Let’s take a few minute to test what I like to call “social esteem,” which is basically my fancy way of saying your ability to handle rejection on social media: Test #1: You write what you feel is a brilliant, funny, or poignant post on Facebook or Twitter but it gets absolutely no likes/retweets. How […]

It’s hard for me to pin down the exact reason why I hate shopping. I think it’s a combination of the crowds, the lack of parking, the pushy salespeople, and the need to part with my hard-earned cash. Don’t mistake this for miserliness – I spend more on other people than I do on myself. […]

In last week’s blog, I began a discussion on the many downsides of rumination. It’s that oh-so-fun process of mentally turning a problem inside out and upside down in Cirque du Soleil fashion, with nothing to show for it except a string of sleepless nights, some bags under my eyes, and a wrinkle that wasn’t […]

I am a ruminator. Master level 99. I can take an innocent comment or minor situation and turn it inside out, upside down, take it down the street, around the corner, through the Bermuda Triangle and back. Here’s what happens to excessive ruminators like me: We over-analyze situations so pedantically that we make them a […]

I’ve never quite understood the dynamics of high school, at least not my personal experience. The people who were popular were cruel, two-faced, and hateful, and totally oblivious to the amount of damage that insults and ostracism could do to the self-esteem, the very spirit, of a young, naïve mind. Those, like me, who were […]

For some it’s coffee. For others it’s a vigorous workout. For most of us, however, a morning ritual consists of the simple matter of trying to find a reason to roll out of bed. We all have a higher self, whether you call it your soul, inner being, God, your conscience, consciousness or the universe. […]

It’s a question I often ask of myself. I have the luxury of having at least a few close friends and family members who I can talk to when I am going through a difficult time. I did so just last week – but I also found myself hesitating, my finger hovering over the call […]

Whenever I think of optimists, an image of a group of hippies pops into my head. They’re in a field, wearing flowers in their hair, singing with the birds as butterflies land on their fingertips. They’re airy and carefree, blissfully unaware of the problems going on in the world. Pessimists, on the other hand, dredge […]

Yes, regular readers of my blog know I don’t advocate blame. Parenting style does have a major impact on a child’s development, but you can’t spend the rest of your life blaming your parents for your hang-ups or unhappiness. At some point, you have to take full control of your personal growth. However, I write […]

I never truly grasped the importance of empathy until I used it with people I didn’t like…OK, that I hated. It’s easy to sympathize with a friend. Got dumped? Yup, I know how you feel, my friend. Don’t get along with your parents? I’m with you, buddy. Life stressing you out? Preach. Love picking on […]

In a previous blog, we started looking at the substantial impact that self-esteem has on every aspect of your character – your view of the world, your attitude, your ability to assert yourself, be independent, motivate yourself, and handle your emotions. Here are some additional factors that can be enhanced by working on your self-esteem…or […]

The world has a pulse. When tensions are high, you can feel it. But the pulse I am feeling now is different – it’s not tense, it’s like a humming that keeps getting louder, and I can feel it reverberating all over the world. This pulse is the dawning of an age where women are […]