On June 18th we celebrate Father’s Day. Unfortunately for many, it is a day when painful memories of childhood abuse resurface. Years ago, in a US prison for men, the inmates were given a choice of three cards: a Mother’s Day card; a Father’s Day card and a blank card. 85% of the inmates choose…
The definition of love is probably as varied as the number of people you ask. However, there was one common thread among the hundreds of couples that came for counseling: their love was measured by the intensity and frequency of their sexual relationship. That is what I would call erotic love. The word erotic derives from the…
For Charlie Brown, Valentines was a stressful time. His mailbox would remain empty without any Valentine cards. The pain of his loneliness and rejection would drive him to Lucy, his trusted psychiatrist, who, for 5 cents, would provide the necessary therapy. Charlie Brown isn’t the only one in our world who deals with loneliness and…
Have you heard about the “48 Hour Challenge?” The headlines stirred memories of a similar challenge that was popular when my wife and I were teenagers. That challenge involved fasting for a couple of days and donating the money saved toward famine relief in a particular country. However, as I read the article, I soon…
Life with Sergeant Major Clock The plan? Conclude our series with an outline of the essential steps in planning. As someone has said, “If we fail to plan, we plan to fail.” First, let me highlight the essence of the last article. 1) We trade time for the things we value most. There are three time filters…
Life with Sergeant Major Clock The clock keeps ticking and here we are in April. It’s time to take a further look at how we manage time. Last month we looked at nine myths that surround our use of time: Activity equals results; Delayed decisions improve their quality; Delegation saves time; Efficient people are most…
Life with Sergeant Major Clock We have all said or heard people say, “I don’t have the time.” Time becomes this abstract villain that robs us of time with loved ones, the enjoyment of our hobbies, the fulfillment of our dreams and the ability to achieve excellence in our work. Is “time” really the problem?…
I love dark chocolate; I love natural black licorice; I love baked salmon; and I love my wife. Oh yes, and I almost forgot: I love hockey, I love football, and I love skiing. Obviously, there is a hierarchy of value in the list that I have given. Nothing in that list comes close to…
Brain neurologists tell us that if “NO” is repeated emphatically 5-7 times, the signal sent from the anterior cingulate to the frontal lobes of the brain, greatly diminishes creativity and logic. HORRORS! Just think of all the creativity that I have inhibited. Now before we get too far down the guilt path, let’s stop and…
Back in 1954 the US and Canada agreed to a project called the DEW line. This was a series of radar installations along the 69th parallel that would give advance notice of a Soviet strike on North America. Fortunately, the system was not put to the test. Human relationships are not impervious to ballistic missile…