Author Archives: RealityCheck

Reality Check: Let’s talk failure…

Just when you thought these columns were all about joy, positivity and success, here comes one on failure! I’m grateful to one of my readers for inspiring me to examine failure and how to define it. There’s a practical application … Continue reading

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Reality Check: You’re probably not alone…

“So much paperwork. And it’s all so confusing.” That’s Wanda’s description of her plight right now. She’s entering a stage of life where changes must be made. Many of those changes involve finances. Thus, they involve paperwork, meetings, and decisions. … Continue reading

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Reality Check: Presuming Good Intent

If you’re going to make an assumption about someone, it’s more helpful to assume that they have good intent rather than bad. What do you think of that? Let’s eliminate the situations where the assumption of good intent is obviously … Continue reading

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Reality Check: Unintended Effects

When we interact with people, we have control over how we behave. We can choose our actions, our thoughts, perceptions, and to some degree, even our feelings. What we can’t control is what others do. Smiling at a stranger doesn’t … Continue reading

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Reality Check: Help Yourself? Here are some resources…

Self-help may not be as effective as professional help. But if you can’t, or don’t want to find a suitable professional to help you work through your challenges, then self-help is better than no help at all. Last column, I … Continue reading

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Reality Check: There will always be an Irma

Are there people in your life who bug you? Treat you badly? Is this the story of your life? Sweet little Mary was picked on throughout her first year of school. Her nemesis was Irma, a big girl in a … Continue reading

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Reality Check: Sidestep your Traps

Why do I keep doing that? I should know better by now! That’s the way Sophie beats herself up after conversations with her mother. Why, indeed? The relationship with her mom was never great. Sophie is warm and outgoing, whereas … Continue reading

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Reality Check: An Anxiety Alternative

If we choose to worry, there’s plenty to worry about. Thanks to the mixed blessing of access to information from all over the world, we can worry about things that we have absolutely no control over and that may never … Continue reading

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Reality Check: Blue Day Defenses

Ever had a blue day? No? You can skip this column, then. However, if “blue day” is sadly recognizable for you, read on. Our actions affect our feelings, so if you are feeling down and you don’t like that feeling, … Continue reading

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Reality Check: The Joy of Groundrules

How’s the new job, Sara? It’s ok, but there are an awful lot of rules. There’s a rule for when you come in, when you leave, what you can say to customers, what you do during slow times…There is a … Continue reading

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