Living a number of years does not make one wise. It does expose you to many things that are a part of your memories and your experience. Do we learn from them, improve, and keep from continuing to make the same mistakes? As I listen to my clients I see a uniqueness to their problem…
I have been writing posts that come from my long career as a consultant and counselor. Living for a few decades does not make one a source of wisdom, merely a person who has seen a lot and has views to share. You may notice (If anyone is reading) that I do not discuss current…
Once we are born, the role of competition enters our life. Everything in life is competitive. All living things compete for what they need to survive. This is not always intense, life or death, but just part of growing into our place on the planet. We seldom frame most discussions as competition but when we…
I have been asked this question many times by supervisors, union leaders, doctors, lawyers, family member and friends. Unfortunately the numbers have not changed in my 40 years in the helping business.(Yes it is a special kind of business) The short answer is approximately 30-40% of the work population have problems or issues that fit…
While giving no credit for the quote or statement, “time is the most precious commodity that we have available to us”. As a young man, I took little notice of time, wasting it, losing track of it or just ignoring it. As a older man, with no assurance of how much I have left, i…
Many people talk about their “state of mind”, where we are, how we feel. People who talk to a counselor for the first time may discuss being overwhelmed, confused or just plain stressed out. Such feelings are normal to the counselor but not to the individual who is wrestling with conflicting emotions. Unlike a cold…
I have lived my whole life in Michigan. I know what winters are like so experience should have acclimated me to the cold gray days. Many people talk about seasonal effective disorder. The best counselor that I worked with whined about it many times during our times in Midland, Michigan. I always admonished her that…
As another calendar year turns over, many people consider it a fresh start, leaving behind the past year and its problems or bad memories. The conversation about making resolutions to change or become the better you, can come up. As a seasoned veteran of change for myself and the people I get to work with, our…
On a personal note, I wanted to offer a wish for happy holidays to anyone who visits my site. I do enjoy this time of year, with many memories of beloved family and friends who are no longer at the table or around the tree. Having my daughter, her husband and a 4 year old…
Relationships: How to negotiate the best working deal possible. At a certain point in relationships there will be conflict or disagreements. As we get to know the other person, moving past whatever attracted us to them, we will argue and differ. In any marriage or partnership, the principles who agree to a contract and its…