Life Shouldn’t Feel Like Life or Death
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 […]
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Our Unconscious and Conscious Minds Do Battle Daily
We humans like to think of ourselves as highly evolved and rational beings who think, feel, and act in ways that are intentional and reasonable. We hold this perception because it enables us to believe that we are “captains” of our lives and help us believe that we are in control of the choices we […]
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Set S.M.A.R.T.E.R. Goals for 2022
I just wrote an article about how to set S.M.A.R.T.E.R. goals for 2022. When you set effective goals for yourself, you motivate yourself to become the best [fill in the blank] you can be. This article can apply to sports, school, business, or life. You can read the full article here.
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Can Free Will Resist Five Powerful Life Forces-Part II
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 […]
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Five Powerful Forces that Shape Our Lives (and Where Does Free Will Fit in?): Part I
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 […]
Read MoreThree Fundamental Goals of Sport Psychology
When most people think of sport psychology, they think about what is typically referred to as mental training. The purpose of mental training is to better prepare athletes psychologically and emotionally for the rigors of sport practice and the demands of competition. Increasing motivation, building confidence, managing competitive anxiety, and improving focus are common areas […]
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Amygdala or Pre-frontal Cortex: Which Would You Rather Use?
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 […]
Read MoreEmpty Your Emotional Chamber of Pain (Part II)
In my last article, I introduced you to my concept of a “chamber of pain.” In this Part II, I will show you how to empty your emotional chamber of pain. The only way to stop the toxic contents of your chamber of pain from contaminating your life forever is to empty it. At the […]
Read MoreWhat’s in Your Emotional Chamber of Pain? (Part I)
My experience, both professionally and personally, is that few people emerge from childhood unscathed from their upbringings. You get your psychological and emotional baggage from your parents (e.g., neglect, abuse), peers (e.g., rejection, bullying), traumatic experiences (e.g., loss of a parent or sibling), or popular culture (e.g., unhealthy values, expectations), to name a few. Sadly, […]
Read More3 Essential Human Freedoms
With the U.S. and the world continuing to fight the Covid-19 pandemic, the sad developments in Afghanistan, and the current unsettling political zeitgeist that has taken over our country, I’ve been thinking a lot about freedom and what it means in our lives. You would think that, given that it is a central principle on […]
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