Tag Archives: choosing actions

Reality Check: The Value of Delayed Gratification

Would you stop drinking all sugary drinks for a year for $500? That’s the offer that one family made to their children. You could view that as bribery. Or, you could view it as an innovative teaching method. Regardless, one … Continue reading

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Reality Check: Recalculating

Year end is a fine time to think about the big questions of life, such as: Where do I want to go? How will I get there? If you’re familiar with a certain brand of GPS (I call mine Martha) … Continue reading

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Reality Check: Comfort, Joy, and Food

There’s a reason why some foods are called “comfort food.” Like fuzzy socks or fleecy blankets, some foods evoke feelings of being safe, cared for, and satisfied. Whether your comfort food of choice is homemade bread, stew, or chicken pot … Continue reading

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Reality Check: The Satisfaction of Small Steps

Ups and downs are a part of life. When life goes well, activities tend to fall in to place; you know what you need and want to do. It’s during those down times that it can be difficult to figure … Continue reading

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Reality Check: What does respect look like?

Communication is interesting. We come up with ideas—essentially pictures in our minds—that we want to communicate. Then we use words to share those ideas. We tend to assume that everybody understands words the same way. Take the word “respect.” My … Continue reading

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Reality Check: More Choice Language

The language we use can both reflect and shape our attitudes. While “choice language” usually refers to something a little spicier, in this column, choice language refers to words and phrases that reflect our choices and our areas of control. … Continue reading

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Reality Check: Love is a Verb

How we use our words can shape our thoughts and attitudes. Love is many-splendored indeed, and we use the word “love” in many ways. Anna says, “I’m not in love with my husband anymore. We used to be in love, … Continue reading

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Reality Check: Entertaining Options

Are there actions in your life that you do mindlessly? For example, when you sit down to watch TV, do you choose the program? Or do you sit in front of whatever happens to be on, perhaps complaining (verbally or … Continue reading

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Reality Check: Strings Attached

The book, Choice Theory, by Dr. William Glasser is subtitled, “A New Psychology of Personal Freedom.” Glasser points out that the world is full of folks trying to control each other. These controlling behaviours cause plenty of misery—certainly for the … Continue reading

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Reality Check: Situational Confidence

Do you believe that having self-confidence is important, satisfying, and helpful? My next question: “Are you a self-confident person?” There are many competent, skilled, accomplished people who lack self-confidence, and they know it’s an unsatisfying state. You might think that … Continue reading

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