Insights & Strategies for a Purposeful Life

A video clip from an advertisement for Becel Heart Healthy Products features two people going up an escalator. The escalator suddenly clunks to an abrupt stop. “Oh, that’s not good,” one says, as the other complains, “I don’t need this. I’m already late!” They shout for help. Their need for rescue

What have you noticed about problems and challenges? polemecatech.com/bad-credit-loans-personal-money-collateral If you are like most people, you encounter problems and challenges on a regular basis, and some of them don't seem to go away. Keeping a positive perspective through these challenges is essential to our mental health and sense of happiness.

You’ve heard the question a hundred times:             “Is the glass half empty or half full?”             If we are operating in noxious negativity mode we see the glass as half empty. It is absolutely true. It is half empty. Of course it is. Any dang fool can see it’s

Success comes in cans, not in can'ts. From a purely psychological perspective, what happens right after we tell ourselves we can’t? The next step after “I can’t” is, “I won't even try. I’m done. Finished. Defeated.” “I can’t” is a toggle switch on the side of our brain that turns

My dad still consults with me on a regular basis and is one of my trusted advisors. He and I share a fear of plumbing. Dad taught me that there are two basic rules of plumbing: Rule number one:   Water runs downhill. Rule number two:   Don’t lick your

Thursday is Thanksgiving in the United States. Grateful guests will bring flowers to express appreciation and brighten the table of their host. Wednesday I will speak at the funeral of a friend. Consoling grievers will bring flowers to comfort the family and beautify the bier. I would rather speak to

What if you were to go to the elementary school to drop off a form at the office? While you are standing at the front desk, a man in a ski mask barges in through the front door brandishing a gun and yelling profanities. Unseen by the gunman, the police

Time management? That is a misnomer. We can't really manage it can we? We can measure it, spend it, and watch it pass, but we can't save it, control it, or manage it. How will we spend it? When we spend our time on the activities that are ultimately most

David and Brenda have scheduled an appointment for some Pathologically Positive coaching. They are trying to save their twenty five year marriage. As is the case with far too many long-term couples, they are on the brink of divorce. There’s no real problem – and that is the problem. Brenda

Perceiving problems as problems is the problem. Positivity is a practical approach to solve every problem.  Pathological Positivity is not ignoring or avoiding reality, but intentionally and doggedly insisting on seeing possibilities in problems and finding or creating constructive tools to handle inevitable challenges. Imagine hearing a big commotion in your front

What is the biggest barrier to success, happiness, great relationships? Anxiety and fear. Try this experiment: – Take in a deep, slow, intentional breath through your nose. – Hold that breath for a moment, allowing yourself to feel the stretch. – Release slowly, through the mouth. – Repeat two or

Following the devastating events at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown Connecticut, a number of friends, clients, even strangers, approach me wondering how to deal with this tragedy. The conversations focus initially on the Sandy Hook tragedy itself, then generally expand to address the question of how to deal with tragedy

When you turn on a flashlight, you see a little spot of light projected wherever you point the device. Have you ever seen a flashdark? This is a device that projects a little spot of dark wherever you point it. Not! Similarly, what happens when you open a dark closet

What is the biggest barrier to happiness, success, prosperity? Fear and worry. Fear gets in our way more than anything else I know. When we feel fear, we have a natural avoidance response. It is built in – automatic. Avoidance brings with it short term relief, but in the long run makes

Is there a program or process that propels us predictably to unprecedented personal power, productivity, and profit? Yes. Pathological Positivity. Our planet is plagued with a pandemic of poisonous pessimism. The popular perception of painful or perturbing problems is pathogenically paralyzing. Pathological Positivity programs and positions us to perceive positive possibilities in problems. It

Questions are power tools of change. Power tools work best when plugged in and turned on. Sometimes the questions we ask are not really questions.  My friend and creative editor, Tom Cantrell, called me on this recently when he asked, “Was that a question, or a statement disguised as a question?” Here's a

The motivational master, Earl Nightingale promoted Pathological Positivity when he suggested that we learn to habitually respond to even devastating circumstances by saying “that’s good” – then engage our marvelous minds to discover or create what’s good about it.  As a psychologist, I see the power in this strategy.  Our

Walt Disney was one of the most imaginative and visionary creators of our time.  After the enormous success of Disneyland in California, Walt envisioned another park on the East Coast to compliment the one in California.  Walt Disney passed away from lung cancer in 1966, almost 6 years prior to

During a morning run this week I came across this sign for a golf course.  I quickly identified the golf bag and clubs on the right and the red rock outcropping on the left, but I couldn't quite make out what that white item was attached to the cliff –