Author Archives: RealityCheck

Reality Check: The Things That Are Working

As the grey days of winter set in, spirits can turn grey too. Winter is coming; will it be a hard one or an easy one? Predictions aren’t perfect, but it’s safe to say it’ll get colder and there will … Continue reading

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Reality Check: Can Good Come From Setbacks?

“How’s it going?” Has anyone asked you that recently? If so, how do you respond? Often we say, “Fine,” regardless of what’s happening. It is a practical answer, especially if we believe that the person asking isn’t really interested in … Continue reading

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Reality Check: Stocking the Toolkit

If you wanted to equip a young person with the tools they need to have a satisfying life, what would you choose? My long-standing answer contains only three items: we need to be able to read, to write, and to … Continue reading

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Reality Check: Sticking to the Plan

When I recently reviewed my to-do list, I was pleasantly surprised to see that I had accomplished more than I had realized! Perceptions are funny. Lots of factors contribute to how we perceive whether we are making progress. Brand new … Continue reading

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Reality Check: Fishing for Choices

A story about halibut fishing in Alaska recently caught my attention. Now, I’m not generally interested in halibut fishing, and although Alaska is undoubtedly lovely, it doesn’t hold any special appeal for me. What intrigued me was that the story … Continue reading

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Reality Check: The Satisfaction of Being Useful

Dr. Glasser’s book, “Take Charge of Your Life” is subtitled, “How to get what you need with choice theory psychology.” In it, we are encouraged to make our choices deliberately and to evaluate the results. We have to make choices … Continue reading

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Reality Check: Trust and Betrayal

“What can you do when you believe that your trust has been betrayed?” That question was posed to me recently, and even if you’ve never had a “betrayal experience,” it could still be worthwhile to put some thought into it. … Continue reading

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Reality Check: If the cat would only change

Have you ever heard yourself saying, “If only [fill in whatever name you like here] would behave more sensibly. If only they’d pay attention. If only they were more responsible. You know, if only they would act like we want … Continue reading

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Reality Check: The Seeds of Goodwill

One day a few months back, a person I consider to be something of a mentor for me was taken ill. We are not closely connected, but I respect his work and consider him a trustworthy advisor. So I sent … Continue reading

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Reality Check: To Speak or To Hold Your Peace

Do you ever have moments in conversation when you wonder, “Should I speak up? Or is it better to bite my tongue?” In some cases, it can seem like we don’t even have a choice. Let’s say someone has said … Continue reading

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