Posts Tagged ‘acceptance and commitment therapy’
Values: The Necessary Building Blocks of the “Optimal You”
“A further sign of health is that we don’t become undone by fear and trembling, but we take it as a message that it’s time to stop struggling and look directly at what’s threatening us.” – Pema Chödrön What thoughts or images come to mind when you consider what a healthy lifestyle is all about? For many…
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Mindfully Befriending Fear
“One of the greatest discoveries a man makes, one of his great surprises, is to find he can do what he was afraid he couldn’t do.” – Henry Ford It’s natural to feel a powerful, even overwhelming urge, to avoid people, places, or things that tend to elicit fear or worry. There are times when…
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ACT on the Paradox of Depression
“In order for the light to shine so brightly, the darkness must be present.” – Francis Bacon Depression can manifest itself in a variety of forms and impact people’s lives in a multitude of ways. It’s quite different from feeling sad every now and then, or even grief-stricken in the face of loss. For some people,…
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How to Break Free from Mental Captivity – Part Two
“Our ideas, like orange-plants, spread out in proportion to the size of the box which imprisons the roots.” – Edward Bulwer Lytton In my last post, “How to Break Free from Mental Captivity – Part One,” we began to explore strategies for developing a more mindful and effective relationship with your internal mental experience. It’s…
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How to Break Free from Mental Captivity – Part One
“You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.” – Marcus Aurelius Do you ever feel like your mind has more control of you than you do of it? Many of us have experienced times when we feel like the captain of our own ships, confidently charting…
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5 Ways to Let Go of Judgment & Fear
“Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.” – Carl Jung Judgment and fear have a tendency to hold you back from living a rich and meaningful life that is based on your true values and establishing harmony in relationships. There is often a high price to pay for living…
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How to Make a Willingness & Action Plan
“First say to yourself what you would be, and then do what you have to do.” – Epictetus When we are setting goals and making plans for the future, for what kind of person we wish to be, and what values we wish to live by, psychological barriers can threaten to get in way of…
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How to Deal with Barriers to Effective Action
“It is not because things are difficult that we dare not venture. It’s because we dare not venture that they are difficult.” – Seneca Once you have an understanding of what your most deeply held values are and what specific goals you have set to begin to live those values, it is important to recognize…
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How to Translate Values Into Committed Action
“What one does is what counts. Not what one had the intention of doing.” – Pablo Picasso Once you feel that you have a clear sense of the underlying values that you wish to live by, the next step is to translate those values into committed action. While possessing knowledge of what your values are is…
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Choose to Live According to Your True Values
“‘Cheshire Puss,’ asked Alice. ‘Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?’ ‘That depends a good deal on where you want to go,’ said the Cat. ‘I don’t much care where,’ said Alice. ‘Then it doesn’t matter where you go,’ said the Cat.” – Lewis Carroll Values provide us with…
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