Developing Humility and Awareness to Recognize Your Greatest Challenges

Developing Humility and Awareness to Recognize Your Greatest Challenges - ATH Blog

When you accept what you’re feeling and learn to identify your feelings (rather than rejecting or ignoring them), they can actually become guideposts to show you what you need. Today, let’s talk more about how developing a sense of humility and an awareness of your negative feelings can help you expand your quality of life. Look closely at your inner life, primarily focusing on where you have repeated suffering. Is it easy or hard for you to identify your emotional state? Do your best to identify it without judgment. Read More . . .

How to Develop Self-Caring & Wisdom When Dealing With Fear

How to Develop Self-Caring & Wisdom When Dealing With Fear - ATH Blog

“Would you try to feel worse than you already do?” I ask this (seemingly) absurd question whenever a friend, a client, or even I am experiencing and feeling deep suffering. I ask them this question to help them understand their current attitude about their suffering — and that there’s potential for them to learn and emphasize a friendlier, more self-compassionate dialogue with their negative feelings. Read More . . .

When Our Greatest Strength is Also Our Greatest Weakness

When Our Greatest Strength is Also Our Greatest Weakness - ATH Blog

Most of us have an area of our life that we give a dominant part of our energy where we might be most gifted. We could dominantly like to interact with people, devote ourselves to our work, or do something centering on the arts, nature, academics, family, pleasure, success, fitness, beauty, or being likable and unique. But sharing so much energy with this part of our life can lead to an imbalance.” Read More . . .

How to Gracefully Ask For Help in Times of Need

How to Gracefully Ask For Help in Times of Need - ATH Blog

Almost half the people I’ve met in my life, whether as a therapist, family, or friend, have great difficulty asking for help. You might be similar to them when it comes to seeking help, or you may be good at asking for help when you need it. Still, I would venture that there are certain areas in your life where it’s harder for you to recognize that you need help and ask for it. Fear of rejection, distrust, a false self-image of self-sufficiency, and inadequacy are some reasons we shy away from asking for help.  Read More . . .

How Facing Mortality Can Be A Source of Inspiration

How Facing Mortality Can Be A Source of Inspiration - ATH Blog

It seems like an incredible opportunity lost to not include education about death and mortality from our early childhood. It is clear that curiosity about this naturally arises for most of us when we’re between the ages of 4-8.  Innocent questions about death from kids at that age can be met initially in many ways — in addition to the standard pat religious answers we often offer.  Yes, we could say that in death, people go to heaven or to God or whatever we believe.  Read More . . .

The Immense Benefits of Following the Adage: “No Performance, No Pressure”

The Immense Benefits of Following the Adage 'No Performance, No Pressure' - ATH Blog

There is immense value in learning how to respond to life situations where you are natural when you don’t have to perform. This requires being in touch with what you feel and also being open to seeing your experience with acceptance and clarity. This is not something you can learn in a day or short time as, unfortunately, in our world, we haven’t been taught to just be open even toward ourselves as to what we feel, let alone be able to accept whatever it is. Read More . . .

Embracing Not-Knowing Is a Key Element of a Meaningful Life

Embracing Not-Knowing Is a Key Element of a Meaningful Life - ATH Blog

In our culture, it’s significantly more desirable and respectable to know vs. not know about something. Our society has continually supported the importance of knowing what we’re talking about — there’s little room for uncertainty and not-knowing. As we explore this prejudice, it will become more obvious that the more we stay on the superficial life issues, the easier it is to remain in a knowing state. Read More . . .

How Overcoming Our Excessive Need for Private Awareness Can Help Us Take Care of Ourselves 

How Overcoming Our Excessive Need for Private Awareness Can Help Us Take Care of Ourselves - ATH Blog

Take a look at what you know about yourself emotionally. Especially the things that you don’t share with others or at least with almost no one. You very likely believe that this is something that you take care of on your own or that even if you don’t, these are aspects you would rather not have anyone else’s input on because it would either be too dependent, feel invasive, or too vulnerable.  In my observation, when considered in moderation, it represents potential areas where we could grow, be more intimate, and still maintain our independence.  Read More . . .

The Importance of Having a Guide, Mentor, or Therapist

The Importance of Having a Guide, Mentor, or Therapist - ATH Blog

Do you have a go-to person you trust for their wisdom and guidance? If not, you might want to put your energy into finding one. We’ll explore ‘why’ in more detail in this article. Join me in asking this question — why do you think we’re here on earth living this life? As you look for your simple answer, let it be no more than a sentence or two. This is not just an abstract question, as I’m asking you to give your answer before you read on. Read More . . .

Using Fear as a Catalyst for Building Courage and or Safety

Using Fear as a Catalyst for Building Courage and or Safety - ATH Blog

Fear like all emotions gives the false impression that it is representative of a true perspective. They pose as the truth. This is so important for all of us to see as clearly as possible as our emotions have hypnotic effects that all too frequently puts us under their spell. If we can look at our past experience and see this it gives us a chance to do some reality testing to see that the amount of times that our fears indicate realistic assessments of the danger we are facing is minimal at the least. Read More . . .