Living by Personal Values Archives

Acceptance, Body Centeredness, Gratitude and Well-Being, Living by Personal Values, Mindfulness Practice, Practice is Everything, Practice Living by Choice, Self-Efficacy and Self-Mastery, Self-Empowerment

Video: Growth Has Plateaus

The path of personal growth has plateaus, or as I like to think of them, periods of rest. These plateaus, or rest periods, are essential to one’s growth. Many mindfulness studies, and nature itself, support a healthy cycle of growth and rest.…

Acceptance, Authenticity, Transparency, Body Centeredness, Chronic Illness and the Mind, Gratitude and Well-Being, Living by Personal Values, Mindfulness Practice, Practice is Everything, Self-Efficacy and Self-Mastery, Self-Empowerment, Social Support and Contributing Member of a Community

You Can Survive Even the Most Painful Feelings

It is normal to believe that we would not be able to survive a traumatic life event such as the death of our child, our spouse being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, or any number of other tragic and traumatic life events. However, once we develop…

Acceptance, Authenticity, Transparency, Gratitude and Well-Being, In Your Own Hands, Living by Personal Values, Meaning and Purpose in Health, Mindfulness Practice, Practice is Everything, Self-Efficacy and Self-Mastery, Self-Empowerment

Video: Take the Risk of Diving Into Your Fears or Pain

I have often talked about suffering less by accepting and being fully present with pain or other symptoms. But, this seems counterintuitive and risky. A common question is: When I’m really afraid or in a lot of pain, why would I want to experience…

Acceptance, Authenticity, Transparency, Body Centeredness, Gratitude and Well-Being, Living by Personal Values, Mindfulness Practice

Acceptance of Feelings Creates Self-Acceptance

When we learn how to practice coming home to the body, especially when feeling overwhelmed by too much to do, traumatic life events, or by strong emotions, we develop loving self-care, self-compassion, self-empowerment, self-efficacy, self-valuing,…

Video: You Are What You Practice

We are all masters of practice in that we are practicing something in every moment. We commonly practice unhealthy behaviors and behaviors that are not aligned with our personal life values. If we go around all day being self-critical, we will…

Acceptance, Authenticity, Transparency, Gratitude and Well-Being, Living by Personal Values, Meaning and Purpose in Health, Mindfulness Practice, Practice is Everything, Self-Efficacy and Self-Mastery, Self-Empowerment

Video: Meaning and Purpose to Your Life

The terms meaning and purpose often appear together, and I would frame their relationship this way: when we act with purpose, we take actions that are important enough to lend meaning to our lives. Meaningful actions are always in accord with…

Acceptance, Authenticity, Transparency, Gratitude and Well-Being, Living by Personal Values, Meaning and Purpose in Health, Practice is Everything, Self-Efficacy and Self-Mastery, Self-Empowerment

Video: Ships Are Safe In The Harbor But They Are Built To Sail The World

Many of us hold ourselves back from doing things that would enhance our lives because we’re afraid of embarrassment, shame, or failure. On the other hand, some people, especially those with bipolar disorder or borderline personality disorder,…

Acceptance, Authenticity, Transparency, Gratitude and Well-Being, Living by Personal Values, Meaning and Purpose in Health, Practice is Everything, Self-Efficacy and Self-Mastery, Self-Empowerment

Video: The Importance of Being Open and Vulnerable

We are a lot like lobsters. Lobsters have a hard exoskeleton, which they must shed several times in order to grow into a mature lobster. Because of the hard shell, the only way for the lobster to grow up is to shed its exoskeleton each time…

Acceptance, Living by Personal Values, Meaning and Purpose in Health, Practice is Everything, Practice Living by Choice, Self-Efficacy and Self-Mastery, Self-Empowerment

Video: The Wisdom of Coach John Wooden

By all accounts John Wooden was one of the best coaches of any sport in history. One of his most famous players tended to complain a lot. Coach Wooden said the following to him: “Things turn out the best for the people who make the best of…