Dreams have been described as dress rehearsals for real life, opportunities to gratify wishes, and a form of nocturnal therapy. A new theory aims to make sense of it all.
While making mistakes is not an especially pleasurable experience, when people become depressed, it is usually because they mistake difficult chapters for the entire plotline. They also under-value the important lessons that come from harder chapters which, if we read them correctly, can help us move on to happier ones.
The antagonists of our life stories are like the personal trainers who push us beyond our perceived limitations to develop our flabby, underutilized emotional muscles and strengthen our character.
A growing body of research that shows that viewing your life from a psychologically distant vantage point can help you see yourself through kinder, more compassionate eyes.
Comparing yourself to others is always a waste of energy because everyone's history and life path is different. It's far better to compare yourself to yourself and see how you've grown.
Broadly defined, creativity is bringing something new into existence. As human beings, it’s practically our birthright. Every day, we wake up to a blank canvas with a wide range of colors, textures, and shapes at our disposal. From choosing what clothes to wear to preparing breakfast, each tiny decision sculpts our experience of the world.
Human beings are natural storytellers and meaning makers. We have lucky numbers and charmed rabbit’s feet. Our problems may not lie so much in our beliefs that don’t stand up to scientific reasoning, but in our attachments to narratives that don’t serve us or cause us harm.
For years, I had been helping people reclaim the authorship rights of their life stories. But after a series of family deaths, my ideas were put to the test. Could I turn a family tragedy into a story of love and redemption?
As we age, we are often measured by our gains, not our losses, our stability, not our vulnerability. That's why so many people are devastated when the temple of their familiar world is shaken. Yet change doesn't have to be scary. Understanding the three stages of transition can help us navigate life's twists and turns.