As I already wrote in the article on the mental health continuum, not only is there a substantial difference between mental illness and psychological suffering, but it is precisely the most developing individuals who are more often predisposed to psychological crises and periods of suffering. The “normality of the most widespread” does not mean a […]
“Show me a normal person, and I will cure him.”¹ “The normal person is an ideal goal for failures—for all those who fall below the general level of adaptability.”¹ C. G. Jung Pain Is Not Illness One of the most misguided beliefs about psychotherapy is that turning to a psychotherapist for help means that you […]
What, in your opinion, is the factor that most powerfully shapes the way we feel and act? According to cognitive psychotherapy, it is our thinking. The central premise of cognitive psychotherapy is that how we feel about a given thing depends far more on how we think about it than on the thing itself. This […]
“Once upon a time, in an ancient city, there lived a Master surrounded by his disciples. The most gifted among them thought to himself: ‘Is there a question that our Master would be unable to answer?’ He went to a green meadow, caught the most beautiful butterfly, and hid it between his palms. The butterfly’s […]
“If someone does not treat you with love and respect, it is a gift if they walk away from you. If that person doesn’t leave, you will certainly endure many years of suffering with him or her. Leaving may hurt for a while, but your heart will eventually heal. Then you can choose what you […]
“The study of the past can help us clarify many of our problems, but healing does not occur in the past. It occurs in the present. There is a current mania for blaming childhood events for our present despair. What the ego doesn’t want us to see is that our pain doesn’t come from the […]
The Parable of Avicenna and the Apprentice “Avicenna had a very diligent, newly-initiated student. One day, a blind man was brought to the great physician. The Master specified exactly which components to mix to create two poultices. The student followed the instructions perfectly, and the next day, the patient regained his sight. Now, the student’s […]
I recommend this book to you: Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life: Life-Changing Tools for Healthy Relationships ! I recommend it to friends, to clients, to people I train in emotional intelligence workshops, to everyone who wants to improve their skills in communicating with others. I believe that if you read this book carefully, as […]
“A man who has not passed through the inferno of his passions has never overcome them. They then dwell in the house next door, and at any moment a flame may dart out and set fire to his own house. Whenever we give up, leave behind, and forget too much, there is always the danger that the things we have neglected will return with […]
“A student came before the Master Bankei and asked to be helped in getting rid of his violent temper. – ‘Show me this temper,’ said Bankei. ‘It sounds very fascinating.’ – ‘I haven’t got it right now, so I can’t show it to you’, said the student. – ‘Well then, said Bankei, bring it to […]
“The most admirable results in life are usually achieved by simple means and ordinary qualities. They may for the most part be summed up in two words — common sense and perseverance.” — Owen Felltham “Perseverance is failing nineteen times and succeeding the twentieth.” — Julie Andrews
“A father and a son acquired a horse. The next day, they set off to travel through the village. The father said: — Son, you get on the horse, and I will walk. When the villagers saw them, they said: — Hey, look at that son—his father is walking on foot, while he rides! The […]
