How sad it is to see people spend their lives haunted by fear. The joy of life is squeezed out of them by fear of failure, criticism, betrayal, change, rejection, loneliness, poverty, growing old, getting sick, losing one’s job, and saying what is on their mind. They are afraid of death. But what is the
A good reason not to get angry is anger broadcasts our own weakness. When we vent our anger, we are effectively shouting, “I’m scared! I’m frustrated! I’m hurt!.” That’s another way of saying, “I’m weak!” After all, we are only as big as the things that make us angry. The following are examples of frustration:
What do you think of people who descend on their friends like vultures, criticizing, maligning, ridiculing, scorning, blaming, insulting, and belittling them? Actual vultures feed on carrion, but these human vultures pick their friends apart while they are still alive. Our family members are supposed to be our closest friends, yet even they may engage
How do I know I’m perfect? Everyone tells me I am! Well, maybe they don’t directly say so, but they certainly suggest it. What they really say is, “Chuck, you’re nobody!” And as you know, nobody is perfect, so if I’m nobody, I’m perfect! Despite my less than perfect humor, I, like you, was born
One day we will all have to visit, help, or comfort a dying person. How should we treat someone with a terminal illness? Shouldn’t we treat them the same way we treat anyone else? Why should we treat them differently when there is no difference between us. After all, aren’t we all dying? Yes, we
A local reader asked over coffee a few questions about self-esteem. Since the information is worth sharing, I present it here in Question and Answer form. Q: “What is self-esteem? Is it another word for self-confidence? A: No, they are different. SELF-ESTEEM deals with the image we have of ourselves. It is about how we
