Avoiding Your Near Enemy Any good tool, technique, practice, or philosophy, can help you out of suffering and into greater happiness and love. When that tool, technique, practice, or philosophy is taken too far, it…
Browsing CategoryEmotional reactions
Holiday Stress Reducer
The holidays are coming up. For many people that means a joyous time of added stress. What causes stress? A number of things can do it, but basically it comes down to a difference…
What is wrong with me?
“What is wrong with me?”, is a question I get quite often. Honestly,,, nothing. In truth you are fine. There really is nothing wrong with you. That’s my perspective with everyone I talk to….
Two Different Emotional Reactions
Sam had the realization that he was having two very different emotional reactions to the same comment when two different people said it. It made him curious as to why he would react so differently…
Overcoming Resistance
Overcoming Resistance “I can’t see this working he said.” He said it with a tone and inflection both of inquiry, and hopelessness. That’s what resistance will sound like sometimes. “Neither could I when I…
Your Emotions and Personality are Not Fixed
It’s been observed that mindfulness meditation and mindfulness practices actually change areas of the brain. More than once people have been told by professional that their personality is fixed by the time they are 6…
Dealing With Holiday Stress
Holiday Stress It is the best of times. It is the worst of times. It’s that time of year when we have more parties, social gatherings, big meals with family, presents, beautiful music, all celebrated in our…
Power Over Happiness
Dear Gary I have a question, I understand that an agreement can be changed regarding an emotional reaction. But, people do move to California for better weather, or move away from Los Angeles to get…
Daniel kahneman: on Happiness from Memories and Happiness from Experience
Daniel Kahneman complicates and clarifies happiness. One of Daniel’s positions is that much of our happiness about an experience is from our memory of that experience. Daniel address that this memory is subjective as it…
Fear Definition
Fear Definition Some people say FEAR is False Evidence Appearing Real. That’s a nice acronym. It’s catchy. It’s also not true. Calling it False Evidence is saying that fear is an illusion or a lie. …
Dealing With Grief
Hi Gary- I find your insights incredibly rewarding and helpful. I have been looking at your website (and bless you for making so much free btw), and one thing I see missing is anything about…
Understanding Emotions
Where do your emotions come from? Some people are under the assumption that your emotions come from your thoughts. That would be wrong. It is a bit more involved than that. It’s not just what…
Understanding Anger
Why Anger Isn’t Irrational Anger is the natural emotion created in a fight-or-flight situation by the physiology of your mind and body. When you sense a threat your mind generates fear and anger. The fear…
Breaking Emotional Eating Habits
Emotional Eating – Addictions to Food David is working through the issue of his unhealthy food addiction. He often binges on sweets like ice cream, candy bars, and soda pop. This isn’t a matter of…
Changing Your Point of View
Oh what a difference a point of view makes… Dear Gary, I have an experience to share instead of asking a question this time. I was doing the journal exercise and looking at a particularly…
Impeccability of Your Word
With your words you have the power to lift people up and inspire them towards love. You also have the power to put them down. When you believe the words of another you are using…
Secrets of Happiness
Happiness is the emotional experience created by you expressing the emotion of love. In every moment of joy and peace in your life you were creating love and expressing it. Feeling different qualities of happiness…
Faster Personal and Emotional Change
Faster Personal Changes When a person engages in personal and spiritual growth practices they often begin with reading and gathering knowledge. This is a good place to start for background information. However the knowledge approach…
Feeling Trapped
We have cats. By their instinctive nature they chase things. Humans aren’t much different. Once in a while we will take out a pen sized laser pointer and put a red dot on the floor….
Practicing Presence with Your Emotions
I have a lot of respect for the work of Eckhart Tolle. Part of the genius of his best selling book, The Power of Now, is that he keeps it simple. This is extremely helpful…