Author Archives: RealityCheck

Reality Check: Building Emotional Resources

Posted on April 5, 2015 by RealityCheck

What comes to mind when you think of resources? There are natural resources—forests, fresh water, and minerals. There are financial resources—money in the bank and those toonies in your pocket. Companies refer to human resources—employees with skills and knowledge who … Continue reading →

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Reality Check: A Sustainable Relationship

Posted on March 29, 2015 by RealityCheck

Sustainability. It’s a popular word now, and its relevance is not limited to trees and trash. Thinking about sustainability implies thinking long term. For example, consider a sustainably-harvested woodlot. What do you see? Some trees ready for harvest, some left … Continue reading →

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Reality Check: Do I want to be excused?

Posted on March 22, 2015 by RealityCheck

May I be excused? A more effective question is, “Do I want to be excused?” Taking it one step further, “Do I want to make excuses for myself?” What is the purpose of an excuse? It provides a way of … Continue reading →

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Reality Check: Adversity: Can Thinking Help?

Posted on March 15, 2015 by RealityCheck

Nothing’s really bad or good, but thinking makes it so. Did Shakespeare get it right? Sooner or later, most of us face adversity. For some types of adversity, we have control over whether the result is a huge disruption or … Continue reading →

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Reality Check: Their Good News

Posted on March 8, 2015 by RealityCheck

How do you respond when someone tells you their good news? In his book Flourish, Martin Seligman describes four ways of responding, and suggests that only one of those ways is helpful for relationship building. Let’s look at an example. … Continue reading →

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Reality Check: When Positive Thinking Meets External Control

Posted on March 1, 2015 by RealityCheck

Last post, I suggested that positive thinking can be helpful, but with a caveat—to be effective, it needs to be paired with positive action. So, if positive thinking is good, then shouldn’t everybody get on board? You know, “Turn that … Continue reading →

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Reality Check: The Ups and Downs of Positive Thinking

Posted on February 22, 2015 by RealityCheck

Do you “think positively?” Do you believe that it’s important and helpful to do so? One of the appealing aspects of choice theory for me is its positive message and optimistic view of human possibility. By recognizing what we can … Continue reading →

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Reality Check: Power and Embarrassment

Posted on February 15, 2015 by RealityCheck

Fear of embarrassment is powerful. Some folks will do almost anything to avoid feeling embarrassed. Why? According to choice theory, among the basic needs that we all share is a need for power; that is, to be respected and valued. … Continue reading →

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Reality Check: The Value of Compassion

Posted on February 8, 2015 by RealityCheck

What does it mean to be compassionate? What differentiates a compassionate person from others? Elsie values compassion; in her mind, it is simply the right way to be. She easily finds ways to treat strangers compassionately by giving of her … Continue reading →

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Reality Check: The Value of Perspective

Posted on February 1, 2015 by RealityCheck

Madison is afraid. As she understands it, polar bears are drowning, cities are flooding, our food is killing us, and artificially-intelligent appliances will become our masters. The world can be a frightening place, especially for a young person. Of course, … Continue reading →

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