary student named Sunshine. With her long auburn wavy locks bouncing around her shoulders, her freckled face and pearly white teeth, and always wearing very simple and clean but worn clothes, Sunshine entered our classroom every day with a positive selfless attitude.  Whether it was before school started, or during lunch, or after 6

Domestic Violence: What's Worth Got To Do With It?

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October is a busy month. Along with  Breast Cancer  and   Anti-Bullying Awareness  , it is also a time when we turn our attention to  Domestic Violence Prevention . Over the past several months, Domestic Violence  has been in the spotlight as video evidence has surfaced of well-known individuals allegedly abusing their partners. Domestic Violence is a complex issue with numerous theories regarding causation as well as sound approaches that address intensive treatment for the perpetrators and recovering programs for the victims. I believe there is a missing piece - an underlying psychological component - which is not talked about. Get ready as we answer the question - What's Worth Got To Do With It?    Do You Feel Valuable? As we consider the role of victims, let's take a look at two correlations between Worth and Domestic Violence. First, many victims have a history of low self-worth .This lack of worth may come from difficult childhoods, dysfunctional relation

Energy Zapper #6: Information Saturation! Take The Quiz!! 3 Tips for Staying Recharged!!

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We are discussing   Energy Zappers!  What are they? Habits or social behaviors which are a part of our everyday life, but unfortunately they do very little to enhance our sense of well-being! Why? Because they deplete us! Take a look at our five precious zappers -  Giving Advice  ,  Drama  , and  Worry  , Negativity , and   Shame - Part One and Shame -  Part Two  - before reading our final  Energy Zapper #6: Information Saturation!  After having two serious blogs on Shame , let's have a bit of fun with this one! Before we get started, please take this little Information Saturation Quiz! The only requirement is that you are honest! And no one else needs to see your answers! Information Saturation Answer yes for 'almost always' and no for 'mostly never'. If a question does not apply to you, just skip it. Okay, here we go. 1. I am on more than 5 social networking sites or accounts?                                            Yes          No 2. I pos

Energy Zapper #5: Shame! 3 Healing Rays for Re-Emergence!

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*  Please note - this blog contains sensitive material. Suggested for mature audiences. In our previous blog Energy Zapper #5: Shame! Taking Shame Out Of Its Shadows!  ,we discussed the unique anatomy of shame and its three sources of causation – betrayal by someone, betrayal of someone, and betrayal of self. To get the most out of today’s blog, please go back and take a read. And then get ready to move on to part two:  Shame! 3 Healing Rays for Re-Emergence!    As we move out of the shadows of shame, let’s remind ourselves of what shame is through this acronym. S = Self H = Hatred A = And M = Malignant E = Embarrassment Read it again ~   Self -Hatred And Malignant Embarrassment ~ It’s a heavy emotion. It’s dark and debilitating. And, left unattended, it smothers one’s body, mind and spirit. How then, do we begin to re-emerge from shame?As we start, read and ponder this healing acronym. S = Shared H = Healing A = And                            

Energy Zapper #5: Shame! Taking Shame Out Of Its Shadows!

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We have been discussing Energy Zappers! What are they? For the most part, they are habits or social behaviors which are a part of our everyday life, but unfortunately do very little to enhance our sense of well-being. Why? Because they deplete us!  If you haven’t had a chance to read them, go back and review   #1 - Giving Advice ,  #2 - Drama  , #3- Worry ,  #4 -Negativity .You might find them helpful in keeping yourself energized! Today, we are going to take a bit of a departure and talk about a zapper that really isn’t a habit or social behavior – it is an emotion. However, because of the silence, secrecy, and stigma around this emotion – it often goes unattended and unaddressed – eroding the core of our beings. What is  Energy Zapper #5?   It is...  Shame . And because of the complexity of shame –its anatomy, its sources of causation, and its unique healing considerations – we will spend two blogs on this zapper! Self- Hatred Over the past couple of years, it seems as

Energy Zapper #4: Negativity!! 3 Tips for Staying Recharged!!

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We are discussing Energy Zappers!  What are they? Habits or social behaviors which are a part of our everyday life, but unfortunately they do very little to enhance our sense of well-being! Why? Because they deplete us! Take a look at our three precious zappers -  Giving Advice  ,  Drama  , and  Worry  - before reading Energy Zapper #4: Negativity! Whether you tend to see the glass half full or whether you want to limit your exposure to individuals who drain your glass, read on!                                                                                                Seeing the Glass Half-Full or Half-Empty? First of all, let’s make it clear what we are talking about when we tackle negativity . Most of us must admit that we experience a bad day every now and then! Or, perhaps we just wake up on the wrong side of the bed! So, let’s give ourselves permission to have those whiny days! And, let’s also clarify that we are not talking about expressing our opinions or particip