Imagine you’re about to present to your bosses and colleagues at work, take an exam in school, play in the finals of a tennis tournament, or ask someone to marry you. A man comes up to you, shows you a gun, and tells you that if you don’t succeed, he will shoot you dead. How [...]
In my first article in this two-part series on the forces that shape our lives, I explored the five forces (genes, upbringing, popular culture, technology, and unexpected events) that I believe are most impactful on who we become, the choices we make, and the direction our lives take. In this article, I will introduce what [...]
Choices, options, alternatives, preferences, opportunities, decisions; these are all words that have a powerful impact on our collective psyches as human beings. They evoke free will and self-determination, the ability to become whomever we want to become, and the ability to opt for whatever road we choose in our life’s journey. Yet, whether we actually [...]
Over my decades-long history as both a blogger, author, and public speaker (as well as being a Ph.D. in Psychology who sees clients), I have come to appreciate the power of words. I often hear someone say that “it’s just a semantic difference” when discussing the use of different words that are seen as having [...]
I was interviewed recently about my latest book, How to Survive and Thrive When Bad Things Happen, by Rob Kochanski, the host of the Local First Podcast. In the podcast, I describe what a crisis is, how the current covid-19 pandemic is a "perfect storm" of crises, how affects us in so many ways, how [...]
“Storms” aren’t new to us Americans. Whether the Civil War, the Spanish flu, the Great Depression, World Wars I and II, 9/11, Hurricane Maria, the list goes on, America has found a way to weather some dramatic and traumatic storms in its 244-year history. But have we ever faced such a “perfect storm” as we [...]
I was interviewed this morning for the Richard Dugan Show in which I discussed my latest book, How to Survive and Thrive When Bad Things Happen. In the interview, I share my ideas on how to make the shift from a "crisis mentality" to an "opportunity mindset" when faced with a crisis such as COVID-19.
Well, I certainly received some blowback from my recent COVID-19 post. I was accused of being negative, cynical, and hypocritical; not labels I care to be associated with. I was scolded for having a career based on idealism, optimism, possibility, and potential to evolve, grow, change, and become the best you can be. Then I [...]
This is a question that I’ve been asked frequently of late by family, friends, clients, the media, and random people from whom I get emails, calls, and blog post comments: Will the COVID-19 crisis change us for the better? This question is actually far more complex and nuanced than it might initially appear to be. [...]
I was interviewed yesterday by KWMR public radio about how to deal with the psychological, emotional, and social challenges of the current pandemic. My ideas are based on my 2019 book, How to Survive and Thrive When Bad Things Happen: 9 Steps to Cultivating an Opportunity Mindset in a Crisis and recent blog posts that have [...]
