Skill-building to overcome limits and build up your resolve When I resolved to change and become something other than an ex-academic who didn’t thrive in academia, I had to find another job. (This was twenty years ago when college teaching for me became an embarrassment: I suffered from too much…

Use anonymity to your advantage “Individuals with increased inferiority feelings have a higher tendency toward self-concealment, which in turn results in an increase in loneliness and a decrease in happiness.” Here is a provocative quote that inspires a sense of familiarity and tempts me to spill the beans. Do essay…

Concepts to help reduce the difference between ideals and reality Success seems a common goal, but chances are it has eluded you more than once. I have pulled together several phrases and tactics that might convince you that success need not evade you forever. I have had numerous small-scale successes…

The Role of discipline and confidence in moving ahead — For me, self-respect has become a vital issue because I lost it in my younger days. I lost it due to some wrong moves. The worst was thinking that a career as a college teacher would be a good fit for me. It didn’t work out. Now I am interested…

A Seasonal Exploration of Generosity, Well-being, and Human Connection — Since it is the holiday season, a time for gift-giving and generosity, it is the right time to take up the topic of acts of kindness. Recent research in psychology demonstrates that recipients appreciate these acts more than they have realized. And for the provider of these acts of goodwill…

Six ways to banish the inner critic, rebuild your self-confidence, and enjoy your life — Self-consciousness was once my constant companion, granting boundless hours of contemplation and self-reflection. Following this lead, I stumbled upon numerous insights, one revealing the inner critic masquerading as self-consciousness. These insights not only led to the discovery of early traumas and difficulties in my upbringing but also pointed out solutions…

The lessons of striving from personal experience and trial and error — The psychologist Salvator Maddi argues that two versions of success depend on the difference of the postulated force. If the force is the tendency to express an ever-greater degree of the capabilities, potentialities, or talents based on one’s genetic constitution, then you are dealing with the ACTUALIZATION MODEL In the…

Three strategies for reducing tensions in common endeavors In recent struggles with old habits and dependencies, face-offs make their appearance. I have coined this term for decisions that reflect a conflict between two opposing forces. Or more. These might be between temptation in the face of food or drink vs…

Pitfalls of aging and their accommodations I don’t want to whine about growing older, but some hassles are frustrating; regrettably, they remind you the time is running out. I see these missteps more as hiccups than initial stages of Alzheimer’s. I hope. Pitfalls Some of these pitfalls can happen to anyone…