OPENINGS

“OPENINGS”

finding greater clarity and resolve at important moments

The broad theme I’d like to work on with you is CHANGE…mainly how we respond to change and how we make changes in our lives.

…how conscious and otherwise equipped we are to deal with changes that affect our lives all the time…sometimes dramatically.

The world we live in now is incredibly accelerated in particular ways and often people feel their lives spinning out of control or barely held together. Poor coping mechanisms run the gamut of excesses: alcohol/pills/drugs…compulsive eating, computer and TV/video time. These head the list of largely numbing escapes for many from an otherwise uncertain, unstable life experience.

Others may feel pretty good most of the time, only to find themselves overwhelmed by challenges of relatively small changes. Big shifts, like those from sudden economic changes threaten our identity as individuals and the quality of our relationships and families.

What ties us together is a yearning for a new kind of balance we can sustain in the face of inevitable change – a balance that may require new muscles.

I’ve experienced a lot of change in my life, through a combination of choice and circumstance. I’ve developed numerous ideas on this subject over the past decade. Included are thoughts on the topic in general and many on specific issues we all face.

The market is full of self-help books; psychologists and psychiatrists abound. But it’s challenging to find a book or connection which consistently serves us, not to mention some of the finances which may be required. So it seems there’s ample room for new perspectives and new ways of understanding good ideas, both new and old. Ideally, some of these insights may be used to help get us unstuck or to fuel a new way of thinking. Will they change your life? Of course! Everything changes your life, even if just a little.

Who is my initial audience? Family and good friends, totaling about fifty.

What will appear on this blog? On a regular basis I will write on a fresh topic of hopefully broad interest. Mainly, the blog will be stimulated by what you write, letters of up to 500 words. You can share situations, questions or even suggestions about dealing with change. My strong preference is that you write anonymously in the case of letters and perhaps give a first name attached to your topic comments (as opposed to registering with one), and I will moderate and comment as called for.

Please keep in mind that this is not my occupation, and may not be my avocation either if it gets in the way of my family life or career. As for the future, who knows?

But let’s get started, and feel free to jump in whenever the water feels right to you!

[ I have neither a medical nor legal degree. I will not give advice on medical conditions (including extreme depression) or give legal advice. I will offer suggestions. What you do with those suggestions is up to you.] (This disclaimer section probably needs work, but I asked my therapist, and she said, “Just don’t worry about it – no one’s gonna jump off a bridge ‘cause they read a blog…”)