Reality Check: Choosing Our Perceptions

Posted on March 3, 2024 by RealityCheck

Would your life be different if you could control your emotions? You could decide, “I’m choosing to be happy, confident, optimistic!” Or, “I’m choosing to be angry, anxious, resentful.”
Either way, with this power, you’d have control over how you respond to any situation. Instead of letting an automatic response take over, you choose! Consider, “How do I want to respond?” and then do it. That would be powerful, don’t you think? Continue reading →

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Reality Check: Messages That Matter

Posted on February 25, 2024 by RealityCheck

Have you ever received feedback that you didn’t want to hear? Yet, once you’ve heard it, you realize that even though it’s painful, it’s true.
When someone we love and trust points out that our actions are leading us in an unwise direction, we can choose whether or not to change course. The feedback has been provided; we have the information. What we do with it is up to us. Continue reading →

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Reality Check: The Price of a Mistake

Posted on February 18, 2024 by RealityCheck

How do you make decisions? Perhaps you use a process, such as: start by collecting information, discuss the issue with people you trust, then weigh pros and cons, and finally, based on logic and due diligence, you decide!
If you actually do that, that’s awesome! And I’ll suggest (based solely on anecdotal evidence) that it’s also rare. Continue reading →

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Reality Check: What Comes In; What Goes Out

Posted on February 11, 2024 by RealityCheck

“Garbage in; garbage out” is a phrase I first heard during my early computer programming days. It’s a common-sense idea; if you put poor information into a system, poor results come out. Intuitively, we know it’s true.

This doesn’t just apply to computer systems though, does it? If we think of a person as a “system” with inputs and outputs, what would we see? Continue reading →

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Reality Check: What We Can Learn From Our Decisions

Posted on February 4, 2024 by RealityCheck

While all of us make decisions, some of us approach decision-making with more enthusiasm than others. Some folks love having choices and no matter what they choose, seem to spend nary a second in self-doubt.
Then there are the rest of us; we who struggle with decision-making. We can find downsides to every available choice. How to choose; how to choose? Continue reading →

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Reality Check: Choosing Your Surroundings

Posted on January 28, 2024 by RealityCheck

It’s the dead of winter. Snow is falling, cold winds are blowing; there is ice wherever you want to walk. In the midst of this dull and often non-productive time, an amaryllis bulb that I’ve had for years is starting to bloom.
This blooming doesn’t happen every year. Because I don’t identify myself as a gardener, I don’t take its relatively poor performance personally. And because I have no expectations of the bulb, when it does bloom, I am surprised and amazed. This particular bulb also has some sentimental value for me, which makes the emergence of the occasional bloom even more delightful.
For some people, winter weather brings on the “sads.” Maybe that’s a result of the reduced light. But winter is also a time when it’s easy to let oneself become isolated. It’s uncomfortable or even unsafe to be out and about. Conversations often center around how miserable it is during this cold, dull weather. Continue reading →

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Reality Check: The Next Step, and the Next

Posted on January 21, 2024 by RealityCheck

Alfredo Aliaga Burdio broke a Guinness World Record last year as the oldest man to successfully complete the rim to rim Grand Canyon hike. The hike took him 21 hours over two days. He is 92 years old.
Some of us start the new year with new hopes, dreams and goals. Others see little beyond dread, disappointment, perhaps even disgust. The choices we make about what information we seek out influences how we feel, what we think, and perhaps even what we do. In that light, here are some points about Alfredo’s story that stood out for me.
First was Alfredo’s comment that he didn’t start to live a healthy lifestyle till he was 76 years old. Continue reading →

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Reality Check: Placing the Big Rock First

Posted on January 14, 2024 by RealityCheck

Like many others at this time, I’m taking down the Christmas tree and packing away decorations. Among them are a set of straw ornaments of various shapes; I enjoy them particularly for their non-breakable quality. They go into their matching straw box.
Every year, I puzzle over how to get all those ornaments into that little box. But I’ve done this before and I know that it’s possible. First, put in the big round balls. Then go the oddly-shaped angels. The wreaths follow, and I finish up with the pointy little cones that nestle in the crevices.
Will it work any other way? Nope. Continue reading →

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Reality Check: How Did It Go?

Posted on January 7, 2024 by RealityCheck

It’s common practice to take stock at the end of the year. How did the past year pan out for you? Do you see that you’ve made progress since the year began? Or does it feel like you’re sliding backward, away from the direction you want to go? Was it a boom or a bust?
I suspect that many of us will come up with a mixed review. Some things got better, others worse. Keep in mind that it’s easy to get a skewed perception because we are so influenced by recent events. If we had even a minor setback yesterday, that could overshadow a major positive event of last January. But overall, how did it go? Continue reading →

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Reality Check: Doing the Hard Thing

Posted on January 7, 2024 by RealityCheck

Tis the season! Christmas and New Year’s is a special time of the year. It’s a time of joy and goodwill, when family and friends get together to celebrate, indulge in good food, give gifts and share laughs. Strangers extend greetings; old acquaintances get it touch. Promises of “getting together more often” fill the air. People need relationships and it feels good to connect.
We also know that these days of celebration can be hard; a time when losses feel even sharper than usual. If you are grief-filled or isolated, the perception that everyone else is enjoying warmth and good relationships can present a painful contrast. Continue reading →

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