Resentment, I’m sad to say, best describes my state of mind these days. This is not something I admit easily. Nor do I care for how resentment feels, so join me as I attempt some junior varsity psychoanalysis. Where to begin? You know how it feels on days when you’re just on edge, hair triggered…
Tag: psychology
The Joy of Being an Infertile* Woman
Word swap (inserting infertile or childless to replace other words) has long been my way to make a point about the perils of tribalistic thinking. It’s amusing and informative to highlight one’s myopic perspective. Further, the exercise can reveal insights applicable to other tribes or communities. In this latest example, an author asserts age confers…
Comprenez-Vous? Oui. We Understand Each Other
Understand me? That’s a lot to ask. Misunderstandings, loaded labels and dark suspicions are rampant. Society today is remarkably chaotic on so many levels. It seems we could all benefit if we took a step back, tried to understand and recalled some of what we share in common. First, let’s look at the universality of…
Emotions: First We Get Really Uncomfortable…
Life would be a whole lot more comfortable and easier to navigate if it unfolded neatly or predictably. Alas, that’s not the case for most of us. Mix in a contentious, complex topic (e.g. the inability to reproduce) and watch the discomfort rise. It’s understandable. Beyond the biological unpleasantness, there is upheaval to our sense…
No Wonder I Was Such a Head Case
A recent piece in The New York Times headlined It’s Not Always Depression gave me the chance to play amateur psychologist. Join me on the couch as we explore emotions and how they affect the way we view ourselves or feel on any given day. To make this even more real, take yourself back to…
Trapped in a Dream Cul-de-Sac? ‘The Next Happy’ Provides Path Forward
We all nurture dreams. Some we fulfill — Happy Days! Others imprison us. A new book, The Next Happy: Let Go of the Life You Planned and Find a New Way Forward by Tracey Cleantis gives us the framework to recognize when a dream has morphed into its own special nightmare. Conversational and engaging, Tracey…
New Philosophy: Everything To Gain
How is it that the mind is so much more agile and able to turn over ideas and philosophies with such ease … in the pre-dawn? With rain falling softly against the window at 5am, and my iPad lighting up the room, I swiped my screen to find a Sunday Review piece called Abundance Without…
Not Brought To You By Big Pharma Or Profit-Driven Fertility Clinics
In a Telegraph newspaper column, It’s adults, not teens, who need a sex talk, UK journalist Bryony Gordon describes a friend who runs a fertility clinic in central London who is: …slack-jawed with amazement at all the highly educated, highly paid, highly functioning couples who pass through her doors every day with only the most…
‘Fess Up. What Are Your Blind Spots?
So there are real blind spots… (Note: Each of your eyes has a blind spot at a certain distance from objects. You never take notice because your brain makes up information based on what else is around and what your other eye sees. ) Test Instructions: To discover your blind spot, cover your left eye…
Blogging From Bed: Is That Acceptable?
It’s past 10 am on a Thursday. I’m writing this blog post in bed. Acceptable or unacceptable? On any typical Thursday my answer would be unacceptable. Not allowed, missy! However, I awoke this morning with stitches and pain emanating from my lower left calf. I softly adjusted my position and gave myself permission to take…