Posts Tagged "human condition"

Just went though a course on Crucial Conversations by Patterson, and Grenny, I highly recommend.  Should be required reading for all married couples. Anytime you find yourself stuck, there are crucial conversations keeping you there.  We must identify the crucial conversations we are not holding or not holding well, figure out where we are going wrong and fix it.  When we fail at having effective, open conversations it can effect our personal life, our career, our relationships, and our health. We have three options:  Avoid having them, face them and handle them poorly, or face them and handle them well. Avoiding the conversation will not bring the results we want to have.  It only postpones greater anxiety and conflict. For additional help contact me at...

Science has everything to say about what is possible. Science has nothing to say about what is permissible. – Charles Krauthammer President Obama wants science to determine the perilous path forward for stem cell research.  I thought CK’s comment was particularly poignant.  Please take a moment and read his insightful article.  Science can provide many of the facts and perhaps document evidence.  However, decisions for protecting life of the unborn needs to be made prayerfully and in light of scriptures, not just the biology...

Living under these rules can also lead to a chronic sense of failure, indecision, shame, and increased criticism of others.  The perfectionist is rarely satisfied with their performance.  By setting unrealistic standards the perfectionist develops a harsh self critical attitude which contributes to a low self esteem and fear of negative social evaluation (others will not accept me or like me).  They tend to overgeneralize, feel out of control which spirals down to a sense of helplessness. Therapy includes helping the perfectionist reframe negative self-talk and “rules” that have been established about perfection (I must be perfect, You must be perfect). It can also be helpful to understand how and why these rules were put into place to begin with. ...

Maybe it’s your trip to the local Dairy Queen in your area, Baskin Robbins, or Ben and Jerry’s, but in Philadelphia and surrounding areas, the first day of spring is celebrated by long lines at Rita’s Italian Water Ice.  For those of you from the hinterlands of the south and west, Rita’s Water ice resembles micronized, fruit flavored, shaved (snow cones for those of you in Tennessee and Georgia) in a cup, with a spoon provided at no charge. It’s funny, but I’ve never really adapted to these cold long winters of Philly. Today was the first day of spring, it’s cloudy,  41 degrees and not a green leaf in sight.  Yet, the Philadelphia faithful stood in long lines today at Rita’s to welcome the hopeful arrival of...

Ok, add this one to your believe it or not column.  Today in the flaming liberal Philadelphia Enquirer a headline in the local section got my attention.  At first I thought it was a joke.  Unfortunately, it is true.  Local volunteers are being actively recruited to save toads crossing the road from getting squished by of all things…cars, you know, traffic going to and from work, you know,  so we can all make more money and send more taxes to our wonderful overseer in DC. As the story goes, in late March and early April hundreds, perhaps thousands, of toads leave the forest in search of water where females can lay eggs.  The toads who live in the woods at the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education must cross the street to reach the water.  And...