psychology
Learning To Deal With Toxic Individuals
If, as many teachings suggest, there is spiritual growth in every experience, and in particular the more difficult times, then being strongly affected by another person’s negative behavior must also be one of life’s lessons.
I have been pondering this because of the increase in psychic reading calls I have been getting related to this very topic. Some of my clients have been profoundly upset lately by the negative outbursts of people in their lives, including family, friends, partners, work colleagues, or even random altercations in public places.
I love these words from the poem Desiderata: “Avoid the loud and the aggressive – they are vexations to the spirit.” How very true. However, more often than not, we are not in the position to avoid those individuals altogether, in order to escape their toxic influence. Even in a friendship turned sour, we often want to give the toxic friend the benefit of the doubt, knowing that they don’t always behave that way. We might even be in love with a negative person, hoping we can change them one day. Continue reading
Healing The Spirit
Imagine a vehicle created today that will not only be able to assess, from an inner guidance system, any damage done to it at a given time, but also have the wherewithal to be able to make all the appropriate repairs by itself. We would most likely be lined up in droves to witness this immaculate event, because more than likely we would not trust that this could be true. We would have to experience for ourselves if it truly possible.
Do you remember, as a little kid, falling and skinning your knee? What did you do at the time? Did you just have mom clean it off, allow a scab to cover it, which is your body’s natural way of saying, “Let me put this protective coating on to make sure there is no further damage.” And then all you had to do was just let your knee recover and heal by itself, with no further help from anyone or anything, because your body knows inherently what to do. Continue reading
Signs You Are Being Gaslighted
You’re crazy, that never happened. You’re too sensitive. You’re making things up. No one else has ever said that about me. I get along with everyone else except you. I’ve never had this problem with anyone else but you. Everyone says you’re crazy. I’m not cheating, so maybe you are… since you are accusing me. You are too sensitive.
These are just some of the things you might hear when someone is gaslighting you, when you have confronted them with their own issues or manipulations.
Gaslighting is a form of abuse that is more common in romantic relationships, but it can occur in landlord and tenant relationships, friendships, employee and employer relationships, and even in relationships with neighbors. It is basically the art of messing with someone’s mind or reality. Sometimes it is done in an obvious way, right in front of the person, and sometimes it is under the radar and you don’t you know who is gaslighting you, or even if you are actually being gaslighted. Continue reading
Signs You Might Be Overstressed
Almost all of us are under stress of some kind, whether it’s from work, family life, financial situations, or countless other sources. But how do when we know when it all gets to be too much?
Sadly, we tend to overlook the very real, physical signs our bodies give us, to let us know that the stress is all too much. If you’re experiencing one or more of these symptoms, it might be time to take a look at how to reduce stress levels and get your total health on track.
Pain in our bodies is probably the most obvious sign something is wrong, yet it tends to get ignored until it’s almost too late. Aches and pains, stomach issues, muscle tension, and heart palpitations are among the most common. Also, when we’re under stress, our sleep may suffer. Sleep is crucial to a person’s well-being, and if we’re not getting enough sleep (or too much) the entire body suffers as a result. Continue reading
The Highly Sensitive Person’s Survival Guide
Imagine for a moment that you have a radio, and instead of tuning in to a single stations, all of the stations are playing at once. That’s what life sometimes feels like to a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) – a designation coined by psychologist Dr. Elaine Aron, which indicates someone whose senses are more attuned than normal to the stimuli around them. The word “empath” is sometimes used to describe highly sensitive people, and other groups, such as those on the autism spectrum.
Aside from sealing themselves in soundproof rooms, or wrapping up in padded clothing, what can they do in a world which sometimes delivers sensory overload? It’s best for the HSP to avoid certain things and situations. Continue reading
What Your Face Is Telling You
There is an ancient belief system that everything can be seen in one’s face. Your emotional state, your physical state, warnings, strengths and weaknesses. Lines on the forehead are said to represent issues with the intestines. Lines between the eyebrows, just above the eyes, represent issues with the liver, while lines under the eyes represent issues with the kidneys. Lines or swelling of the nose represent issues with the heart, and lines above the lip, below the nose, represent issues with the sexual organs.
Lines or wrinkles are inevitable. However, we have all seen someone in their 20s who has lines as deep and prolific as an 80 year old, and sometimes you see an 80 year old who has the skin of a 25 year old. What is their secret? Continue reading
Why Is God Not Hearing Your Prayers?
Yesterday, my best friend called me. She has been my friend since second grade. Her family moved to our island from the main land during the summer before our second grade year. Like me, she was witty, funny, and full of energy, and we became really good friends. She became the sister I never had.
Unfortunately, although she had always been full of life and fun, she has also always been very stubborn when it came to certain ideas and her belief system. Her family, like mine, was very religious and I was so sure she would end up a nun some day, but she did not. Her heart found love and desires like the majority of us. She married much younger than me, in her late 20’s, and she is still with the same husband today who also is the father of her three beautiful, grown children. Continue reading