Blog

One of the arguments against taking medication is, patients might become dependent on it as their sole source of healing.  To the point that those medications may divert them from seeking out other solutions.  Interestingly, my experience was the opposite. When my gastroenterologist first prescribed medication for my chronic stomach pain, he reminded me that the pharmacological path wasn’t a panacea, but it was a good place to start. …

The beautiful thing about trees is, they trust without question that their leaves will regrow.  That’s why they gently let them go when the season comes to an end. Their faith in the wind, the soil, the roots, the sun, the rains, and of course, the passage of time, is what allows future blossoms to come.  Human beings could learn a thing or two from the trees. Because for…

A boundary is any limit that promotes integrity.  It’s an indicator of what we decide is acceptable and what is not, and what allows us to make meaning in accordance with our cherished life values.  The secret is knowing that there are two types. Internal and external.  The former are physical boundaries that we set. They allow us to monitor and regulate the quantity and quality of other people’s…

Maisel’s provocative book about living the musician’s life dedicates an entire chapter to performance anxiety.  But not the kind where we get paralyzed by stage fright five minutes before curtain. Rather, it’s about the tendency to turn virtually any offstage situation or interaction into a performance, just by inadvertently labeling it as such.  From a psychological perspective, here’s how this process works, according to the doctor’s research.  Artists possess…

It can be difficult to see past the downpour of negative thoughts in the world.  Especially when our egos tell us to hold onto the protection of cynicism, claiming we are entitled to feel so negative.  But if we truly want to give ourselves the opportunity to experience serenity, we must replace negative thoughts with affirmative actions. We must sidestep negative energy rather than empowering it.  Here are a…

My dad once told me that reason you don’t sweat the small stuff in is not because it’s all small stuff, but because the longer you’re around, the more big stuff there is, and you need to conserve your energy.  It’s a sobering reminder that the way we talk about big stuff is as important as the stuff itself. Because issues like sexuality, money, politics, faith, addiction, death, fear,…

For those of us who are extroverts, artists, expressers, showmen and entertainers, breaking free of the constant pressure to perform can be difficult.  Because in many cases, our love and need for the stage is attached to a number of profound fears. Reflecting on my own personality and experience as a performer, here are a few that come to mind. See if any apply to you.  We fear that if…

One of my guilty pleasures is watching excuse theater.  It’s when people get super creative with and highly energized by their justifications for not doing things.  Like when they deliver a bullet point list of the unforeseen circumstances outside of their control that caused them to miss the deadline. Or when they dig deep into their robust repertoire of qualified rejections in response to your simple, direct invitation. Or…

Somewhere around my eight book, I had a humbling but profound realization.  Most people will never, ever hear about this product. The few who do, won’t read it. The few who read it, won’t notice its flaws. The few who do, won’t care. The few who do care, won’t say anything. And the few who do say something, are probably assholes.  So why am I killing myself?  The final…

The phrase, to come into your own, means to reach a stage of development or maturity where you achieve strength and confidence and social acceptance.  It’s when people finally recognize you as independent and capable, usually after much effort and time.  Notice the last part. After much effort and time.  Meaning, for those who wish to speed up the maturing process, you’re out of luck. Because you cannot rush…