Walking . Thinking . Learning

 
From B. DeRoes page on test anxiety from Edmund Bourne’s “The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook” I found these Socratic tips on countering negative self talk:

What is the evidence for this?
Is this always true?
Has this been true in the past?
What are the odds of this really happening (or being true?)
What is the very worst that could [...]

 
When I started this blog, I wanted it to be brutally honest and deeply personal. It is hard to do that when I am really upset and things look really bleak in my life. I know that to really help others however I need to share the tough times as well as the good.
I often panic when I have [...]

Today as I took my 5 mile walk I had to clear allot of fallen branches along the path as we have had a lot of heavy winds in the last couple of days. It reminded me that this journal hopefully performs the same purpose in some way. I hope that in relating my own experiences [...]

I have not always been grateful for my mother and when she died we were not on the best of terms.  Recently my perspective has been changing somewhat as I have been helping a friend whose children keep pushing her away saying they aren’t responsible for taking care of her now that she is getting older and weaker. It [...]

Just a note. When you think your life is hard, take a moment to think what it is like in poorer countries: See this comparison of what families around the world eat in one week. You might feel differently after seeing this.
I am grateful for the roof over my head, for the friends and family in my life, [...]

Every day my walks help me to keep my head screwed on straight. I am grateful that I finally decided to get off my ass and start taking care of my mind, my body and my soul. With every step on my walk, I try to remain in an attitude of gratitude. I am a [...]

 
My Depression preceded the Worldwide Economic Crisis of 2008 by a few months and for that I am grateful. I don’t think I could have taken the entire planet writhing in pain at the same time that I was. It would have made “my world” even darker.
It is interesting to compare my own crisis with [...]

I went for a walk the other day with a very good friend. Everything was going well until we stepped out the front door. All of a sudden everything went sour. Whatever was going on in the street that was bad, he drew right into us. A person whistling to get someone else’s attention really seemed [...]

Recently a friend of mine has been struggling with unemployment after his company lost its biggest customer and he was forced to go to work for someone else. I have been helping him with his resume and with setting up an email account. One day as he was leaving the house he was telling me about the temporary job that he [...]

Recently one of my blog members, Paul/Pacmac stated:
I have come to believe that just thinking or focusing on what is good or beautiful is no different than focusing on what is bad or ugly.
That is fine, but how is one to keep oneself out of depression with that frame of mind? If we follow that line [...]