This post is from my archives. I have a love-hate relationship with December. Many people do. I feel like December adds another 50 percent of things to be scratched off of my “to do” list, and therefore tells my sympathetic nervous system that panic mode is appropriate, that we are aboard the Holiday Titanic and...
“A quotation at the right moment is like bread to the famished,” says the Talmud. I guess that’s why I collect quotations and place them strategically around my desk. When I am emotionally famished —exhausted of trying every cognitive behavioral technique and mindfulness strategy to liberate myself from painful ruminations — I come across a quote...
It’s that time of year again, when esteemed politicians, bestselling novelists, famous actresses, and luminaries of all kinds address graduating seniors and dole out advice for heading into the real world. I like to read commencement speeches from past years, because I find that much of their wisdom speaks to navigating through the challenges of depression...
Austen Heinz was a science geek who turned a radical idea—a scientific approach to laser-print DNA–—into a successful company, Cambrian Genomics. A rising star in Silicon Valley, he was gaining media attention when the pressures of entrepreneurial life started a downhill spiral that ultimately led to his suicide at 31 years old. His story is...
Aristotle once said, “Knowing yourself is the beginning of wisdom,” and Miguel de Cervantes said, “Make it thy business to know thyself, which is the most difficult lesson in the world.” Interpersonal therapy is, of course, one way of getting to know yourself and your triggers. Personal retreats are another—whether they involve an outdoor adventure...
