Author Archives: RealityCheck

Reality Check: Does Time Fly?

Posted on July 16, 2023 by RealityCheck

Wow! It’s mid-summer already! How did that happen? It seems like just a few minutes ago, we were scraping snow off the walkways. Time goes so quickly, day after day, week upon week, with whole months, even years, flying by. … Continue reading →

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Reality Check: Which List Do You Keep?

Posted on July 9, 2023 by RealityCheck

As you’d expect from a person who writes lessons on happiness, Dr. Gad Saad looks like a pleasant man who has a positive attitude. It makes sense; I’m sure neither you nor I would be enthusiastic about buying books or … Continue reading →

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Reality Check: Unplanned Events That Change Our Lives

Posted on July 2, 2023 by RealityCheck

In my research on happiness, I came across a soon-to-be-released book titled “The Saad Truth About Happiness.” It’s by Gad Saad, professor of marketing at Concordia University in Montreal. Saad’s happiness suggestions are clear and practical; I’ll write about them … Continue reading →

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Reality Check: Looking for Light in the Tunnel

Posted on June 25, 2023 by RealityCheck

A while back, an intriguing message landed in my Inbox. It began: “The world is increasingly designed to depress us. Happiness isn’t very good for the economy…” My skeptical nature kicked in. Is that true? I wondered. It didn’t take … Continue reading →

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Reality Check: Having Trouble Getting Started?

Posted on June 18, 2023 by RealityCheck

Wait, delay, and put it off. For some people, procrastination is practically an identity, as in, “I’ve always been a procrastinator and that’s just who I am.” This is fine, until it’s not. Putting off can ultimately result in poor … Continue reading →

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Reality Check: When We Make A Change

Posted on June 11, 2023 by RealityCheck

The scenario outlined in my recent column on people-pleasing prompted comments from readers who agree—in that situation, it would be helpful if the people-pleaser made some changes. When we’re in a relationship where one person attempts to control the other, … Continue reading →

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Reality Check: Are You Afraid That You’re Missing Out?

Posted on June 4, 2023 by RealityCheck

The phrase “fear of missing out” is so well-known that it has its own acronym: FOMO. Don’t fret if you hadn’t heard that before. You didn’t miss out on anything. Not really. However, if you’re a person who hates to … Continue reading →

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Reality Check: What We Want and What We Control

Posted on May 28, 2023 by RealityCheck

One of the structured processes used in Reality Therapy is known as WDEP, where the W stands for Wants. That is, the first step in the process is—Figure out what you want! You’d think that would be simple, wouldn’t you? … Continue reading →

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Reality Check: Have To? Or Get To?

Posted on May 21, 2023 by RealityCheck

The language we use makes a difference. We know that a poor choice of words can strain or even destroy a relationship. Likewise, an inspiring choice of words, especially when delivered in a stirring manner, can motivate people to try … Continue reading →

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Reality Check: Ups and Downs of People Pleasing

Posted on May 14, 2023 by RealityCheck

Jo is upset. She would like to please her friend Maggie but if she does, she’ll end up unhappy with herself. Maggie is insisting that Jo spend essentially all of her free time with her. We all know that no … Continue reading →

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