You have a burning question. There’s something painful in your life, and you stay awake long into the night looking for an answer. It’s urgent, and the emotion is killing you. Maybe it’s a daughter who uses drugs. Or you’re coping with an illness, stuck with out-of-control anger, or trying to decide whether to drop […]
Class 1: Buy notebook, tighten seat belt, and hold on for life
The Library of Libraries is a book-filled paradise. Its walls carry the testimonies of all humans, those who’ve lived and those who will live…
Behavioral Therapy: why you shouldn’t drive by your ex’s house
When was the last time you did something you regret? Like drive by that old boyfriend’s house just “because.” It starts out innocently enough. There’s that old yearning and a little curiosity, and you hope by God you see him. He’ll have gained weight, have an enormous beer belly, and his hair will be filthy […]
For fiction writers: 4 steps to writing your way out of depression
“I believe that words are strong, that they can overwhelm when what we fear seems more awful than life is good.” –Andrew Solomon, The Noonday Demon Writing as a weapon Depression is an evil companion. It challenges us with a duel to the death but takes away the very weapons we need to fight back: […]
Is happiness a choice? If in doubt, google it.
Jeanne Calment took up fencing at 85, rode a bicycle at 100, starred in a movie at 114, and didn’t quit smoking until 120 years of age…
Find yourself in 2 (little) steps
“Stay strong, make them wonder how you’re still smiling.” (Buzzfeed) How to find the self Here’s a two-step framework to help you…uh, find yourself. Each day, choose one of the options from step one and another from step two. To keep things healthy, try to vary your choices from day to day. Practice, enjoy, and […]
Finding meaning: the creative way
You’re meant to immerse yourself in this “topic” until it surfaces in your dreams, until you subliminally speak its language and bring it up at every conversation, until you understand a world you’ve never understood before…
Journal like your life depends on it
The pen is mightier than the sword, and considerably easier to write with.–Marty Feltman. Mental health providers encourage their patients to keep journals. Sometimes it’s almost obsessive. We journal! Everyone should journal! Write like you’re fighting for your life! But why do we write? I guess it’s because the empty page is a place to […]