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Ambivalence (noun): the state of having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone. – New Oxford American Dictionary I believe that fear is an ambivalent emotion that influences our behavior in unexpected and/or conflicting ways. Fear most often is seen as preventing positive, desired actions; it also is capable of promoting the opposite…
The thing about denial is that it doesn’t feel like denial when it’s going on. – Georgina Kleege On my website, last week’s blog was entitled, “The Second Opinion.” It dealt with my feelings about seeking one after being diagnosed with cerebellitis. It seemed obvious to everyone except me that another opinion was warranted. Intellectually,…
Two heads are better than one, not because either is infallible, but because they are unlikely to go wrong in the same direction. – C.S. Lewis After being released from the hospital, my doctors recommended a series of physical therapy appointments. I was scheduled for three sessions per week, lasting two hours or more. After…
Even if the hopes you started out with are dashed, hope has to be maintained. – Seamus Heaney I hope I get a new bicycle for Christmas; I got a sweater. I hope I got an “A’ on the exam; I got a “D”. I hope I pass my driver’s test; I flunked again. Hope…
Prayer does not change God, but it changes him who prays. – Soren Kierkegaard Last week’s blog dealt with the evolution of my image of God. In Catholic grade school, I obediently believed what I was told and recited the traditional prayers taught to me. In Jesuit high school, I questioned what I had…
Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything. – George Bernard Shaw Progress often is achieved one step at a time; occasionally, however, it is hindered by one step forward and one step back. Such is the nature of life in most endeavors. The ability and willingness to…
A day of worry is more exhausting than a week of work. – John Lubbock Worry and guilt are powerful emotions that often become overwhelming and physically and mentally draining. This has been the case for me regarding many adverse afflictions in my life. Cerebellitis and its aftermath is unquestionably one of the predominant ones.…
Just when I think I have learned the way to live, life changes. – Hugh Prather At the end of my first year in college, I found myself on the horns of a dilemma. A fear of change led to worry, guilt, and indecision. These feelings were not new to me, but they never seemed…
Worry is a cycle of inefficient thoughts whirling around a center of fear. – Corrie Ten Boom As a child, teenager and young adult I experienced bouts of worry that were common among most people my age. Looking back on those years, I now realize that my encounters with worry were more frequent, intense, and…
Never let the fear of striking out get in your way. – Babe Ruth In my last blog, Doing It Afraid, I wrote about coming face-to-face with a particular fear and acting in spite of it. Today’s blog tells a different story. After spending a month in the hospital being diagnosed and treated for cerebellitis,…