"Listen to the Exhortation of the Dawn! Look to this Day! For it is Life, the very Life of Life. In its brief course lie all the Verities and Realities of your Existence. The Bliss of Growth, the Glory of Action, the Splendor of Beauty;  For Yesterday is but a Dream, And To-morrow is only a Vision; But To-Day well lived makes Every Yesterday a Dream of Happiness, And every Tomorrow a Vision of Hope. Look well therefore to this Day! Such is the Salutation of the Dawn!"   by KALIDASA

Thank you for visiting my blog http://www.counselingandemotions.com/ Visit my website to learn more about my counseling services http://www.veraakulov.com/

A meditation course offered by the Art of Living Foundation. Those interested in learning about meditation or deepening their meditation practice.

April 26th- 29th in Mercer Island

http://secure.artofliving.org/course_details.aspx?course_id=12192

Thank you for visiting my blog http://www.counselingandemotions.com/ Visit my website to learn more about my counseling services http://www.veraakulov.com/

Book Recommendations

• 4 Hour Work Week by Timothy Farris -- great ideas how to streamline your work and create more satisfying career path
• How to Stop Worry ang and Start Living by Dale Carnegie -- book full of great examples how people overcame worry and fears
• 40 Days to Personal Revolution by Baptiste Baron-- book to help with lifestyle changes, including weight loss through yoga. 

Thank you for visiting my blog http://www.counselingandemotions.com/ Visit my website to learn more about my counseling services http://www.veraakulov.com/

Lifestyle and Mental Health

An article titled "Lifestyle and Mental Health" by Roger Walsh in American Psychologist 2011 Vol. 66, No. 7, 579-592 caught my eye.

How does our lifestyle contribute to our mental well being? The article lists these eight lifestyle components that if utilized can improve mental well being. 1) Exercise; 2) Nutrition and diet; 3) Nature; (my personal favorite because NW is so beautiful) 4) Positive relationships; 5) Recreation and Enjoyable activities; 6) Relaxation and stress management; 7) Religion and spirituality; and 8) Contribution and Service;

How many of those areas do you incorporate in your lifestyle? What area is the strongest and weakest? Do you agree with this hypothesis?

The author outlines research how each of these eight factors can improve our mental health.  Making an effort to incorporate all those factors may take some time by can be a low cost option in working out our mental well being.

Thank you for visiting my blog http://www.counselingandemotions.com/ Visit my website to learn more about my counseling services http://www.veraakulov.com/

Reading a book called  Why Is It Always About You?
by Sandy Hotchkiss

The book describes people who are narcissistic and how to deal with them.  The author suggests the following seven traits of a narcissism: Shamelessness, Magical Thinking, Arrogance, Envy, Entitlement, Exploitation and Bad Boundaries.

Sometimes the reason we feel badly is because we have people in our lives who treat us badly.  
Is this you? Would you answer yes to any of these statements? Would you answer yes to most or all of these questions?

• Currently experiencing separation stress, loss, panic, depression, problems with intimacy
• Problems with self-esteem and intimacy
• In your work you have not achieved your potential
• Dissatisfied with their job / or employed below skill level
• Current career resulted from family expectations
• Have avoided developing your talents, capabilities, and creativity
• Afraid of being abandoned/rejected
• Afraid of intimacy because you fear losing your identity, possibly being overpowered or controlled
• Seek partners who are parental and take care of you,
• Paint a rosy pictures of other people
• Ignore red flags that indicate impeding problems
• Feel unable to manage life in a mature manner
• Feel dependent on others to take care of you and meet your needs
• You seem younger than your peers
• Your life is full of frustrations and anger because you can’t express yourself fully
• You have difficulty with spontaneity and aliveness of affect
• You have difficulty asserting yourself
• Maintaining your self-esteem is difficult
• You have difficulty with commitments and intimacy
• Its difficult to be creative and spontaneous
• Sometimes you act rashly to obtain instant gratification and feel good, and avoid the affects of painful emotions through excessive work, substance abuse, and sex and/or instant relationship

To build a healthy relationships with others means building a  healthy relationship within yourself.

Thank you for visiting my blog http://www.counselingandemotions.com/ Visit my website to learn more about my counseling services http://www.veraakulov.com/

The middle place

That place in-between or a transitional place in our life can be a painful place but it also can be the most fruitful place in our life.

A nicely written book by William Bridges explains what kind of a place this is

Transitions: Making Sense of Life's Changes, 

When we have to face a loss, illness, a divorce, a career change, a relocation we land in that place. On one hand we know staying in the same place is not good for us but on the other hand moving toward that thing that would make us happy is incredibly difficult and painful. It brings up all kinds of issues inside of us and we struggle in this place before we are ready to step forward.

Thank you for visiting my blog http://www.counselingandemotions.com/ Visit my website to learn more about my counseling services http://www.veraakulov.com/