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If I had no sense of humor, I would long ago have committed suicide. –Mahatma Gandhi Virtually every human being at some point in life encounters adversity: it could be tragic; it could be catastrophic; it could be life threatening. Fear, worry, and anxiety seem overwhelming, often leading to a state of despair with no…
Everything that is done in the world is done by hope. – Martin Luther Hope is universal; hope is the light at the end of the tunnel; hope is the candle flickering in the darkness. Hope, in many ways, is a key to survival. Hope is instrumental in providing the will, determination, and strength to…
Learning to trust is one of life’s most difficult tasks. – Isaac Watts I struggle with two major mental and physical illnesses that, at times, play havoc with my understanding of trust; they seek to destroy it and make it impossible for me to regain and embrace it. It is my hope that the rest of…
Trust is the glue of life. It is the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It is the foundational principle that holds all relationships. – Stephen Covey From childhood through adolescence and into young adulthood, I took trust for granted. Trust meant that what I heard, read, and saw in my encounters with my…
I can imagine few things more trying to the patience than the long wasted days of waiting. – Robert Falcon Scott Imagine being trapped in an underground cave that may soon be filled with water; imagine knowing that a multitude of people including teams of experts are desperately trying to extract you; imagine that you…
There is no greater hell than to be a prisoner of fear. – Ben Jonson I have been held hostage for more than thirty years by two major disabilities: bipolar disorder and cerebellitis. Each one, at times, has limited my abilities physically and/or mentally; each one, at times, has been a source of incarcerating fear.…
The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown. – H.P. Lovecraft Imagine that you and your family are taken hostage, separated from one another, and instructed to wait patiently until your fate is decided. Imagine how long it would take before…
The ‘self-image’ is the key to human personality and human behavior. Change the self image and you change the personality and the behavior. – Maxwell Maltz My self-image changed frequently during my life depending on many factors, such as age, levels of education, work, and health. Rarely did I consciously strive to alter my self-image;…
Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see a shadow. – Helen Keller I took Helen Keller’s thought as a good omen. In spite of several months of vigorous physical therapy treatment following a diagnosis of cerebellitis, my condition had not improved significantly. The encouragement, support, and friendly persuasion offered by Laura and…
Optimism is the key. – Will Champion I am a creature of habit. I also am, as I say, a pessimistic optimist. When confronted with a decision of some consequence, Worry and Doubt are the first ones on the scene. They have been with me a long time; they know my pattern well. They subtly…