Self-Improvement

The holiday season is a time for good cheer and merriment! Or is it? For many, the mention of Hanukkah, Christmas, or New Year’s brings as many winces as it does smiles. The fact is, the holiday season can be as much of a burden as it is a celebration;…

What if you had within you to have all the joy, love, happiness that you want in your life? Sure you think that’s impossible. Society has taught us to look at external sources for our sense of joy, belonging, acceptance, and self-worth. Aren’t we worth while human beings just because…

Hmmm, you say? So you are thinking to yourself ‘if I’m not happy it’s my fault. There is something wrong with me, I’m doing something wrong.’ Let’s get something straight right away, there is no blame here! Absolutely none, no room for the blame game in the game of life!…

Like a great many people, I struggle just to complete daily tasks, such as cleaning my bathroom, or installing a light fixture, without incorporating an accompanying distraction. I have read about Zen Masters who encourage their charges to focus solely on the task at hand, without distraction, giving themselves to…

What’s it look like to make a change in your life, one of significance? How does the process unfold? Think back over some of the accomplishments in your life as well as some of the failures. What was it that made the difference between success and failure? What if there…

Everywhere I go I find that a poet has been there before me. – Sigmund Freud Freudian Ideas and the Test of Time If anyone has increased our consciousness about the mind it is Sigmund Freud. He is synonymous with the exploration of the psyche and undoubtedly was one of…

TODAY IS THE BEST DAY OF THE REST OF MY LIFE! What do you think about that? Declaring your day? Owning it. How does it feel? Way deep down in your gut, how does it really feel? I have a feeling I know what is going on in your head…

Let it Be As humans, many of us like to be in control. We find comfort in knowing what to expect and being able to structure our thoughts and reactions. Rarely are we ever truly in control, however. Learning to accept life as it comes and letting go of control…

… the reality isn’t so much about a diagnosable condition as it is about the thoughts I am thinking, words I am speaking, behaviors I am exhibiting … “ Be Careful with Your Thoughts Have you ever had a friend or family member who seemed to really live a life…

Writings on Mindfulness With K. Neal Hughes, M.A. LSPE NCC The buzzword in neuroscience has been “neuroplasticity” for about 40 years. This simply means that the brain is able to change itself. That brain functions can change with new information and practice, especially practice, is no longer simply an interesting…

Writings on Mindfulness With K. Neal Hughes, M.A. LSPE NCC Our pasts haunt us, especially those of us who tend to experience depression. It is the nature of the brain to remember. It is also the nature of the brain to predict so there are those of us just as…

Finding Strength in Your True Self What do you think when you hear the word, “empowerment?” Some may picture a domestic violence victim leaving an abusive relationship and entering a shelter, others may visualize a young child standing up to a school bully and yet others may simply see a…