Suffering from the disease to please? What's so bad about being nice? If we're determined to be "nice" at all costs, then something's wrong---perhaps with us. In a previous post I wrote about the "Inauthentic Niceness Syndrome." In this post, I'll discuss our sincerity in trying to be nice---but often to the detriment of our own emotional well-being. Growing up in California, I was raised on the ethos of niceness. "Be nice," was a mantra in my family, in our Latter-day Saint Church culture ... VIEW POST
The Price of Nice
Are You Afraid of Your Own Greatness?
Greatness and humility can co-exist. Years ago, I read an article about poverty-stricken people who live in America's Blue Ridge Mountains. I was surprised to learn that many teenagers and young adults who were born into poverty stay there because of family pressure. Why? Wouldn't parents want their children to have a better life? Wouldn't young adults desire that for themselves? The answer is obviously yes, but only to a point. As a person attempts to work his or her way out of poverty, ... VIEW POST
Step 3 of the 12 Steps: Trust In God
Feeling unloveable? I have a dear friend who has many qualities I admire. Whenever I complimented her, she shrugged it off. When I pointed this out to her, she said, "I guess I don't believe you when you tell me good things about myself." I'm hoping she's learning to believe me. Years ago, I had a similar mindset toward God. When I felt the Spirit whisper of Heavenly Father's love for me, well, I sort of believed it. When I prayed, I felt God telling me that I was a good and acceptable ... VIEW POST
Writing Our Own "Gold Plates"
Making our records are sacred. I don't like to write. Ironically, I teach a writing course at my local university, and I write this blog. Still, I don't enjoy writing. Here's why I do it: I write to influence. Well-crafted writing can inspire and can change lives. We need look no further than the scriptures as examples of inspirational life changing writ. Although the scriptures were written by holy prophets, we can also see the "normalcy" and frailties of these authors as human beings. (I ... VIEW POST
Step 2 of the 12 Steps: Hope.
Got guilt? "At some point we must stop anguishing over what is wrong with us and rejoice in what is right within us." Wise words from Latter-day Saint therapist, Wendy Ulrich, in her book Forgiving Ourselves. As Latter-day Saints, some of us (including myself) tend to wear guilt as a badge of honor and humility. But excessive guilt is not honorable; nor true humility. Rather, it's a form of anguish that leaves us languishing in a spiritual and emotional quagmire. Believe me, I know. ... VIEW POST
Too Cold, Too Hot, Or Just Right?
What's the temperature in our LDS Church gatherings? Sometimes, I'm cold. I'll sit on the back row in Relief Society and Sacrament meetings to avoid any real conversation and then dash out the door after the closing prayer. I'm always feeling shy and slightly anxious at the prospect of sitting next to sisters I don't know or who are casual acquaintances. (Even more, I'm slightly uncomfortable even sharing hymn books while singing!) For me, it's simply easier to smile at sisters from across ... VIEW POST
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- …
- 13
- Next Page »