Why, when people tell us their truth, is our first reaction to deny it? Why even when that truth is uncomfortable to reveal, like someone admitting their family isn't all the world has cracked it up to be, do we still deny it? Who in the world do we think we are to go around…
Most of us hear the expression "good enough" as rather negative. We tend to associate it with not being good enough. We hear the expression in almost every corner of our lives. We can be "not good enough" to get the job we want, the relationship we crave, to win a competition we are in,…
Research is valuable. Anyone who would attempt to draw meaningful conclusions about anything without researching their subject thoroughly is on a fool's errand. However, with apologies to Brene Brown, data ain't all there is. Data is what we can measure, what is quantifiable, what can be seen, and it is a huge part of our…
Something bad is going to happen to you. It's a matter of time. Quite possibly, over the course of a lifetime, many bad somethings will happen to you. As I see it, you are faced with a few choices. First and foremost, you need to give yourself time to heal and grieve whatever loss has…
If the things that most of us wouldn't think of eating - rattlesnake, scorpion, rodents, all manner of creepy crawly things, endangered species, insects covered in chocolate, and so on - are all said to "taste like chicken," maybe it's time to take another look at whether or not we should be eating chicken. If…
It has been rightly said that the only moment we have is the present moment. The past is gone and cannot be changed. The future has not yet arrived and so is beyond our reach. It seems so obvious, so simple, yet how much time do we spend fixating on the past or dreaming of…
The Puritan streak that remains deeply embedded in American culture would have you believe that morality and your genitals are intimately connected. The resulting attitudes are perhaps among the most unhealthy ones possible. They lead us to see the physical as bad, as somehow distinct from the spiritual and the holy. This view has caused…
I find myself put off by overly aggressive appeals to get me to join a cause, and it doesn't really matter what that cause is. When people start pitching their cause by saying it's the most important cause that ever was or ever will be, I start to feel as if I am at a…
First, a disclaimer: The ideas in this post are under development and not finalized in any way, shape or form. I reserve the right to denounce the entire contents at any time in the future. What if bad isn't bad? Asked another way, what if the things that happen that we identify as bad are…
Fear isn't a bad thing. In fact, when it pops up appropriately it serves an important function - it keeps us safe. When you are crossing the street and hear the sound of a bus bearing down on you, fear arises and helps kick your body into action to avoid becoming road kill. That's good…
Craig Bergland 