tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42844290784951289472024-03-13T08:54:25.453-07:00Living More Than OKFrank Coulsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14665447698082232430noreply@blogger.comBlogger320125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284429078495128947.post-76824466947371745072023-12-18T08:09:00.000-08:002023-12-18T08:18:07.901-08:00Stop and Smell the Roses With Awe<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqjFvYn8nOZGOPyrfSPY1v6AaBGgB5lPghazBjfW0tDmmrQ57w_cDuLyCoRoDQlX4_goB47bWZ-EU5-oVmO0PNfIGI2XxzKkclZX6Bxe2Nm4ZJ3vF4Y7YNbI-f3gEPR8FQ6z6Ap5gjMwSqhZOtNhcF3FbLX2037KUjtlvZbmkfkLGMmeBao2SoTlXVS-8t/s320/awe%20book%20power.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="200" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqjFvYn8nOZGOPyrfSPY1v6AaBGgB5lPghazBjfW0tDmmrQ57w_cDuLyCoRoDQlX4_goB47bWZ-EU5-oVmO0PNfIGI2XxzKkclZX6Bxe2Nm4ZJ3vF4Y7YNbI-f3gEPR8FQ6z6Ap5gjMwSqhZOtNhcF3FbLX2037KUjtlvZbmkfkLGMmeBao2SoTlXVS-8t/s200/awe%20book%20power.jpg"/></a></div>
Awe is a difficult emotion to reduce to a simple definition. Even though defining it is difficult we can understand it when we experience it. The deep sense of wonderment in staring up into a starry sky. The enjoyment of deep peace in seeing a beautiful sunset or sunrise. The pleasantness of pondering over a precious memory that brings a sense of calmness. All these bring into our lives a feeling of awe. Wonderment, reflection, expanding our spirit to consider a greater power in the universe are feelings that make up awe in our lives.
How can awe help us in the turmoil of anxiety, depression, pain and existential angst? Months ago I came across a book The Power of Awe that discussed and answered this question. It is written by Jake Eagle LPC, a psychotherapist and Michael Amster, MD, a physician and professor. They worked together on a method called AWE method to help people bring more awe into their lives. They worked on the method during the pre-Covid time era and did research on the method during Covid. The book is the result of their work and research. I was blessed to purchase a copy early and was part of a short class the authors did live online. This experience of meeting them online revealed their passion for awe and for being true people helpers.
What is this awe method? On pages 63 & 64 they give a synopsis. A stands for attention which is giving your focused attention to what you find amazing, you appreciate or a memory you are fond of. The W is for wait, take a slow in breath and out breath pondering what you are attending. Then the E is for exhale and expand where on your final exhale you grow your feeling on the object of your attention. If you think that sounds like mindfulness you would be correct as it would be classified in the mindfulness family. If I remember correctly they term the method as a micro dose of mindfulness meditation. This is a way to introduce mindfulness more into our lives in brief 30 second time frames.
If the book they discuss how this is used as they recommend 3-5 times a day. Since it only takes about 30-60 seconds that is a mere 5 minutes a day which most anyone can do. I always recommend meditation to my clients but I have had some who say they don’t have the time. Then when I explain the AWE Method they say “I can do that!”. The authors show the result of studies in the book of how their regimen has helped lower anxiety, depression and pain in the lives of people. And remember most of the studies were done during Covid when anxiety and depression were off the charts.
Near the end of the book one of the many problem areas discussed was existential anxiety which I find in many of the people I work with in the Post-Covid era. The angst goes beyond covid and relates to the cultural difficulties people face in a busy fast paced world. This whole concept of Awe reminds me of a lecture I heard once by Dr. Tal Ben Shahar. He was taking note to how hurried people are in our electronic gadget age. He reminded the audience to “take the time to smell the roses” and notice the wonderment of the world around us. That is one element I have personally found in the AWE Method is it creates a better sense of noticing the beauty and wonder in the world. On page 163 the authors address this “We have found that awe—remarkably—works to alleviate existential anxiety, because it brings us out of Safety Consciousness (where existential anxiety arises) into Spacious Consciousness. When we experience Spacious Consciousness, time, words, measurements, and comparisons don’t exist, and so existential anxiety is no longer relevant.” Appreciating a Higher Power, appreciating the wonders of nature and the good things that have happened in our lives builds a bulwark of inner strength that add to gratitude and enjoying life amidst life’s difficulties.
You can find more about the AWE Method at www.thepowerofawe.com or better yet buy the book. As I write this it is still before Christmas. What better gift to give to yourself or another is a gift that will help build a life of awe in the New Year?
<b>Reflection: Take a few minutes to ponder on an awe experience in your life. Was there something you experienced that brought a sense of wonderment to your life? How did you feel when you experienced that?</b>
Frank Coulsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14665447698082232430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284429078495128947.post-60979628392724159662023-12-14T09:44:00.000-08:002023-12-14T09:44:37.447-08:00Emotions On Our Path To Wholeness
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On the path we walk on in this life we all want to be whole persons not disjointed in our living. Recently I shared about another book that looked at holistic living with our mental health. Today I want to share about a book that centers on our emotions that make us who we are. Many of us struggle with managing our emotions especially the pesky negative emotions that are often when out of control, are a major influence on the problems we face. The book I wish to share is The Path to Wholeness: Managing Emotions, Finding Healing, and Becoming Our Best Selves by Dr. Mark Mayfield. Dr. Mayfield is a licensed professional counselor who is passionate about helping people with their mental health concerns.
In his purpose section he shares the difficulty we have in managing our emotions. In this discussion I remembered how Dr. Scott Peck began his book, The Road Less Traveled, with “Life is difficult” which many stops along our life pathway is that way. With this book Dr. Mayfield wants to provide the reader with principles that will help us along our life path. He does this aptly with case studies of peoples’ stories he has helped as a Counselor and also sharing transparently life stories from his own life struggles. Each Chapter has reflection questions and action steps that add to the reader’s understanding so this is a book that would be good to use a journal while reading it.
One important standout to me in reading this book was the importance of accepting our emotions: the good the bad and the ugly. Some clients will come to counseling with the idea of getting rid of their anxiety or depression. It would be nice to wave a magic wand and they disappear but not so. Emotions are and we can’t rid life of them. There needs to be an acceptance that the emotions are sign posts so we need to learn what the sign posts are saying. Dr. Mayfield in this book reminded me of what I used to tell students and tell my clients, “Learn to manage your emotions or they will manage you!”. The principles in the book help us in managing our emotions by understanding them and dealing with them in better ways.
Near the end of the book Dr. Mayfield shares, “Wholeness is an ambiguous concept. Trying to attain it can feel like chasing a dream. It would be amazing to have a perfect emotional life, but is this truly realistic? Complete wholeness isn’t attainable this side of heaven, but Scripture says we can experience aspects of wholes as we work, strive and pay attention to integral things in our lives.” (page 137). Take a deep breath and realize you will never be perfect so why keep judging yourself by a standard of perfection. Yet we can keep learning and growing to have more abundance in our pathway of life.
As I write this we are still before Christmas so what better gift is there than to help a friend with a gift that will keep giving in deeper knowledge of managing the emotional side of life for the better? This book can be found on Amazon and Barnes & Noble online.
<b>Reflection: How is the emotional side of your life? Which emotions are you good at managing? Which emotions give you the hardest battle to conquer? Know you have been gifted with a mind that can manage your emotions before they manage you.
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Frank Coulsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14665447698082232430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284429078495128947.post-19535952957201998012023-12-07T07:34:00.000-08:002023-12-07T15:24:34.974-08:00Appreciating a Passion for Reading
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I just finished a book that caught my attention with the title, Rise of the Reader. As much as I love reading I could not help reading what the author, Nick Hutchison had to say. Nick is a speaker and a coach who is the founder of BookThinkers, <a href="https://bookthinkers.com/" target="_blank">bookthinkers.com</a> a resource that connects authors to readers.
The author shares his personal journey on reading that became a passion for him. His turning point in his life books was in his college years when he worked a Summer internship. One boss turned him onto positive growth podcasts and he noticed many of the ones he enjoyed spoke about personal growth books. He quickly learned he could grow in so many ways by reading so the passionate habit began to grow.
A powerful thought he learned early is mentioned on page 5, “The best investment you can make is in yourself. The most cost effective investment in yourself is not a formal education, a week long retreat, or an online course… it’s a book. Why? Books only cost you $20 and take just a few hours to consume, yet they hold the same power to change your life as any of those other resources. The potential return on investment (ROI) is insane!” Imagine the good and progress that could happen in the world if more people would capture that mindset. The same spirit in that quote permeates the book.
Nick in the book provides a wide array of tips on building a reading passion and making the most of your reading. In his forward he provides a tip I often remind people of who tell me they don’t have time to read : read 15 minutes a day once in the morning and once in the evening which would be about 20 pages a day. Do that for 5 days a week and that is about 100 pages a week. Then realize in a 52 week year you will have read 5,200 pages about 20 books a year. That is a pretty good start for a reading journey.
Of his many ideas on reading I like his emphasis to be intentional in your reading. With each book have a purpose for reading the book. He also emphasizes there should be an output to put what you read into practice and that helps us ingrain in our lives the concepts learned in reading. Of course with those thoughts you can imagine rightly that most of the reading mentioned is nonfiction books. He doesn’t leave out the issue of enjoyable reading of which fiction writing is so important in enjoying good stories and we can often learn life principles in fiction.
Near the end of the book he mentions some of the impact of reading in his life journey. “well, throughout my reading journey, I have upgraded the lens through which I see the world many times. I am constantly searching for new world views – new lenses-- that allow me to become healthier, wealthier, and happier.” (page 125). This is a reminder of how reading helps us grow and keep growing throughout or lifespan. This is just one of the many benefits of reading.
The last portion of the book he shares tips on a variety of healthy and wealthy habits for living that he has gained through the books he has read. Reading through these tips helps to understand what reading adds to our lives. This is a book that will help passionate readers reaffirm their passion for reading so it is a great gift to avid readers in your life. At the same time it is a helpful book to someone you may know who wants to get into reading but has mental roadblocks like they were never good in school or do not have time. The author debunks those myths and provides tips and tools for reading success.
<b>Reflection: Think over the books you have read. Which ones helped change the lens through which you view the world around you and what you want out of life? </b>
Frank Coulsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14665447698082232430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284429078495128947.post-26993761428246501182023-11-30T06:49:00.000-08:002023-11-30T06:49:23.860-08:00Giving the Gift of Inspiration for Reading<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKNxbZxNodpWbQPmLcyGJNvdw6I6ECGV0SUV4y2oZA-DX-mHaN05JAJWMPQHeaWmwfhPP2THkK0vrj3k8t_CwfEfSS5-vO2F_pGXOdYGdvlbsMaCXbJqTdVF34YzEK4vqZjJcWgIVb_ZTs2o58ve2TcR2i2DT2fO2_g_HaR9Ed1xfJ1QRW5b-KV8YutUtB/s320/lovereadingthumbnail_IMG_2366.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="200" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKNxbZxNodpWbQPmLcyGJNvdw6I6ECGV0SUV4y2oZA-DX-mHaN05JAJWMPQHeaWmwfhPP2THkK0vrj3k8t_CwfEfSS5-vO2F_pGXOdYGdvlbsMaCXbJqTdVF34YzEK4vqZjJcWgIVb_ZTs2o58ve2TcR2i2DT2fO2_g_HaR9Ed1xfJ1QRW5b-KV8YutUtB/s200/lovereadingthumbnail_IMG_2366.jpg"/></a></div>
At Christmas I always promote the best gifts that add meaning to life. I believe books are at the top of the list as they develop the mind, emotions, and spiritual spheres of life. Recently, I came across a book that is wonderful to give to readers. The book is Learn to Love Reading by Alex Wieckowski.
What Alex has done in this book is provide 365 quotes on the importance and love of reading. He has chosen a wide away of reader quotes from ancient Greek philosophers, writers throughout the ages, and modern business leaders to name a few categories of readers. One thing that drew me to the book I must say is I love quotes as they are brief ways to capture a person’s thoughts on a subject. Also being a bookhead I love books so putting the two together I could not resist getting a copy.
According to his book he is a creator of a book brand, Alex & Books, and hosts a podcast called The Reader’s Journey. In the forward before he begins the quotes he shares, “It’s my sincere hope that this book will ignite your passion for reading, help you become an avid reader and be a better version of yourself.” This is an admirable hope for the readers of this book. The last phrase is so true that books and taking them to heart have an improving effect of us whether we read fiction or nonfiction.
Let me just share a couple of quotes listed in the book—
“Books have meant to my life what the sun has meant to the planet Earth.” Earl Nightingale, radio personality (on page 33). Like the sun books can add a warmth to our lives and speaking of life books allow us to dig deeper into living our lives to the full.
“When I read, and really I do not read so much, only a few authors, a few men that I discovered by accident – I do this because they look at things in a broader, milder and more affectionate way than I do, and because they know life better, so I can learn from them.” Vincent Van Gogh, Painter (on page 39). This quote reflects back to Alex’s thought reading helps us be a better version of ourselves. Van Gogh is implying his reading helps him learn to be better. Also in the quote he mentions he found the authors by accident which reminds us don’t be afraid to try out a new writer as you may never know what new point of view you may learn.
I am looking on going through the 365 quotes starting on January 1st of 2024. This book provides a quote a day for a full year. What better way to start the day with a reading quote. In his forward Alex also shares it is a good book to keep on the coffee table. That idea is good as well as you can then promote reading to guests as they thumb through the quotes and catch the love of reading. If you have an avid reader in your family or a friend whose passion is reading think of getting a copy of this book to them. Check out Alex’s website -- alexandbooks.com to learn more about him.
<b>Reflection: What is the level of your love of reading? How can you increase your reading going into the New Year?</b>
Frank Coulsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14665447698082232430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284429078495128947.post-61961878691350709782023-11-22T08:33:00.000-08:002023-11-22T08:33:00.048-08:00Spirituality and Mental Health
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In a couple of recent posts I spoke of someone who’s thoughts were an encouragement to me in getting back to reading spiritual classics, reading as well as being an encouragement of overcoming my doubts and starting back with my blog. I will be sharing thoughts on one of his books he has written, The Integrated Self: A Holistic Approach to Spirituality and Mental Health Practice. He was one professor, Dr. Lou Kavar, at Capella University who was an encouragement to me when I was working on my PhD dissertation. He is retired from teaching but still active as a spiritual life coach and blogger.
The book is considered geared to spiritual guides, pastors, counselors, psychologists and others in the mental health field. Yet after reading it I think anyone who wants to grow in their knowledge of life balance and tapping into their spirituality would gain worth from reading and reflecting on his thoughts shared in the book.
In the book he points out the difference between spirituality and religion and how they relate to our personal lives. I appreciate how he discusses the variety of religious traditions and how even those who tend towards agnosticism can tap into their own spirituality. Spirituality is a helpful connector to our human purpose and meaning in life that is vital for a well rounded life.
The book is full of case studies of people’s spiritual lives and I appreciate how he is transparent in sharing his own spiritual journey as well. I mentioned he was a professor so there is a rich research component to his writing here to back up his concepts on the benefits of spirituality to the human experience.
I want to share just a couple items that stood out to me that are helpful. The first is found on page 34 where he shares of building existential congruence in understanding out deepest self. He has a diagram that spoke to me in looking at four areas of life: Compassion for self and others, external limitations, personal abilities and understanding of one’s deepest self. It was insightful for myself in taking some reflection on my life in those areas. In our busy lives we need to take time to reflect on understanding ourselves better.
Then the other item on page 54 is his idea of developing a spiritual history. He mentions there are differing ways of doing this. He suggests doing a time line of significant events in our lives on a sheet of paper and then on another sheet do a time line of significant spiritual events that have been part of our lives. What is interesting with this idea a person can them explore timeline connections between life events and spiritual experiences.
There is much more to the book, those are just two that stood out to me and ones I especially enjoyed. Of course the great things about books --n100 people can read the same book and receive 100 different insights. This book is a short one so it is a nice weekend read.
Dr Kavar also is a blogger and you can find his blog posts at <a href="https://blog.loukavar.com/" target="_blank">blog.loukavar.com</a> it is called Emerging spirituality weekly. At his blog site you can connect to his Youtube videos. I encourage you to check his blog as you will be encouraged.
Reflection: Take some time to do a timeline of significant events in your life and then do a timeline of spiritual experiences. See if there are any unique insights you gain.
Frank Coulsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14665447698082232430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284429078495128947.post-17193523310402587542023-11-08T09:24:00.001-08:002023-11-08T09:24:38.580-08:00Living With The Presence of God
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One blog and podcast I recently have been listening to had one posting about Spirituality where reading the spiritual classics from the past was emphasized. A re-reading of the Brother Lawrence classic, The Practice of the Presence of God came to my mind. So I found my copy of it and read it in an afternoon.
Reading it made me think of the importance of living with the presence of God in my life each day. In the spiritual journey in this life, being in an awareness of God’s presence is an important part of our spiritual growth.
Brother Lawrence was a lay member of a monastery of the Carmelites in Paris in the 1660’s. He lived a simple life doing work in the kitchen and running errands. In reading the conversations in the book and his letters even in the mundane of life he lived with an attitude of worship and wonder of God in all he did. One initial quote that stood out to me was, “Brother Lawrence told me we should establish ourselves in a sense of God’s presence by continually conversing with him. It was a shameful thing to quit conversation with God to think of trifles and fooleries…. We ought to give ourselves up entirely to pure surrender to God with regard to matters both temporal and spiritual and seek our satisfaction only in the fulfilling of His will, whether he leads us through sufferings or consolations.” Pgs 4-5. He took seriously the Apostle Paul’s admonition to pray without ceasing (I Thessalonians 5:16. It is a heart attitude to breath up communication with God throughout the day. He speaks elsewhere of throughout the day having a sense of reverential awe about God.
One way to keep our mind mindfully aware of God is presented in one of his letters. “One way to recollect the mind easily in the time of prayer and preserve it more in tranquility is not to let it wander too far at other times. You should keep it strictly in the presence of God. And being accustomed to think of him often you will find it easy to keep your mind calm in the time of prayer, or at least to recall it from its wanderings.” Page 55. From this quote and the overall text Brother Lawrence was a simple man who enjoyed the presence of God through out his life.
One of his last writings a week before he died in a final letter he wrote this, “ God knows what is best what is needful for us, and all that he does is for our good. If we knew how much he loves us, we would always be ready to receive equally and with indifference the sweet and the bitter from his hand.” Page 71. How amazing that he kept a consistent walk with God until the final end of his life. It made me think am I fully aware of God’s love and that He has the best in mind for my life. Too often we think we have a better idea than God but that often leads to trouble. The best spiritual living is living with the awareness of the presence of God in all we do.
<b>Reflection</b>: Think about a time in your life you were aware that God was there for you. How can you move deeper in an understanding of God’s presence in your life?
Frank Coulsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14665447698082232430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284429078495128947.post-77400906955667020312023-10-25T08:43:00.000-07:002023-10-25T08:43:36.699-07:00Can Our Minds Create A Placebo Effect?<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbc2oXDVtzhDHmGufcKjbOdAAvgEiPJ3rkP_JetO9w8-jPztb2_cORteuh1TXZaQRja__IxH8h9pOkc3cZqjCO_ihVMHS8G6o1Dwev5DyGml0NIvjaxj9yPsUKW9qgDXEmlBl3lZn2Tf1D9rXGwAAaBGhDVZTe_O5Fl8NVczUg2t5of_bDYuz2ttZezZzh/s320/placebothumbnail_IMG_2292.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="200" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbc2oXDVtzhDHmGufcKjbOdAAvgEiPJ3rkP_JetO9w8-jPztb2_cORteuh1TXZaQRja__IxH8h9pOkc3cZqjCO_ihVMHS8G6o1Dwev5DyGml0NIvjaxj9yPsUKW9qgDXEmlBl3lZn2Tf1D9rXGwAAaBGhDVZTe_O5Fl8NVczUg2t5of_bDYuz2ttZezZzh/s200/placebothumbnail_IMG_2292.jpg"/></a></div>
I recently read the book, You Are The Placebo, by Dr. Joe Dispenza. The dictionary defines placebo as “a usually pharmacologically inert preparation prescribed more for the mental relief of the patient than for its actual effect on a disorder”. They are often used is science studies to compare effectiveness of medicines to a harmless sugar pill. Reading Dispenza’s book reminded me of books I had read and conference sessions that often mentioned how depression and anxiety medicines are often no better than placebos. Also it reminded me how important our mindset and self talk is to our overall development even towards our physical health.
I had read other books by Dr.Dispenza in the past. His primary education was his doctorate in Chiropratic studies. His real passion, and this comes out in his writings and especially this book, is the brain and neuroscience. This book shows the results of his research teams and research into the history of the power of the mind to change out possibilities and even produce physical changes in the body for our health. Later in the book he presents one main reason for writing the book,”It’s my hope that after reading this book, you’ll realize that the ultimate belief is the belief in yourself and in the field of infinite possibilities—and when you merge the belief in yourself as a subjective consciousness with your belief in an objective consciousness then you’re balancing intention and surrender.” (page 301). That is the main thing among others I appreciated is he is promoting the possibilities we each carry as we improve our thinking and mindsets about ourselves.
Dr. Dispenza in the book provides numerous case studies from his work, from the history of medicine and research from others to show the power of the mind over the body and the importance of our mental mindsets. On page 85 he says, “The research is revealing that our thoughts and feelings, as well as our activities—that is our choices, behaviors and experiences – have profound healing and regenerative effects on our bodies.” He doesn’t just spout these statements he them provides case examples and also lists thoughts from other doctors. An example of this is “’As Ernest Rossi, PhD, writes in The Psychobiology of Gene Expression, “Our subjective states of mind, consciously motivated behavior, and our perception of free will can modulate gene expression to optimize health.’” And again I will mention he is not just putting words on a page Dispenza provides numerous case studies to back up what is being said.
His section on choices, attitudes and beliefs discusses how these are foundational to the negatives and the positives that develop who we are. These can produce good or bad changes in our lives. If they are negative they limit our lives but if we move them towards the positive we can open more possibilities for good and higher potential in our lives.
One benefit to our lives emotionally, mentally, physically and spiritually is meditation. That is where Dr. Dispenza excels in this book. The final section is an in-depth discussion on the topic of meditation. I like how he dispels the myths about it and gives a solid description on how to do meditation and add it into our lives. He also provides scripts to meditations to use. I have noticed if you look Dr. Dispenza up on Youtube he has several of his meditations on Youtube for you to use.
I found the book very eye opening. With the case studies of hearing stories of healings of people physically and mentally it makes for an enjoyable read. His section on meditation is also well worth reading the book just for that.
Reflection: What is one attitude holding you back to your potential in life? How can you meditation into your add life schedule?
Frank Coulsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14665447698082232430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284429078495128947.post-1751571324053431812023-10-16T09:17:00.000-07:002023-10-16T09:17:04.731-07:00Fighting Back Against Negative Words<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIYmGW4cztLsEXan3AHyvcHlbZtutqTByjzf8Lxsr5M4mQB71E5i6QpvGBhNgsQMALwp262j1L4_2OpdOhbIg4pkR7AeVBVQKuYw4dDiOadG11-Tz5f8wMplORgu5IQd7DWsrvUvsnHmf8xXgZD-2-eggZ0w7oN2rbuq8JZO4mnvuvSy_1FzDwQ0A-XMOo/s600/existborntobe%20aliveCzApsAHXEAAamKL.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIYmGW4cztLsEXan3AHyvcHlbZtutqTByjzf8Lxsr5M4mQB71E5i6QpvGBhNgsQMALwp262j1L4_2OpdOhbIg4pkR7AeVBVQKuYw4dDiOadG11-Tz5f8wMplORgu5IQd7DWsrvUvsnHmf8xXgZD-2-eggZ0w7oN2rbuq8JZO4mnvuvSy_1FzDwQ0A-XMOo/s320/existborntobe%20aliveCzApsAHXEAAamKL.jpg"/></a></div>
I was contemplating why in recent years it has been hard for me to do a post on my blog. Thinking it through I remembered even though I blamed my halting on my stress of doing my dissertation and home issues there was something deeper. Back when I was writing the blog in a regular fashion someone important to me keep saying that doing the blog was a waste of my time. No one really read it and it would never make any money. So the argument was why waste time writing it.
I had forgotten all about those statements after I stopped writing in my blog. Recently remembering the comments reminded me how depressed I got at that time and figured the person was right. As I thought over the negative words I began to think at that time, that the words were right so I allowed those negative words to win and stopped writing.
I rethought this all after receiving an email from another blogger who enjoys what he writes about. He doesn’t have a big following but has very good content and provides helpful thoughts on the spiritual sphere of life. I will be sharing about one of his books in the near future. His sharing about why he blogs made me think of how I caved into the negative thoughts on my “wasting time” blogging.
It was true I did not have many people who read my blog but there were some who did. I even received some good comments along the way. As for money which is one negative set of words received I realized I wasn’t doing it for money. Instead it was for sharing my thoughts on books I had read. The hope was like my book, <a href="" target="_blank">Living More Than OK</a>, I would be able to share more resources of positive books so people could build their lives in a better way. My feeling back then was even if what I wrote helped even one person to have a better journey in their life, the time and effort was worth it.
So I will fight back against the negativity and get back to regularly posting each week. I find it amazing how accepting negativity from others can alter things we enjoy. I enjoy reading and I enjoy sharing principles and ideas from books I find helpful. That is why in my book, Living More Than OK, as I looked at positive psychology and spiritual principles I included in each essay a number of helpful book resources for people to do further research on the various topics. So my blogging journey will continue forward with new renewed purpose.
<b>Reflection: Has negativity from others ever stopped you from following things you enjoy or a dream you had? What can you do to renew your pursuit of things you enjoy?</b>
Frank Coulsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14665447698082232430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284429078495128947.post-22920476867002663002023-06-23T07:49:00.000-07:002023-06-23T07:49:50.553-07:00Summer Reading 2023
Since I decided to return to my blog, Living More Than OK, and with Summer here I wanted to check up on Summer reading programs. As I mentioned in my book, Living More Than OK, the local Summer reading program in my hometown library in Barberton, Ohio started my passion for reading. That was in second grade when my mom got me involved in the Summer reading program. I am so glad that libraries have kept the program alive over the years as reading is so important in life.
I recently went over to my local New Braunfels, Texas public library and the parking lot was full and they had their reading program in full swing. I then checked out my hometown Barberton library website and noticed the theme for this Summer program is “All Together Now”. Each year there is a national theme. This theme captures in my mind how the program has expanded to all ages so it is trying to get the whole family and all people reading. I like that idea,as far as I am concerned, the more people reading is a good thing to aim for.
Each Summer I remember and picture in my mind going up the second floor of my public library. Each week I would pick out a couple books for the program. I was also able to tell one of the children librarians about what I read. I believe that practice helped me to do better in school above and beyond just the reading which helped build vocabulary and understanding. Back then the program collected stickers for a certificate at the end of the Summer. In today’s world they provide physical prizes for the children reading programs. I think that is great as that can help build motivation for some children who may not be that into reading. Then through that positive reinforcement some of them may become lifelong readers.
I have also been glad to see now the program is for all ages. Reading needs to be encouraged throughout the life span to help keep minds active. I believe in physical exercise but I also believe reading is important exercise for the mind and brain. Adults lives can become so busy so there is a need to slow down and one great slow down activity that engages the brain is reading.
The reading programs also reminds me of those who influenced my reading in my life. My mom although she was not educated knew education was important so encouraged my involvement in the reading program. The children librarians were so nice and friendly so they encouraged my reading. Then as I mentioned in my book my third grade teacher, Mrs. Verna Clifford, promoted the importance of reading. Each week she would take time to read to the class a work of fiction.
I hope as you read this you will think back to memories of reading in your past. Also be involved in reading this Summer 2023. Encourage those around you whether family or friends to be involved in reading programs.
<b>Reflection: Who made an impact in your life about reading? What is a favorite reading memory? <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguIAKfK3IHLPMNn4LM3_ngzNlQivp2wdYDZsx1cbH8rggwNrApr-1O2ylwNenAgl3zgYvCxhhLRCF4n-bUm1QA31lRhFrWRDjizCQYrxnpjn6qY8rXaVMW7g96gdUR-dbFCO_JrNxZfcbzsKzmlJyG3CbO7ZYQ1kq1tHTV-2XOzZR_wLLNxZl0WvqzmB7K/s313/readingnotboring354078079_229929236566594_7905718838730965229_n.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="313" data-original-width="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguIAKfK3IHLPMNn4LM3_ngzNlQivp2wdYDZsx1cbH8rggwNrApr-1O2ylwNenAgl3zgYvCxhhLRCF4n-bUm1QA31lRhFrWRDjizCQYrxnpjn6qY8rXaVMW7g96gdUR-dbFCO_JrNxZfcbzsKzmlJyG3CbO7ZYQ1kq1tHTV-2XOzZR_wLLNxZl0WvqzmB7K/s320/readingnotboring354078079_229929236566594_7905718838730965229_n.jpg"/></a></div></b>
Frank Coulsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14665447698082232430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284429078495128947.post-25916851358515480382023-06-08T13:30:00.004-07:002023-06-08T13:30:38.536-07:00Books Can Change the Person and Society
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhExNd4fKdYsRbT_p3-exlICK40HPFWZl2wySHsWOE-ErUAj8pGv_1flGu3QzLwFYXMNUtDGLQ2cr_aN-8NksZSBE2HRlvGUEOrwdy6WX4TnfeyXcA3z2cdM-v4K-3roviOQYMCCp0ztGO-mOkjBD9NWabAXfmFzlwrb5yUKiLaSAH4BN0q5Od7HF8Mw/s395/882016riggreatbook13962635_10154406131689573_4000343704794754380_n.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="395" data-original-width="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhExNd4fKdYsRbT_p3-exlICK40HPFWZl2wySHsWOE-ErUAj8pGv_1flGu3QzLwFYXMNUtDGLQ2cr_aN-8NksZSBE2HRlvGUEOrwdy6WX4TnfeyXcA3z2cdM-v4K-3roviOQYMCCp0ztGO-mOkjBD9NWabAXfmFzlwrb5yUKiLaSAH4BN0q5Od7HF8Mw/s320/882016riggreatbook13962635_10154406131689573_4000343704794754380_n.jpg"/></a></div>
Recently someone suggested I watch the movie, Idiocracy, to consider and reflect on the direction the world will be going. The movie was produced back in 2005. I found it interesting that it was filmed in the Austin, Texas area. I am not a big movie watching person but the title intrigued me so I watched it.
The story line is of a U. S. Army Librarian, Joe, who is enlisted into a sleep hibernation program and the partner the government teamed him up with was a Prostitute, Rita. Problems occur so they wind up waking up 500 years later. The America 500 years into the future is a Dystopean junkyard. Trash is everywhere and the population has been dumbed down. Technology has advanced but the mentality of the people is low IQ, driven by base animal impulses and consumerism.
Big corporations are puppet masters of a stupid president. Most of the problems are caused by the one big corporation that has destroyed agriculture. Everyone has a bar code to buy and sell which gets Joe in trouble as he has no bar code. Through a series of events he is brought to the President as tests have shown Joe’s IQ is so high above all others. He is given the task to solve the food problem. He eventually does that, all the while he is trying to find a time machine to get back to his home 500 years earlier and wanting to take Rita with him. At the end when he solves the problem Rita tells him she wants to stay. He though torn with the idea of going home, stays as well and they as a couple bring into the new future 3 smart high IQ children.
Watching the movie I wondered to myself if we are not presently living in Idiocracy? Many of our present problems stem from puppet masters who have brain washed large swaths of the public to react emotionally to selfish tech consumerism. Many do not use critical thinking in their personal lives nor do they seek to build up the inner life to build a better future for themselves and their families. The movie was entertaining but the message related well to what we see in our present era and if not challenged our problems can only grow worse into the future.
There was a small snippet in the movie that stood out to me. It was when Joe is speaking about his desire to go back in time and he was going to tell the people 500 years earlier to read more. He understood the power of working our minds and souls through reading. One way to keep the brain washing away is to keep working our minds with reading actively instead of passively responding to staring at mindless technology. The elites of the world want the masses to not think for themselves but to be compliant worker ants for the elites ease and pleasure. A good habit of reading books can help keep our minds growing.
As we each grow in our thinking critically we can then encourage others to follow in the habit of reading. Hopefully others will understand the importance of building their minds in stronger and freer ways. By doing so there can be a positive effect on society; thus building a society where free thought can break away from the hold of the brain washing of the elitists.
<b>Reflection: What is a favorite life changing book you have read that you would recommend to someone else?</b>
Frank Coulsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14665447698082232430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284429078495128947.post-61132432489443059562023-05-31T11:53:00.000-07:002023-05-31T11:53:07.979-07:00Time For A Restart </b><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr59tmHfoa9MzU5d3HoHlwVtMGS0RMoM_OTbIP9pBAbr6XKvk1dzZk0hqyT38XPG-iskVPFUuySfaAWzJU2qME9VrtZwTTUpUNyrL4drLIrDclUdrXKnx5eABqEWeHJMTBmNyE8K2cxVw-ZvSHQsTNATymXECpcHSaEN1B9oCyEHRY-lhQZj5V2C2biQ/s240/focusfoter16599738086_9b92f1698b_m.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="157" data-original-width="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr59tmHfoa9MzU5d3HoHlwVtMGS0RMoM_OTbIP9pBAbr6XKvk1dzZk0hqyT38XPG-iskVPFUuySfaAWzJU2qME9VrtZwTTUpUNyrL4drLIrDclUdrXKnx5eABqEWeHJMTBmNyE8K2cxVw-ZvSHQsTNATymXECpcHSaEN1B9oCyEHRY-lhQZj5V2C2biQ/s320/focusfoter16599738086_9b92f1698b_m.jpg"/></a></div>
Recently I was reading an article about being ready for a fresh start and I thought about this blog I started writing some years ago. Before COVID when I was stressed with my PhD dissertation I had stopped writing it. Then other life issues came along and I stopped again. I kept thinking I should go back to it but kept putting it off. The fresh start article got me thinking about doing a restart of writing in the blog.
The actual article focused more on starting new habits and new ideas. That is a good thing to do also in life but for me the fresh start was another calling me back to this blog. So at this point in time a fresh start for me will be going back to the writing here in my blog Living More Than OK. I have decided that the enjoyment of putting my thoughts from the various books I read is important. I love reading and I love writing so it is time to get back to it.
I hope to do a post each week but I will not judge myself if I don’t do a post each week. I will probably be more steady at it if I keep the judgment voice away. We all can be our own worst enemies that way. I do hope what I write will encourage anyone who stops by here.
Restart is a new beginning and a chance to break out of being stuck by the weight of self judgment. Part of the stuckness with this blog for me was as in the past wondering what impact can I have. With the restart I began to think don’t worry about that. Get the writings out there and let any reader who stops by to receive their own personal impact. Each person is their own person and they can decide what to learn for themselves what helps them on their personal journey.
So today I am making a commitment to myself to go back to my writing here at Living More Than OK and share my thoughts on various books I read.
<b>Reflection: Is there something in your life where you need to do a restart?
xFrank Coulsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14665447698082232430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284429078495128947.post-78241663611658230382022-06-14T13:23:00.002-07:002022-06-14T13:29:25.726-07:00Importance of Nostalgia In Our Life Experience<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlxuD1A6ALgQ74fVIAA5JwyuXZO8o03xSldIKOCer0Qlyun-zX7QGqchI8ZXwXkoNVNN9RfBZfjRXvH7JcmRUtUMEwzprsFLLKB6p7F4BcXiPF91LRJXFoX7gUFV2iMtywfcu5qHV8yiwbAEysoYjRdrIdFZyTb0MmCa4HFJbJpRyIG8RjBzdBadqB7g/s4000/img_1939.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlxuD1A6ALgQ74fVIAA5JwyuXZO8o03xSldIKOCer0Qlyun-zX7QGqchI8ZXwXkoNVNN9RfBZfjRXvH7JcmRUtUMEwzprsFLLKB6p7F4BcXiPF91LRJXFoX7gUFV2iMtywfcu5qHV8yiwbAEysoYjRdrIdFZyTb0MmCa4HFJbJpRyIG8RjBzdBadqB7g/s320/img_1939.jpg"/></a></div>
One magazine that I recommend to counseling clients is Breathe. It is a magazine that is produced in the U.K. with articles that focus in on mindfulness and wellbeing. The writers often share research studies on anxiety, depression and wellbeing solutions from psychologists around the world. Their website is <a href="" rel="nofollow">www.breathemagazine.com</a> . You can find their magazine at bookstores such as Barnes & Noble, grocery stores and pharmacies.
The most recent edition I purchased was on the topic of memory. There were a variety of articles related to aspects of memory. There were ideas on memory boosting, Dream work and memory, time, remembering friends and nostalgia. Probably due to my last post of reflecting on the life of my favorite teacher the article that stood out to me the most was one about nostalgia.
The title of the article was “Look Back and Wonder”, by Ashley Lampard. Merriam Webster defines nostalgia as “a wistful or excessively sentimental yearning for return to or of some past period or irrecoverable condition.” Last week as I shared about the death of my favorite teacher, Mrs. Clifford, There definitely was the feeling of looking at the interrelations of her friendship over the years and made me reflect on my elementary school years. There was sadness in the loss but joy in thinking back to all the good times in third grade and throughout the life journey in my relationship with her and her husband.
These feelings related well to the part of the article that emphasized how nostalgia provides a “warmth from the past”. Thinking over the years since Mrs. Clifford was such a positive role model I was reminded of many positive aspects of her life and how that affected my growth and choices for the better.
In the article there are ideas listed as to how to encourage Nostalgia. Some of the ideas listed were: Go through an old photo album, visit childhood hangouts, make a family recipe, reminisce with an old friend. Other ideas I thought of would be to write out a couple of your favorite memories in a journal entry. Listen to some of your favorite songs from that time period you are reflecting on . Make a gratitude list of what you are thankful for about your past.
Obviously we don’t want to live in the past all the time yet when you take a nostalgic time travel in your mind back to the past it can be a positive experience. Times like that help you see how you have developed over the years and how you can continue to grow in your future.
<b>Reflection: Think over a favorite person in your past and write down how they affected you for the better. List a few of your favorite memories from the past. Why were they important to you?</b>
Frank Coulsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14665447698082232430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284429078495128947.post-23387204847479126232022-06-06T09:13:00.000-07:002022-06-06T09:13:52.411-07:00Source of Inspiration For My Reading and Writing
Doing my blog was something I enjoyed over the past years but in 2020 as covid started up and I had finished my PhD I stopped. I am not fully certain what stopped me. I was exhausted after writing my dissertation. Then researching what was going on with covid was a time waster. Settling into work-life and family life after all my work on my dissertation took me off track as well. Underlying, was maybe thoughts of what good is the blog as I was not certain anyone was getting any good out of it.
A life event happened a couple weeks ago that provided inspiration to get back to the blog. On May 14th, 2022 I received news that my favorite teacher, Mrs. Verna Clifford passed away. I have been trying to call her and felt something was wrong. It was sad news to hear for those of us who loved her but I knew she was joined now with her husband Parke in heaven. I joked with her friend who gave me the news that Parke on her arrival in heaven probably told her, “Verna, what took you so long".
Mrs. Clifford had been my 3rd grade teacher at Woodford Elementary School in Barberton, Ohio. When my mom passed away in 1993 I kept in touch with her and Parke until Parke passed away in 2010. Each time I went back to Barberton to visit I would see them and later just her alone. After Parke passed away we took Mrs. Clifford on a cruise with us. That was an enjoyable time as she had never done a cruise and that is one thing she and Parke never got around to doing.
What made her such an inspirational teacher? She was kind and caring. Those are two characteristi<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9-Y3Et2B1cOu6DtR7ZgG6HtCkTCTXL0TcAaRHgy-SvSgMa0rUZGy1Nl-4dCuW_pFg42Zek2-0CT_HT7Mq4Gdlo-NrEYRA8s7BW3rOSS9sybEWhn28UcqPbkuK2d11S5F4mtgGQd5rJaZuf_kY_UhsuFwwMOgPceE0c5xyz9fisIuzkDjTkT72IlbNqA/s1730/P1010050_0049%20%282%29.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="200" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="1730" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9-Y3Et2B1cOu6DtR7ZgG6HtCkTCTXL0TcAaRHgy-SvSgMa0rUZGy1Nl-4dCuW_pFg42Zek2-0CT_HT7Mq4Gdlo-NrEYRA8s7BW3rOSS9sybEWhn28UcqPbkuK2d11S5F4mtgGQd5rJaZuf_kY_UhsuFwwMOgPceE0c5xyz9fisIuzkDjTkT72IlbNqA/s200/P1010050_0049%20%282%29.jpg"/></a></div>cs that were her mainstays. Compared to other teachers I never remember seeing her get upset. On discipline in the classroom she would be firm with troublemakers but not lose her cool. She inspired a love of learning. Each week she read aloud books to the class and also encouraged reading of books that we students enjoyed. She also had us write stories in class. Her emphasis on reading and writing helped me improve in those areas. This was also the time period my love of reading took off.
When I started my blog she would read it and enjoyed my book, Living More Than OK that came out of the blog. After my PhD was done she encouraged me to get back to blogging but I let life and the craziness of the COVID time period take me away from writing. Now that she is gone Mrs. Clifford’s voice is one reminding me to go back to something I enjoy which is writing this blog. So I will begin anew each week writing about Living More Than OK topics and books that I find inspiring.
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I will never forget the inspiration on the love of reading, books and writing that Mrs. Verna Clifford built into my life as a teacher and then a friend later in life.
Frank Coulsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14665447698082232430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284429078495128947.post-11160963966620367772020-03-16T14:09:00.000-07:002020-03-16T14:09:43.248-07:00Worshiping During VacationI have been away from writing here due to the business of work-life and decompressing from my stress from finishing up my PhD dissertation. Thankfully I graduated with my PhD in Psychology with Capella University. So I need to get back to writing here. This new posting looks at vacations. <br />
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We all go on vacations for various reasons. The prime reason for many is to take a break from the daily grind of everyday life. A couple of weeks ago we took a short vacation trip to Redding, California with a primary reason of visiting a church, Bethel, that is known for its worship music. As a family we have always enjoyed their worship music so we wanted to experience worship there. We learned that many people travel to Redding to experience Worship at Bethel Church. Matter of fact, I was speaking with a local at an Indian restaurant and mentioning we were in town to visit Bethel he said, “That does not surprise me.” He shared many come to visit that church. <br />
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Of course, we also enjoyed the amazing nature of Redding and Sacramento while we were there. One of the most pleasant nature experiences was the Turtle Bay Exploration Park and the Sundial Bridge pictured above. The Sacramento River runs through it. Also in Sacramento near the hotel we stayed there was a wonderful park with a pond we walked around. We are not big into shopping so it is the nature sights that move us.<br />
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We went to Bethel Church and found they have a prayer chapel that we enjoyed going to each morning for personal prayer and devotion time in the mornings. We attended two services, one Friday evening was a live stream to their college center where we were; as the main church was having a retreat for church members only. We were a little disappointed, but not with the worship music and the teaching that night was by visiting Pastor Erwin McManus from Mosaic Church in Hollywood. He gave a powerful message encouraging how Christians should be the church in their daily life. He pointed out how Christians should be there best in life in their career and their best in interactions with others. <br />
On Sunday we attended worship at the main church campus. The worship music was very inspiring and pointed to Christ. Then the sermon that day by Pastor Eric Johnson presented an important reminder that the Christian life is not seeking blessings but to follow Christ as a servant. He used the apostle Peter as an example of servanthood. Peter was not perfect and we are not perfect. God used Peter for great things and we can do great things. <br />
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With all the bad news of the Corona virus as we left for California, the nature of California and the worship and teaching at Bethel refreshed our spirits. This vacation gave us a new look at how to do a vacation. As we look across the country there are other vacations we are looking forward to visit and listen to pastors we want to hear as part of the vacation experience. <br />
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<b>Reflection:<br />
Some go on vacations for history, some go for fun, some go for cultural events, and our recent vacation was for visiting a church my wife and I wanted to visit. What are aspects of a vacation that you look for when you go on a vacation? </b><br />
Frank Coulsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14665447698082232430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284429078495128947.post-6393162469200566412020-01-13T10:28:00.001-08:002020-01-13T10:28:14.320-08:00Big Goal Finished and Creating New Goals<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvoSX2Aug_nBjm2DzyEFIOutb_Pla_e-bp7-ztJ4uaFU0PmY-jCcMpq6ktCIi505ZPtkFLrTEFY_aeFUsnSQQ6sZZ8Vo_3xCNtXCJs0DghEI45qvMSCxJYeu0Xe0VLg-GE5fLUQ8xWNGJb/s1600/3pic1roadchoices.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvoSX2Aug_nBjm2DzyEFIOutb_Pla_e-bp7-ztJ4uaFU0PmY-jCcMpq6ktCIi505ZPtkFLrTEFY_aeFUsnSQQ6sZZ8Vo_3xCNtXCJs0DghEI45qvMSCxJYeu0Xe0VLg-GE5fLUQ8xWNGJb/s320/3pic1roadchoices.png" width="320" height="240" data-original-width="500" data-original-height="375" /></a></div><br />
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Moving into the New Year of 2020 I have been in conversations with people working on personal goals for the New Year. In my book <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/living-more-than-ok-frank-coulson-m-ed-m-div-lpc/1117250795?ean=9781491828311">Living More Than OK</a>, I give one chapter to dreaming big and setting goals. For the recent past years, my main goal has been to finish my long range goal of my PhD in psychology. As I started this year I received notice from <a href="https://www.capella.edu/">Capella University</a> that my dissertation was approved for publishing and that I met requirements for graduation. This was an amazing feeling as I never thought I would finish. The event also made me think what next goal is the right direction for me.<br />
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There was so much physical and emotional energy tied into finishing my dissertation that now I need to regroup mentally and move forward. As I regroup mentally I reflected on a short article in the most recent issue of <a href="https://www.success.com/">Success magazine</a>. The article was Always Looking Forward 3 Goal-Setting Myths by motivational coach <a href="https://www.simontbailey.com/">Simon T. Bailey</a>. He was trying to reframe thoughts on goals by looking at a few myths about goals.<br />
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The myths of goals he mentioned were: “The Goal is the Destination”, “Goals are Fixed Once they’re written down”, and “I need to wait until I can apply a particular framework perfectly”. <br />
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With the first myth, “The Goal is the Destination” his reminder was that we sometimes don’t perfectly reach our goal. Changes occur in life and maybe we reach a point where a better option occurs. In my case I did reach my goal of the PhD, but it took longer than expected with the twists and turns of life. Many times I wanted to give up but I had a Mentor professor who encouraged me to not give up. I went so far as posting a sign “Never Give Up” to remind me. <br />
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The second myth “Goals are Fixed Once they’re written down” reveals the important of re-editing goals as time moves on. Be open to shifts that require a change in your goal. He does bring out the point that it is important to write goals down but be open to making changes as needed. This reminds me of Dr. Jim Bright’s work on Chaos Theory of Careers in keeping an open and flexible mind as we work on goals in our lives. <br />
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Then the final myth he considers is “I need to wait until I can apply a particular framework perfectly”. Is there an exact formula to reaching a goal? Some books and experts promote that, but waiting for the perfect wording may keep a person from never moving forward. <br />
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The important thing is to take time to think through where you want to go with your plans for the future in this new year. If you follow a religious faith take extra time in prayer to gain insights into which path to follow. With my PhD done that is where I am at now. What direction or plan does God have for me to move in now? There is a purpose for us in every season of life so begin to work on a goal to begin your journey in 2020.<br />
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<b>Reflection: What is the most recent goal you have achieved? Did it change any from its initial version? What is a goal or goals for your New Year?<br />
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</b>Frank Coulsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14665447698082232430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284429078495128947.post-4555680872121582182019-12-22T09:09:00.000-08:002019-12-22T09:09:22.995-08:00Music Adds to the Holiday Spirit<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkq48GQl7uAfEzWdM56RF1fOsQo6_XSfizNEeq6mdRB4kIBCHuzGcNa7wHhj5Y5Cdcecd8653fjdXN5i9Ja7wguAdX9PiN8wFx396E6o49975pRUiSm4hqOMdLeViWq-8-isnjc5GnbMRT/s1600/img_0009_0056.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkq48GQl7uAfEzWdM56RF1fOsQo6_XSfizNEeq6mdRB4kIBCHuzGcNa7wHhj5Y5Cdcecd8653fjdXN5i9Ja7wguAdX9PiN8wFx396E6o49975pRUiSm4hqOMdLeViWq-8-isnjc5GnbMRT/s320/img_0009_0056.jpg" width="320" height="240" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1200" /></a></div><br />
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Christmas is one of my favorite holidays. Time-wise it comes right after my favorite holiday Thanksgiving. With Christmas, the magic of the holiday comes for me, out of the amazing love story that is the basis of my worldview of Christianity. Other world religions main themes focus on people, striving after trying to reach God. With Christianity the theme is God reaching down to us humans by sending his Son, Jesus to sacrifice his life for us. The church we have been attending has had a message series, The Gift, and Jesus if the gift to us. <br />
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Along with the message of the story of Christmas the music adds to the Holiday Season. Music has always been important to my life and in the past years many of my blog posts focus in on music. So far this season there has been two standout musical experiences. <br />
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One Saturday in November my wife and I enjoyed morning coffee at a small town coffee shop in Seguin. While we were enjoying our coffee and scones an elderly gentleman came over to us and began to tell us of the upcoming <a href="http://www.mtsymphony.org/Info/Events/Events.aspx">Mid-Texas Symphony</a> concert coming soon in December. He told us not to miss it. So along came December 15th and we went to the University Hall in Seguin. It was an uplifting concert. The concert began with The Christmas Festival by Anderson and ended with the popular Sleigh Ride by Anderson. Hearing those tunes reminded me of playing in my high school band in Barberton, Ohio playing those same songs at the Christmas concert back years ago. The symphony also played selections from the Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky. That brought back memories of seeing the Nutcracker ballet back when I lived in Chicago. Music is powerful in bringing back memories. <br />
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The following week I was looking on television for any Christmas specials and TBN was showing a Christmas special by Keith & Kristyn Getty. I had never heard of them before but I am glad we watched the special. They are from Ireland and the band that was with them played the Christmas carols with an Irish flair. Here is an example of their performing Joy Has Dawned/Angels We Have Heard On High (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibe5zRch8bU">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibe5zRch8bU</a> ). The performances made us wish we were live at the concert. It seems like they tour the US each Christmas season so we will look them up next year to go hear them.<br />
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Be it at a live concert, at home watching a special or driving along listening to Christmas music the songs of Christmas add joy to our inner spirit during the Holidays. I have been too busy to bake much this year, but the one evening while baking some cookies I had Christmas music of the <a href="https://www.trans-siberian.com/index/home">Trans-Siberian Orchestra</a> playing in the background. Listening to the music heightened the experience of Christmas baking for me. <br />
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During this Holiday Season add some music into your experience. You will note that it adds to a relaxation and inner joy. Music can also bring up pleasant memories from Holidays in the past. <br />
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<b>Reflection: What is your favorite Christmas song? What has been your favorite musical experience this Holiday thus far? A community event? A school event? A church event? </b><br />
Frank Coulsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14665447698082232430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284429078495128947.post-41101272133727689622019-12-14T19:28:00.000-08:002019-12-14T19:28:19.475-08:00Enjoy Small Towns at ChristmastimeWith a recent breakthrough on my PhD dissertation, I found myself with a desire to write again in my blog. After a stress-filled hiatus from writing here, I thought what topic do I write on? The topic came from a weekend getaway my wife and I did last week. We traveled for an overnight stay in Georgetown, Texas for their Christmas Stroll event. I have noticed here in Texas, many small towns have what they call the Christmas stroll where the downtown is decorated for Christmas and the townsfolk come out and enjoy the decorations and shop at the stores. <br />
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We arrived in Georgetown early on the Friday of the stroll and received a guided tour of the town library. The lady who gave us the tour, Teresa, is the person a month prior on another visit told us we had to come see the Georgetown square and the Christmas stroll was a must do experience. She is a volunteer at the Georgetown library and told us all about the National Medal for Museum and Library Service award the library won in 2018. She is probably their biggest cheerleader. Teresa exuded with passion for the library and for the city of Georgetown. The city has a beautiful library and I was glad to see all they are doing to promote reading to children and teens. The picture above this paragraph is a statue that someone had donated to the library. <br />
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Later that evening we enjoyed the Christmas stroll. The lights around the square were breathtaking. There was a festival atmosphere with a variety of booths with art and knick-knacks for sale. Of course there was a variety of foods available as well. A local church sponsored a Bethlehem section with displays set up and a live nativity scene that was captivating. A church member said they had done the Bethlehem scene at the Christmas stroll for about 13 years. It was a relaxing and enjoyable evening with just the right amount of chill in the air for a Texas Hill Country Wintry evening. <br />
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During the time on the town square we bumped into Teresa again so we strolled around together and she gave us insights into the history of the city. I later reflected to myself that if we had not met Teresa a month prior my wife and I would not be enjoying their beautiful town square event. I took this as a Godwink. <br />
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We stayed at the Olive Tree Inn there in Georgetown right across from Southwestern Texas University. It is a Bed & Breakfast of a rehabbed house that was built in the early 1900’s. The ladies that are the hostesses, Sandra and Eleanor, are so friendly and provide a gourmet home-style breakfast in the morning. <br />
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Sometimes with the stress of work and life you just need to get-away for even an overnight stay. I learned that during the holidays it adds joy to life to visit and experience small town America and join in with their holiday traditions. <br />
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<i>Reflection: Is there a small town near you that you would enjoy to visit? Don’t put it off. Make time to go on a short enjoyable get-away.<br />
<b><b></b></b></i>Frank Coulsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14665447698082232430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284429078495128947.post-57584464174553585322019-08-07T13:36:00.000-07:002019-08-07T13:36:57.617-07:00A Man’s Dream to Change the World<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh04zsu0vLZlyYlB8pwhe3uvzykRUzWUvuWwMtvFGPXXodcuU7XK9ZhGPgpz-Lo7MItePX53XK0358MRVvSA192VhvROfMW1bBddJOi6yiKz20ZFOuHdiVf8hZcESp4yXJqf7tgx-pi5Fyr/s1600/img_2344.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh04zsu0vLZlyYlB8pwhe3uvzykRUzWUvuWwMtvFGPXXodcuU7XK9ZhGPgpz-Lo7MItePX53XK0358MRVvSA192VhvROfMW1bBddJOi6yiKz20ZFOuHdiVf8hZcESp4yXJqf7tgx-pi5Fyr/s320/img_2344.jpg" width="320" height="240" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1200" /></a></div><br />
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Back in the 1980’s while working on my first Masters degree at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, I had a mentor who introduced me to the writings of Dr. Shad Helmstetter. He suggested the book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/What-When-Talk-Your-Self/dp/1501171992/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=what+to+say+when+you+talk+to+yourself&qid=1565203682&s=gateway&sr=8-3">What to Say When You Talk to Yourself</a>. It is the best book on self-talk I have ever read. I often recommended it to clients over the years especially with those who had faulty thinking about themselves. I was also glad to see he recently updated it in an updated edition. A short time ago I came across a autobiography Dr. Helmstetter had written titled, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Boy-Who-Wanted-Change-World/dp/0983631263/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=">The Boy Who Wanted to Change the World</a>. I read it so I could gain insights from his life. <br />
There are many standout items about his life that can be learned through his biography. One that comes up early on is that he was a believer in dreams and creating goals. Early on in his life he wrote down how he wanted to write a bestselling book. This was years before What to Say When You Talk to Yourself, and he did it. <br />
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He grew up in the Midwest in a Christian family with 6 siblings. He emphasized that his family always ate meals together which built an environment of communication. Both parents encouraged creativity. He says of this, “My father decided to never have a television in our home, and we never had one. That choice proved to be one of the greatest blessings to my childhood. Instead of sitting and watching television we had to be creative.” (page 12) This through his story can be seen as a background of his dreaming big of wanting early on to make an impact in the world.<br />
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He also shared how in the family, he and his siblings were encouraged to think well, so as to be critical thinkers. The encouragement of reading and learning to love music strengthened his thought life. Later when he went into Christian ministry, but then moved to psychology, thinking he may make a bigger impact in life, the importance of thinking stayed a stronghold in his life. Even in the writing of his aforementioned book Dr. Helmstetter emphasized that the thought from Romans 12:2 “be transformed by the renewing of your mind” is a foundation stone of his teaching on the power of positive self-talk. <br />
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In his young years as a teen he often worked in the fields and that experience taught him the importance of self-reflective thinking and having times of solitude. His going through the various phases of his life he tells stories along with what he personally learned from the happenstance events of his life. Reading his life story is a helpful reminder to keep open to learning moments in the events of our lives. <br />
With his desire to get the message of the importance of self-talk out to people he shares the importance of thinking through what we say to ourselves. The importance we need to understand is that we can change our movie scripts. I like that analogy of our lives as a movie, which aligns well with narrative therapy, I have mentioned in the past. We can change by changing the negatives we tell ourselves to a realistic positive movement. I highly encourage people to read Dr. Helmstetter’s What to Say When You Talk to Yourself book and also his life story. <br />
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<b>Reflection: What is a story moment in your life that you have learned lessons for your own growth? Look at your self-talk. What are you feeding your mind with in self-statements that you can change for the better?<br />
</b>Frank Coulsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14665447698082232430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284429078495128947.post-14738387078057613742019-06-02T14:13:00.000-07:002019-06-02T14:13:37.192-07:00Quieting the Noise of Anxiety<br />
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For anxious clients I have worked with over the years their inner lives are often all but quiet. Inner self-talk rattling off often irrational worries and negative self-beliefs keeps their minds noisy and their life restless. Coming across the book, <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/finding-quiet-j-p-moreland/1129853406?ean=9780310597209#/">Finding Quiet</a>, by J.P. Moreland I felt it might be a practical tool for aiding those struggling with anxiety. After reading it I felt it was much more than that.<br />
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J. P . Moreland is the Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University in La Mirada, California. He is a Christian philosopher and apologist, who speaks globally about the Christian faith. I have never heard him in person but I have heard a number of his videos that are on Youtube concerning Christianity and Science, and videos about the Christian life. His speaking is impressive and exudes such confidence so when I read his book, Finding Quiet, I was surprised to read about his struggle with anxiety, panic attacks and depression. His book is a helpful guide on those mental health issues but the much more -- is his honest telling of his journey in overcoming mental health issues of anxiety showing the reality of a “thorn in the flesh” life struggle instead of a quickie Christian miracle.<br />
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Coming at life with a Christian worldview, I do believe Jesus is still in the miracle business yet in most of our lives our reality is God coming along aside our journey. Through the storms of life and our healings physically and mentally are often a process He helps us through. I share in the beginning sections of my book, <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/living-more-than-ok-frank-coulson-m-ed-m-div-lpc/1117250795?ean=9781491828311">Living More Than OK</a>, of life difficulties that led to depression which took time to conquer and still pops up into my life. What I enjoyed about Finding Quiet, is that J. P. Moreland honestly shares his difficulties and the holistic manner of attack that has helped him live and flourish beyond anxiety. <br />
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I will touch on a few highlights of things that helped him in his battle with anxiety. I do encourage you to look for his book online in paperback and ebook. Also you can check with your local library as another way to find a copy of this enjoyable read. <br />
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One of the most important points he brings out in his book in the importance of self-compassion. I like how Moreland says it, “It’s actually all right with God if you are nice to yourself!” (page 56). In this section he brings out the truth of Jesus’ teaching in Mark 12:31 “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Then also Luke 6:31 “do to others as you would have them do to you.” We can’t be loving and compassionate to others if our self-talk is full of negative put downs on ourselves and we have no love for self. Of course Jesus is not telling us to go to the extreme of being narcissists. The truth rings true in listening to those being controlled by depression or anxiety their self-talk is often full of negativity towards themselves and their lives. I remember to this day much of the negatives I placed on myself during my past deep depression.<br />
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On self-compassion he brings out 4 points that should be heeded by all of us in how we treat ourselves. 1) adopting feelings and attitudes toward oneself that are not oppressive and harsh, 2) setting aside being inordinately self-judgmental…e.g. I am such a failure…, 3) not slandering and demeaning oneself, 4) not beating oneself up and demeaning oneself.” (pages 57&58). That piece of insight in and of itself is worth your time in reading his book. <br />
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Another point he brings out that is so helpful with anxious and depressed people is the importance of an attitude of gratitude. He mentions much of the research done by Dr. Emmons of UC Davis, who is a prolific researcher on gratitude. His studies have shown the mental and physical health benefits of being grateful. I often recommend the thankfulness journal idea which many have found helpful in reframing how they look at events in their daily lives. If we look for things in our daily lives to be grateful for, we can then see the sun rays often come through the cloudy events of difficulties in our day. <br />
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I also appreciated his thoughts on reframing our negative self-talk to positive and he brought out the concept of meditating on God’s word. Taking time to quietly reflect meditatively on God’s word is important in shaping our self-talk in a positive fashion. With client’s from a Christian worldview I often discuss meditating on verses of the Bible that relate to their concern or the use of meditating on the Psalms. With those of differing worldviews, (e.g. Buddhism, Hinduism, or Atheism), I encourage them to look at their religious tradition literature and meditate on thoughts from their traditional worldview. Mediation and learning to slow down is so important to quiet down the anxious mind.<br />
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These are just a few of the ideas Dr. J. P. Moreland provides in discussing his journey. I encourage you to read his journey to gain a fuller viewpoint on these point he makes as well as other ideas. As a Counselor I am thankful he encourages those truly struggling to seek professional help. He honestly shares experiences that show in the Christian community there is still stigmas about those seeking profession help with mental issues. I often tell my college students when a family member goes to a doctor for a broken ankle or an illness such as diabetes there is immediate support. “Oh my poor Uncle Joe, he is down with diabetes. How can we help him.” But let Uncle Joe go to a Psychiatrist for depression. “Hey did you hear Uncle Joe is off his rocker? He went to a shrink.” Thankfully there are people of Dr. Moreland’s stature who are honest and open to show there is nothing wrong with getting help for something like anxiety so he can continue to be more effective for God.<br />
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<b>Reflection: What do you feel when you hear a friend or family member is dealing with depression or anxiety? Have you battled with any mental health concerns? Here is a link to one of my favorite Dr. Moreland videos on Youtube give it a listen is it is worth your time. It is titled Loving God With All Your Mind -- <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3pTZgiqcwM">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3pTZgiqcwM</a> <br />
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Frank Coulsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14665447698082232430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284429078495128947.post-38056894111503883792019-05-10T12:59:00.001-07:002019-05-10T12:59:23.362-07:00Think on Truths about Marijuana Then Move to Natural Highs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEaGBS-316goz-Se2huTk1fmepiZd-Lq-1xb2ugi9khmoSpe5WFrL_6zP0F8bch4vQ_ts8GY_u5MiS5KQQllhCW2hIiht9r82kj31dQd5s_vGpfP4v3O1rPlbemJ0rI2uRbOaLPFa0c39p/s1600/img_2052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEaGBS-316goz-Se2huTk1fmepiZd-Lq-1xb2ugi9khmoSpe5WFrL_6zP0F8bch4vQ_ts8GY_u5MiS5KQQllhCW2hIiht9r82kj31dQd5s_vGpfP4v3O1rPlbemJ0rI2uRbOaLPFa0c39p/s320/img_2052.jpg" width="320" height="240" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1200" /></a></div><br />
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In all my college teaching whether it was when I taught College Success courses or in my present teaching of General Psychology, I would bring up the topic of drug use in my lectures. In my counseling with teens often the subject of marijuana comes up. In those sessions I am often hearing how the lies from the media have taken over young minds. Many times I hear from the teens that marijuana is natural so it is good for you and it even cures cancer. Of course there is always the “everyone uses it” thought, that saddens me as the statistics don’t show that to be true. The truth is more like 8-10 percent (<a href="https://talbottcampus.com/marijuana-statistics/">https://talbottcampus.com/marijuana-statistics/</a>). As more states even here in Texas are jumping on the latest “snake oil” of marijuana is the wonder drug, I look for material that reveals the real truth to make young people think through the choices of drug use in their lives. <br />
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Recently I stumbled across a book by reporter and novelist, <a href="http://www.alexberenson.com/">Alex Berenson</a>. The book is entitled <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tell-your-children-alex-berenson/1128864193?ean=9781982103668#/">Tell Your Children: The Truth about Marijuana, Mental Illness, and Violence</a>. (You can check out his book by clicking on the book title). In this non-fiction book Alex uses his journalistic skills to bring the facts to bear about marijuana. He looks at long range research studies in Europe, New Zealand and Australia that reveal correlations between marijuana and mental illnesses such as schizophrenia. He also discusses the increase of violent crimes that have increased in areas where marijuana has been legalized. He documents the evidence so a reader can check it out for themselves. That puts a clear hole in the false argument that marijuana is so safe. <br />
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As to the research studies on marijuana and mental illness, he uses his reporter mind to go into the details and shows how several similar studies in various parts of the world reveal the same correlational statistics on marijuana users and mental illness. Combining those research studies as well as the research and true stories of violent crime from marijuana users the book can come off as a little depressing when compared to the glowing reports of marijuana in many mainstream media reports. Alex at one point even was honest enough to share his research on the ill aspects of marijuana was depressing for him as he researched it. Yet though, it is an important book to force people to think about the realities of the drug marijuana that many want kept hidden in the closet. It is an important book to read from that standpoint. <br />
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Near the end of the book Alex writes: “Time is running short. Even as I write this book, the evidence that cannabis causes mental illness and violence is becoming stronger. New studies and new data have emerged. And even as I wrote this book, marijuana’s move towards legalization in the United States gained momentum.” (pg 222). More states and polls show more and more people are brainwashed into thinking marijuana as a miracle drug and safer than alcohol and cigarettes. Sad to say knowing human nature, many people won’t wake up until the body count increases. When they have loved ones who die because of marijuana then maybe the tide will turn. At the same time I am thankful there are reporters like Alex Berenson who are presenting the facts so people can make a reasoned choice. <br />
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For those who have followed my blog or read my book, <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/living-more-than-ok-frank-coulson-m-ed-m-div-lpc/1117250795?ean=9781491828311">Living More Than OK</a>, (you can check out my book by clicking on the book title) you know I promote the non-profit group, <a href="https://naturalhigh.org/">Natural High</a>, whenever I can. Their work is the basis of my chapter, “Aiming for Natural Highs”. While reading Tell Your Children, I thought of the work they do in trying to encourage young people to aim for natural high passions such as sports, music and the arts instead of drugs. If you are unfamiliar with their work check out their website: https://naturalhigh.org/ I often encourage my college students to build up positive habits they can be passionate about instead of smoking, drinking, or snorting substances to try to find happiness. Some of my natural highs are reading, music and clouds (notice the pictures I use this week).<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqi9scqK6iP5z8GjrgEERSkAMecmdhaCGJ7b7cyVkCG3aDDI3vvKIlsXzsf_fkH3vA9jgQSo7Q-cPdQSTz6GJRUBlxg61A6HpE4WcGNwKyCecQM7tl_9wN8FAGyAsXNK1bD7LJd-6h_FhQ/s1600/img_2116.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqi9scqK6iP5z8GjrgEERSkAMecmdhaCGJ7b7cyVkCG3aDDI3vvKIlsXzsf_fkH3vA9jgQSo7Q-cPdQSTz6GJRUBlxg61A6HpE4WcGNwKyCecQM7tl_9wN8FAGyAsXNK1bD7LJd-6h_FhQ/s320/img_2116.jpg" width="320" height="240" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1200" /></a></div> <br />
Reflection: Take some time to listen to Alex speak on the topic of cannabis and mental illness on Youtube <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7HvGoI5B7g">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7HvGoI5B7g</a> What did you think of his talk? Reflect on your life and think about your hobbies and passions that are your Natural Highs. How do your natural highs impact the quality of your life? What shapes do you see in the pictures of the clouds?<br />
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Frank Coulsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14665447698082232430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284429078495128947.post-45402253591013028362019-04-16T13:42:00.000-07:002019-04-16T13:42:31.054-07:00Enjoying a Passion for Reading<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7v5F0jtDEveaPtdXvd0bEYRdn0skA6DMpiiFym1oHTE-TVL7XiwumPAt0uqADIE-bdiiWzA55eSOg3dIC_6finHE_o-fmYooeJuNfMcHiSdLa0HlzD-5PNJh1W3C7gRKYkgDNT1iSCFeC/s1600/achildreadsBmMOkI2IYAAChtx.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7v5F0jtDEveaPtdXvd0bEYRdn0skA6DMpiiFym1oHTE-TVL7XiwumPAt0uqADIE-bdiiWzA55eSOg3dIC_6finHE_o-fmYooeJuNfMcHiSdLa0HlzD-5PNJh1W3C7gRKYkgDNT1iSCFeC/s320/achildreadsBmMOkI2IYAAChtx.jpg" width="320" height="288" data-original-width="599" data-original-height="540" /></a></div><br />
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Do you have a passion for reading? If so, there is a little book that can aid in your personal introspection concerning your positive habit of reading. The book is <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Id-Rather-Be-Reading-Delights/dp/0801072921/ref=asc_df_0801072921/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312143170987&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=5428431689794183669&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1026651&hvtargid=pla-526299135358&psc=1">I’d Rather Be Reading</a> by Anne Bogel. When I saw the title, I had to agree most of the time I would rather be reading. Anne Bogel is an writer and a passionate reader. She writes a blog -- <a href="https://modernmrsdarcy.com/">Modern Mrs. Darcy</a> inspired by a Jane Austen book. She also has a podcast entitled, <a href="https://modernmrsdarcy.com/what-should-i-read-next/">What Should I Read Next</a>? She definitely models a passion for reading with her life.<br />
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Her book covers many topics and has important insights into the reading life. Even starting in the Introduction I appreciated how she presented questions for readers to think through such as “When you turn to the written word, what are you looking for? What Themes speak to you? What sort of places do you want to vicariously visit? What types of characters do you enjoy meeting on the page?” These are important questions that can guide our selection of new reading options. She makes a good point that in our reading life it is important to think through questions that impact our reading habits.<br />
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I will touch on just a few of many points in the book that stood out to me. One of the most thought provoking sections was her thoughts on how books “find us”. She shared stories of several of her more memorable books she read and how those books came into her life. At the end of that chapter she closes with, “I’ve learned that sometimes, despite my best efforts, a book expectantly finds me and not the other way around. And when it does, it’s okay to reshuffle my To Be Read list and go with it.” I thought through in my life, books I have stumbled upon just at the time I needed them. I believe it is God in His mysterious way knowing what books are often best for us at the right time. <br />
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Another thought she brings out is how books help us see life through the lives of others. They open our eyes to new places. That thought took me back to my early reading years in my elementary school days in the small town of Barberton, Ohio. Books opened my mind to the larger world around me and to the diversity of people in the world. Part of my interest in traveling today I believe came about because of my early reading. <br />
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I fully agree with her thought that books shape who we are, “As a devoted reader, I know what it means for books to shape you – the person you are and the person you were then.” Various authors have had an impact on my life strengthening my beliefs and values. Books have helped shape my career trajectory of going into people helping professions of counseling and teaching. <br />
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I have just touched on a few ideas of many I found interesting in Anne’s book, I’d Rather Be Reading. It is a book that should be in the home of every passionate reader. Her thoughts will help inspire you to be deeper reader and a promoter of reading.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirlhrqcYWmccv5V_K0zpAiLM7G4WCiRc39d5rkweNzxhW9brU3bRUJNzKA77XCiKdMRvkOCo-YIPosPT2uVy4rQrSQIXq_I-Lw7RKDsZO1STDENNAPSv7-Z0e1_ChHrPBd8H6CHQbXKGsi/s1600/fictionreading12435834433_ea6b69ec74_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirlhrqcYWmccv5V_K0zpAiLM7G4WCiRc39d5rkweNzxhW9brU3bRUJNzKA77XCiKdMRvkOCo-YIPosPT2uVy4rQrSQIXq_I-Lw7RKDsZO1STDENNAPSv7-Z0e1_ChHrPBd8H6CHQbXKGsi/s320/fictionreading12435834433_ea6b69ec74_m.jpg" width="320" height="213" data-original-width="240" data-original-height="160" /></a></div><br />
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<b>Reflections: How has reading shaped your life? Are there particular impactful books that came into your life at just the right time?</b><br />
Frank Coulsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14665447698082232430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284429078495128947.post-17381461314037114302019-04-07T09:46:00.000-07:002019-04-07T09:46:43.634-07:00Music as a Therapeutic Tool in Healing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdr4Kmj9kRmzaxqpOShX3OfncogORLlNWgQ9wB3RNyjjbKMQXs7Hdtx52vM9VvZeIUO6i4UI6xuaIEjWFvePxgfzfDtg64mIGCbwcFvE9J3ChSJPIJbGVklVE8m_dDNb99ihUFxkAW4uFM/s1600/musictherapy+foter46675631884_1998226ac6_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdr4Kmj9kRmzaxqpOShX3OfncogORLlNWgQ9wB3RNyjjbKMQXs7Hdtx52vM9VvZeIUO6i4UI6xuaIEjWFvePxgfzfDtg64mIGCbwcFvE9J3ChSJPIJbGVklVE8m_dDNb99ihUFxkAW4uFM/s320/musictherapy+foter46675631884_1998226ac6_m.jpg" width="320" height="248" data-original-width="240" data-original-height="186" /></a></div><br />
This week I wanted to continue in the same topic as my previous blog post that shared how music can be used in the therapeutic healing process. The focus last week looked at how songs can help improve our relationships. This week I am looking at instrumental music, primarily from a neuro researcher and composer who I mentioned in the past on a post on mindfulness.<br />
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Dr. Jeffrey Thompson from the biography section of his website is “the Founder/Director of the Center for Neuroacoustic Research in Carlsbad, California, a research center which is actualizing its vision of ‘Healing the Body*Heart*Mind and Spirit through the Scientific Application of Sound.’” <br />
(<a href="http://scientificsounds.com/index.php/dr-thompson/biography">http://scientificsounds.com/index.php/dr-thompson/biography</a> ). He has been experimenting with the healing nature of sound since the 1980’s. He has a passion for composing and has a variety of compositions on CD and downloads at his store website (<a href="http://scientificsounds.com/index.php/store/healing">http://scientificsounds.com/index.php/store/healing</a> ). Also on the website under the library link you can find articles on the benefit of music to healing and our life journey. <br />
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What are the benefits of music for a person? Under the benefits section he lists benefits that have been found for people. Then in looking in the library section of his website you can see some of the research that backs up the benefits listed. Here is a sampling of some of the benefits listed:<br />
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More calmness<br />
More ability to handle stress<br />
Improved emotional responses<br />
More restorative sleep<br />
Improved physical, emotional and belief system health<br />
Increased energy<br />
Less pain<br />
A better sense of themselves<br />
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On his website under “Benefits” there is a longer list as well as testimonials from those who have used his music products. I myself when working in my office to keep my mind centered and relaxed I often use his music in the background. Also when I give exams in my classes I often have his music playing to help relax the students’ minds to help counter text anxiety. In my counseling practice I often suggest his compositions as a possible choice if they are dealing with anxiety or having trouble sleeping. If you want to hear an example of his music here is a sample of a composition called “Renewal One” found on Youtube -- <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Tm0sjhSF8g">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Tm0sjhSF8g</a> . A number of his works have been posted on Youtube but at his store on his website you can order CD’s, downloads, and mini audio players pre-loaded with 3-6 hours of music. <br />
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Growing in awareness of the power of healing in instrumental music is important in our continual growth of Living a More Than OK life. I also encourage the use of classical music and relaxing jazz music to keep our minds aware or to relax our bodies from stress. I just wanted to emphasize Dr. Jeffrey Thompson today as his music is researched based. I encourage you to check our his website I have listed and read up on some of the articles in his library if you are more interested in the power of music to improve your life and health. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN5dRFQAIGlDomYSCKlUSdVb8IPqfhyphenhyphenAysplsAzenhcRg3f_N9rE_ZUdBcVVqb7eXsLBIQKJMzaEQXp2ZZ3PeFH1amXRm8Nh81aE1UVAXjq6gE3wTWCDM2Lv-eYIaOVbO-f6-W3q2-83yq/s1600/musiclifejourney47454405012_64afe52e75_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN5dRFQAIGlDomYSCKlUSdVb8IPqfhyphenhyphenAysplsAzenhcRg3f_N9rE_ZUdBcVVqb7eXsLBIQKJMzaEQXp2ZZ3PeFH1amXRm8Nh81aE1UVAXjq6gE3wTWCDM2Lv-eYIaOVbO-f6-W3q2-83yq/s320/musiclifejourney47454405012_64afe52e75_m.jpg" width="320" height="140" data-original-width="240" data-original-height="105" /></a></div><br />
<b>Reflection: What instrumental music do you enjoy? Take time to listen to the “Renewal One” composition. What were your feelings while you were listening?</b><br />
Frank Coulsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14665447698082232430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284429078495128947.post-89467561978256537832019-04-02T08:43:00.000-07:002019-04-02T08:43:35.442-07:00Songs Can Help in Relationships<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuSmkwxaeUDWwhhZalZhOppbZ0qVaCqCllbYUsU0mOJ6hm_G2P6ZsmC_HB-BKAGiRhz1CSnswLT4LRwG4lPZ163TQdIYztkmHQ0O44g8PCZqemzbkfBev1DtHSre5f34EDhDySkCLnBQhR/s1600/romance8466054766_453c2be910_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuSmkwxaeUDWwhhZalZhOppbZ0qVaCqCllbYUsU0mOJ6hm_G2P6ZsmC_HB-BKAGiRhz1CSnswLT4LRwG4lPZ163TQdIYztkmHQ0O44g8PCZqemzbkfBev1DtHSre5f34EDhDySkCLnBQhR/s320/romance8466054766_453c2be910_m.jpg" width="320" height="320" data-original-width="240" data-original-height="240" /></a></div><br />
This week I am moving away from the topics of reading and books to music. In the past I have based many blogposts about certain songs. Last week I attended the American Counseling Association conference in New Orleans. One of the sessions I attended related to music as a tool in therapy. The session was entitled, “Using Popular Music to Promote Healthy Adolescent Relationships”. <br />
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The session shared how music can be utilized in helping adolescents who are dealing with troubled personal relationships where they are being controlled and/or facing violence. For many teens music holds a powerful influence in their lives. Various popular songs can aid in opening up important issues in counseling that teens are facing in relationship difficulties with negative boyfriend or girlfriend relationships. For example negative popular songs such as Issues by Julia Michaels or Jealous by Nick Jonas can aid in discussion of some of the negatives within their relationships. On the other hand positive songs like Congratulations by Ne-Yo or Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeran can help in discussing good things they can grow within their relationships. Of course the important thing is to find songs that adolescents will enjoy and be able to relate to in their hearts and minds. It was suggested to first find out what music the teens are interested in. That is often one topic I discuss with teen clients so I know what music will work with them. <br />
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In my counseling I often use motivational music with teens and relational music with couple counseling. Music is an effective tool often with most people from children to adults. As my family and I were driving back to Texas we were listening to a CD by Danny Gokey. One song, Better Than Gold made me think of this particular session. It is a song that speaks of a romantic relationship. As in the past if you click on the title of the song I have it hyperlinked to a video of the song. Listen to it now and think over the words. <br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4FBVtbHSaA&start_radio=1&list=RDN4FBVtbHSaA">Better Than Gold</a> by Danny Gokey (click on the title to hear the video)<br />
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<i>The day that my whole life changed<br />
Was the moment I laid eyes on her<br />
The way she took my breath away<br />
I fell so hard in fact it hurt<br />
She made me feel just like I discovered<br />
Something precious and rare (so rare)<br />
Made me come alive<br />
Took me from my zero to a millionaire<br />
Chorus-<br />
She's like the woman I need<br />
She makes my world complete<br />
She snuck right out of my dreams<br />
I know she's better than gold<br />
She makes my life so sweet<br />
Special delivery from heaven straight to me<br />
I know she's better than gold<br />
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She's mine, all mine, she's better than gold<br />
She's fine, so fine, she's better than gold<br />
She's mine, all mine, she's better than gold<br />
She's better than gold<br />
All my friends are saying, "slow down"<br />
There's so much treasure I have left to see<br />
But she's got me sold out<br />
I'm richer than a man deserves to be<br />
She makes me feel just like<br />
I discovered something precious and rare<br />
Perfectly designed, she's a living work of art without compare</i><br />
(back to chorus) from https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/dannygokey/betterthangold.html<br />
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Gokey’s lyrics speak of a love where he feels blessed by being in relationship with his precious and rare woman, “I'm richer than a man deserves to be, She makes me feel just like I discovered something precious and rare.” That phrasing made me think over how better our relationships with our significant partners could be if we viewed the partner in our lives as a precious commodity such as gold. He feels richer in his life because of his relationship with his “better than gold” partner. If we view the significant person in our life as precious we will honor, respect and love them. <br />
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We can see his infatuated love in the lines, “She's like the woman I need, She makes my world complete.” Those are good lines to remind someone in a relationship to temper their thinking, in not to expect the other person to make their lives complete. No other person on this earth can make ourselves complete. That is too much of a burden to place on another person. I encourage people to instead work on building up themselves so they are not relying on the other person with too high of expectations. Of course regular readers, know I come at life from a Christian worldview, so those of us in this tradition seek to find personal completeness in Jesus Christ. When I counsel someone of another religious faith tradition I encourage them to find their completeness in their God or Higher Power. Then those of no particular religious perspective I encourage them to build up their self-esteem so they can give to their partner, rather than attempting to gain their self-esteem from their partner. <br />
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Music is a powerful medium that we can use for self-growth but as the two professors shared in their research, music can also be of help in thinking through and growing our relationships. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCslMuGRc3J4o5OcXLu4iovYGHIa2AEk7DQxXYcOrwsiWHpbpOAmrmn_mwxYUH0g43bvRE8qRG5rga44np1y8HqECgdcHI4S6HJB7OnyTHTf4HvyW0-JgEIKVrlt2SCoKUK_6f2Lew-sGS/s1600/guitarist-music-guitarfoter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCslMuGRc3J4o5OcXLu4iovYGHIa2AEk7DQxXYcOrwsiWHpbpOAmrmn_mwxYUH0g43bvRE8qRG5rga44np1y8HqECgdcHI4S6HJB7OnyTHTf4HvyW0-JgEIKVrlt2SCoKUK_6f2Lew-sGS/s320/guitarist-music-guitarfoter.jpg" width="320" height="213" data-original-width="300" data-original-height="200" /></a></div><br />
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<b>Reflection: What take-away do you find for yourself from the song, Better Than Gold, for your relationship? Think through the songs that are your favorites. Do any of them speak to relationship issues? Take time to look over the lyrics of your song to see what insights you can gain.</b><br />
Frank Coulsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14665447698082232430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284429078495128947.post-31871497023644728632019-03-24T14:31:00.000-07:002019-03-24T14:31:02.183-07:00Finding the Good in Your Reading<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk2hHBX5qVjuCbbifPjkWNBDKgeB20WWYRcd4oiAHtUwMxFN3CfhhUN_N4lnmoPX7vMvPnBWudSGLSs9hZCnAOYBLB6iEy20nYQ7_BnVV0HumaDwmoQi5K-MLKw4Ys7fcXBtP5048XT055/s1600/bookreadingwell9781587433962.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk2hHBX5qVjuCbbifPjkWNBDKgeB20WWYRcd4oiAHtUwMxFN3CfhhUN_N4lnmoPX7vMvPnBWudSGLSs9hZCnAOYBLB6iEy20nYQ7_BnVV0HumaDwmoQi5K-MLKw4Ys7fcXBtP5048XT055/s320/bookreadingwell9781587433962.jpg" width="207" height="320" data-original-width="285" data-original-height="440" /></a></div><br />
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This week I continue in the same vein of looking at the importance of building a habit of reading. In doing so I would like to share some thoughts on an excellent book for Bookheads. The title is, <i>On Reading Well: Finding the Good Life Through Great Books</i>. The author is Karen Swallow Prior. She is Professor of English at Liberty University as well as a Research Fellow with the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, and a Senior Fellow with Liberty University’s Center for Apologetics and Cultural Engagement. She has written for magazines such as: Christianity Today, The Atlantic, Think Christian, and many other publications.<br />
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Some of her thoughts in the beginning reminded me of C.S. Lewis’ thoughts on stories. Professor Prior encourages readers to find pleasure in reading. A quote relating to this is “Read books you enjoy, develop your ability to enjoy challenging reading, read deeply and slowly, and increase your enjoyment of a book by writing words of your own in it.” (page18). The reminder is to not rush through a book but take time to allow the book to soak into your mind and soul. <br />
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One of the many important aspects of her book I gleaned from her writing was the good we can gain for our lives by understanding the virtues and character qualities, we can learn from fiction books as we read with a reflective spirit. She provides perspective on this point through the ages of literature. Even going back to the great Greek philosophers she points out, “Aristotle introduces the notion of literature’s cathartic effect, an idea that has had widespread influence, referring to the way literature trains emotions by arousing them and resolving them through the structure of a well-crafted plot” (page 20). She goes on to share how Aristotle’s thinking on understanding of characters in stories can possibly be considered as a learning tool for improving the inner character qualities in readers. <br />
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That thought of how readers can improve their lives by deep immersion into the fiction they read, was an important personal take-away from this book. Professor Prior takes the reader of Reading Well, through a journey of various virtues that are emphasized in various classic novels. By reading her examples one can learn how to look for the good for themselves in other works of literature. <br />
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Some of the virtues that she covers in the book are: Courage, Justice, Hope, Love, Diligence, Kindness and others. Some of the books she critiques to show how the various virtues are found in them are: <i>A Tale of Two Cities</i>, by Charles Dickens; <i>The Road</i> by Cormac McCarthy; <i>The Death of Ivan Ilych</i> by Leo Tolstoy; <i>Ethan Frome</i> by Edith Wharton and <i>Pilgrim’s Progress</i> by John Bunyun. <br />
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I don’t list all the virtues nor all the books titles to entice you to check out the book for yourself at <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Reading-Well-Finding-through-Great/dp/1587433966/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=on+reading+well&qid=1553462712&s=gateway&sr=8-2">Amazon</a> or <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/on-reading-well-karen-swallow-prior/1127953183?ean=9781587433962#/">Barnes & Noble</a> (Click on either to link to the book). Or as I often suggest check at your local library to see if their reference department can find a copy for you. <br />
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Some of the books listed by her, I had read before, but the insights she brought to bear made me want to re-read them. Re-reading a book is a habit that C.S. Lewis promoted in the book I mentioned in last week’s blogpost. There were also authors I had not read before and she piqued my interest in their writings. More importantly Professor Prior showcases the personal good and benefit a reader can gain by deeply reading a work of literature and gleaning lessons for one’s life from the books we read. <br />
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<b>Reflection: Think over the fiction books you have read. Has there been any standout lessons you have learned from the books? Think through the main characters of a favorite book. Are there any virtues you learn from the character’s life and actions in the book?</b><br />
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Frank Coulsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14665447698082232430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284429078495128947.post-28633793842172552832019-03-17T15:45:00.000-07:002019-03-17T15:45:00.052-07:00Appreciating Reading Thoughts from Great Writers<br />
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I am back at writing in Living More Than OK after a lengthy hiatus. From the stress of working on the dissertation, (which still isn’t done- but closer), to other problems I decided I should still take time to do some work on my blog. With my starting to write again in my blog I thought it best to share some thoughts on one of my favorite activities reading.<br />
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Reading has been a lifelong passion. I recently finished a book <i>On Stories</i>, by C. S. Lewis. It is a collection of Lewis’ essays on writing. C.S. Lewis has always been one of my favorite authors with his fiction of Chronicles of Narnia and his non-fiction on spiritual issues such as his Mere Christianity. In this compilation of essays he shares about the works of some of the favorites authors he enjoyed reading such as Charles Williams, E. R. Eddison, Tolkien and Dorothy Sayers. He discusses some of their great works and why he enjoyed their writings. His discussion got me interested in looking into some of the writings of Williams and Eddison as I have read Tolkien and Sayers.<br />
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In his essay “On Stories” he emphasizes the importance of story. He looked at various aspects such as excitement. With excitement each reader has their own feelings of what excitement means. He also brings out how stories many times bring out the supernatural or what is marvelous about life. Along with what is marvelous about stories that are good often bring a sense of awe to the story line with the characters. <br />
With his thoughts on awe he moves also to free will. Lewis writes, <i>“We have just had set before our imaginations something that has always baffled the intellect: we have seen how destiny and free will can be combined even how free will is the modus operandi of destiny.” </i>(page 21). This balance is seen in stories and can help the reader in understanding real life that we face in our daily journey. Our lives as we reflect often show a balance of Destiny and free will at work. This thoughts relates also to how story to Lewis is important to pleasure and the pleasure in story can aid in our enjoying pleasure in life. As he puts it, <i>“And in the same way the whole story, paradoxically enough strengthens our relish for real life. This excursion into the preposterous sends us back with renewed pleasure to the actual.”</i>(page 20). From this though we can learn to appreciate how the pleasure of reading can bring new levels of pleasure as we live out the story of our lives.<br />
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I also enjoyed in the book how Lewis shared how his fictional works began with pictures in his mind. <i> “One thing I am sure of. All seven of my Narnia books, began with seeing pictures in my head.” </i>(page 79). This shows the importance of visualizing in our lives. He used pictures in his mind to help create the stories. By thinking of pictures in our minds we can improve our level of creativity.<br />
Excitement, awe and pleasure are important take-aways from our fiction reading. As I look back on the fiction works I have read over the years I see those terms and others that come to play. Reading often opened up feelings of curiosity to learn more about things I read about in books. Also I can think of times I read when I was young and it gave me an appreciation for the amazing world around me to seek to travel and see other cultures.<br />
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<b>Reflection: How do you relate excitement, awe and pleasure to the books you read. What favorite authors do you have and what do you learn from their writings?</b><br />
Frank Coulsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14665447698082232430noreply@blogger.com0