Resolutions: resolve within

Most people give up on their resolutions by mid March or early April (research shows this).  But why?  Personally, I think it’s because we aren’t resolving anything within ourselves.  

Take me for example.  For years I’ve made New Year’s resolutions that I’ve given up on.  I start the year excited and ready to go but quickly crash and burn.  Where do I start?  How do I get from point A to point B?  I’m confused!  Help!  

Morning Redo

It’s 7am when my alarm wakes me up.  I roll over and pick up my phone to check Instagram to see how many “likes” my post from yesterday gave me.  Not many.  Bummer.  My internal dialogue goes a little something like this.  Why don’t my posts get as many “likes” as other people?  I continue to scroll through Instagram and notice that a friend of mine “liked” a picture from someone this morning yet they hadn’t “liked” my picture that was posted yesterday.  This brings about more internal dialogue.  How come they “liked” that persons photo but not mine?  Did I do something wrong to this person?  Are they mad at me?

My struggles with perfectionism

My struggles with perfectionism

Perfectionism is a shield that we often use to protect ourselves from getting hurt (or so we think).  I learned at a very young age that if I'm as close to perfect as possible I can avoid or minimize judgement and criticism.  I didn't believe that it was safe to be seen for who I really was...a scared little boy.  This is me putting down my shield and allowing myself to be seen.  Imagine a world filled with people putting down their own personal shields and allowing themselves to be seen.  That's a world I want to live in.  So what's your shield?  

How to Deal with Painful Emotional Triggers in Your Relationships

I’ve been looking for a new job, so I recently decided to update my resume.

“Hun, can you please help me with that?”

“Of course, my love.”

“Thanks, babe.”

Not only did my wife help me revamp my resume, she drafted me a killer cover letter as well.

“You’re the best, babe!”

“Happy to help, sweetie.”

I opened the cover letter the other day and found a discrepancy, something that immediately touched my deepest core wound.

How Complaining Keeps Us Stuck in Destructive Relationships

When I was eight years old my father burst into my room in the middle of the night, high on drugs, and threw my dresser drawers all over the place.

“Stop your crying!” he screamed. “Stop your crying!”

There was a crazy man in my room and I was terrified.

“Now clean up this mess!”

I was shaking. What on earth could I have possibly done to deserve this? With a slam of the door he was gone.

The Path to Freedom: Facing Painful Thoughts and Feelings

My thoughts lately have been so hurtful.

Things like: I’m not a good writer. I’m ugly. I’m stupid.

I’m not funny. I can’t carry a meaningful conversation. I’ll never be special.

The world is out to get me. People take advantage of me. I’m boring and don’t matter.

Like I said, hurtful. Crippling, demoralizing thoughts. One not-so-nice thing after another, and it makes me want to cry.

Laundry Complications

I’m having a really tough time right now. It’s my day off and laundry is on my list of things to do. Yet when i went out to put in a load in the washing machine I found someone else’s clothes sitting in there. Wet having gone through a cycle.

Yeah. I live in a apartment complex. Community washer and dryer. Don’t like it. I used to live in a place that had it’s own right in the apartment. Talk about heaven. Why on earth did I ever give that up. But I did. And now i’m here. Onward.

Hair

I’ve got a curly head of hair and I don’t like it. As if that was bad enough it’s red too. Curly red hair. Yuck. As a kid I hated it. So much so that I started shaving it off when I was 10. If I hadn’t I would have stood out like a soar thumb. Didn’t want that. Not a that age. Hair be gone!

Why Am I Really Complaining?

I’m at jury duty and hating every second of it. Where’s the judge? I really want to give her a piece of my mind. Judge? Come out come out where ever you are.

Speaking of which I just had the chance to tell her why serving on this jury is tough for me. Financially that is. Didn’t care. Next! Excuse me? I work on commission and if I’m not at work I don’t have the chance to make money. Hence financial difficulty. “Do you have a savings?” she asked. Yes. “Great so there’s no problem” she said. 

A Mask For Every Occasion

Master manipulator at your service.  Oh.  You don’t need to be manipulated?  Okay.  How about a liar?  I’m a real good liar.  Don’t need one of those either?  Hmm.  I know.  How about a victim?  I can play that role with the best of them.  Wow really?  Not that either.  I thought for sure you’d want a victim.  What do you want?  Excuse me?  You want me to just be me?  Yeah that might be a problem.

It's Ok to Let Go

Have you ever wanted to say goodbye to someone but couldn’t?  Wanted to tell someone that the relationship between the two of you wasn’t quite what you wanted it to be?  Have you ever wanted to end something but you were too afraid to do so?  Afraid of how the other person would respond?  Afraid of hurting someone?  Afraid of the unknown?

How Relationship Issues Lead to Growth (and why it's a daily process)

How Relationship Issues Lead to Growth (and why it's a daily process)

Relationships are tough. Even more difficult is maintaining healthy boundaries within a relationship.

My head hurts and I feel like I’m going to throw up. Let me explain. I’m in a loving, healthy relationship with a beautiful woman, and I’m proud to call her my partner.

Great, so why do I feel like I want to throw up? Well, because last night was a tough night for us, for me, and today I have an emotional hangover.