Life

US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has just finished up talks with the Russian Foreign Minister and failed to get an agreement that would put more pressure on Tehran.  You know, diplomacy, negotiations, talks, carrots for Russia to increase sanctions against Iran because of their nuclear ambitions.  The highest Russian diplomat refused to take a harder stance labeling the actions against Iran “counterproductive.”  Why?  Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said they want to engage in additional diplomacy, negotiations, talks, and carrots for Iran to dispense with their production of nuclear weapons.  Notice that the UN has passed sanctions against Iran for the past 3 years to no avail.  Sound familiar?  Remember Iraq?  Remember the...

Beware of Sunday television.  As you know, I faithfully visit the the gym each day as soon as it opens for my physical workout.  I alternate running  3 miles a day or 2 miles depending on how much sleep I got the night before.  If you’ve ever ran on the treadmill  you know it can be boring.  Usually I can watch one of 4 overhead flat-screen TV’s which helps to pass time as I merrily gallop along.  As luck would have it this past Sunday, I found myself trapped to watch the channel which just happened to come up when the power button was pressed.  The remote control (up and down channel-er) was not working.  So on one TV I’m face to face  with a puffy eyed overweight tele-evangelist expounding not for 15 minutes, no, not for 30...

The second form of insecure relationship is called the ambivalent attachment because it’s a mixture of  desiring love weighed against anger.  This style may develop when the child is unable to receive love and attention on a consistent basis from the caregiver.  The child develops a framework of thinking that then carrys over into adulthood that says; I am not worthy of love.  I am not capable of getting the love I need without being angry and clingy.  Others are capabale of loving me but might not do so because of my flaws.  They might abandon me.  I am poor at getting the love I need and I must please my loved ones or I will be worthless and unlovable.  The ambivalent attachment style often leads to unhealthy dependent relationships on others. ...

When parents (in Bowlby’s experiments this was primarily referring to the mother) are simply not available, physically or emotionally, or is willing but not able to be there (illness, death), or when the caregivers use insenstive, embarrassing, or sarcastic language, injuries to the the child’s ability to attach and form relationships can occur. In the avoidant style of relating, the child learns that he can’t depend on parents for a safe harbor. The child then develops a “survival” style of relating and develops self-talk that goes something like this: I am capable of love, but others are not able to love me.  I am worthy based only on my accomplishments.  I depend on my own self and abilities in order to succeed.  Others are...

What are your core beliefs about yourself?  You can determine this by answering the following questions:  Am I worthy?  Am I able to do what I need to in order to get the love I need?  Are other people reliable and trustworthy?  Are other people accessible and willing to respond to me? John  Bowlby believed that “the infant and young child should experience a warm, intimate, and continuous relationship with his mother (or permanent mother substitute) in which both find satisfaction and enjoyment” This formed the basis of his attachment theory.  The theory basically says that children develop a framework of thinking about their self worth, about others, about their trust in others, and trust in themselves as a result of the child’s ability to have...

Generally speaking, when we dream about being rescued by  historical or mythical heroes  or perhaps more current heroes within our conscious mind (famous movie stars, political figures) it can be a signal from our unconscious mind that our ego is in need of strength or bolstering during some difficult or challenging life events.   In other words, it can mean that our conscious mind is calling out for assistance in accomplishing some task or act, that it cannot achieve unaided or without drawing on the sources of strength that lie outside our immediate reach.  The resources to successfully achieve the task or solve the problem may often lie within self, or it may be that we need to enlist the help of God or others.   The point is that it’s important to...