Tag Archives: perception

Reality Check: The Joy of Mastery

In a talk on mastery, Sal Khan discusses the difficulty inherent in an educational process that pushes people to learn new material before they’ve mastered fundamentals. Mastery of learning is an appropriate topic for Khan. He’s the founder of khanacademy.org, … Continue reading

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Reality Check: The Purpose of Difficulty?

At some point in your life, you will probably go through a difficult patch. Perhaps you perceive that you have had more than your share of difficulties already. Maybe you’ve witnessed someone whose life seems to be filled with one … Continue reading

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Reality Check: Routes to Self-Esteem

Is self-esteem a double-edged sword? Too little self-esteem? You can find yourself living an unsatisfying life with little confidence. You may treat yourself as if you have low value or worth. Others may take your behaviour as a cue, and … Continue reading

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Reality Check: Bears, Breakdowns & Choice Theory

The anecdotes and characters in my columns are usually composite characters and fictionalized situations. However, occasionally, I do write about an actual situation or person (after asking permission, of course.) Such is the case for this column, where the behaviour … Continue reading

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Reality Check: The Shamrock Plant

On a special occasion years ago, my Aunt Kathleen gifted me with a shamrock plant. For years, I’d admired hers. It flourished beautifully and was always in bloom. Now, I had my own! My plant, however, isn’t quite so consistent … Continue reading

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Reality Check: Velcro or Teflon?

According to psychologist Rick Hanson, PhD, knowledge from neuroscience, positive psychology, and contemplative practices can be connected to help people develop greater contentment, resilience to stress, and peace of mind. In “Just One Thing,” (Hanson’s newsletter) he offers practical suggestions … Continue reading

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Reality Check: Choosing Your Restore Point

To counteract some of the computer problems that occasionally occur, there’s a handy little built-in mechanism that enables you to set or choose a “restore point.” Think of it as a way to do some backwards time- travelling. Something’s wrong? … Continue reading

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Reality Check: The Elevator Problem

Regardless of your occupation or your life situation, you will always find some kind of problems. So, the ability to solve problems is a valuable skill to develop. An early step in most problem-solving processes is “define the problem.” Now, … Continue reading

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Reality Check: Going My Way?

Are you stressed? Most of us feel stressed some of the time. Some feel stressed all of the time. One perception of stress is that it’s caused by things outside of us that we can’t control. Whether it’s our jobs, … Continue reading

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Reality Check: Change–Like It or Not, Part 2

According to Rick Maurer, resistance to change occurs on several levels. Last column, I indicated that one level is intellectual—“I don’t understand it.” That resistance can be addressed by providing information and engaging in logical discussions. The second level of … Continue reading

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