Author Archives: RealityCheck

Reality Check: The paradoxical freedom of structure

If you’re like a lot of us, you don’t appreciate it when someone tells you what you should do. Some of us take that distaste for being “told” even further. We’ll keep our options open, even to the point where … Continue reading

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Reality Check: Doing our Best

What does it mean to do our best? As I’m far from perfect, I know that the best that I can do in a given situation isn’t necessarily the best that could be done. If “doing our best” doesn’t mean … Continue reading

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Reality Check: Influencers, Helpers, and Heroes

We may never know the effect of extending a small kindness. In fact, we could perform a genuinely heroic act and never learn the result. We may not even know whether anyone noticed. Being helpful and kind is more satisfying … Continue reading

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Reality Check: The Value of Lobster

The lobster fishery has been a way of life for generations of families along the South Shore. It’s literally put food on lots of tables. As I don’t come from fishing folk, I wasn’t aware of how the perception of … Continue reading

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Reality Check: Going My Way?

Things don’t always go my way. It’s possible that things don’t always go your way, either. Given that’s the reality, how do we deal with it? What responses are effective when we are faced with the inevitable disappointments, perceived unfairnesses, … Continue reading

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Reality Check: The Accountability of Writing it Down

At the beginning of the year, Glasser Canada made an offer to its members. If a member provided a couple of New Year’s resolutions appropriate for display on the Glasser website, they would get 10 bucks off their next purchase. … Continue reading

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Reality Check: We can do it!

What does encouragement look like? Think way back and picture the poster of Rosie the Riveter. That’s one picture of encouragement—Rosie’s determined face under the slogan, “We can do it!” with her sleeves rolled up and her muscles flexed. The … Continue reading

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Reality Check: Choosing your Worry Boundaries

Can we choose to worry? Can we choose not to worry? If you identify yourself as a worrier, then the idea that you could choose not to worry probably sounds unrealistic. So let’s try this different, but related, question: Can … Continue reading

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Reality Check: The Rather Card

Even when you know that what you’re doing isn’t working well for you, it can still be hard to make a change. How about a helpful tip? Here’s one: the “Rather Card.” How does it work? As it was originally … Continue reading

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Reality Check: To be Deliberate

It’s probably the influence of advertising, but the word “mindfulness” for me conjures up the image of a lovely woman in a yoga pose. Waterfalls, peace, and harmony abound. Being mindful—paying attention to the present moment—is a really helpful practice. … Continue reading

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