In today’s spotlight issue we turn our attention to the lies we live. There are things that we simply do not want to believe or deal with, so we lie to ourselves even when we know it’s a lie. As such, we tell ourselves things everyday, at least in our actions, which violate our own knowing. Call it rationalization, denial, or just plain old wishful thinking, we nevertheless perpetuate the same old lies over and over again. Things We Don’t Want to Believe For example, let’s think about those so-called ... Read More
I have often been asked, “Why do we play music during your radio interviews?” This week two new articles appeared that reminded me again of this question. The first informed us that, “The rhythms of certain parts of renowned (Beethoven) works may in fact reflect the irregular rhythms of Beethoven’s own heart caused by cardiac arrhythmia. ‘His music may have been both figuratively and physically heartfelt,’ says co-author Joel Howell, M.D., Ph. D, a professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School and member of the U-M ... Read More
In this week’s spotlight, we turn our attention to the notion of happiness. If you ask, “What would make you happier?” –most people will frame their answer around what they might get. If I had more money, I would be happier. If I had more time, I would be happier. If I had less stress, or a better job, or………and the list goes on and on. Research Data When we look at the research data however, we discover that none of the above provides for lasting happiness. Indeed, if you ... Read More
I recently posted a new study on FB that announced, “Dogs hear our words and how we say them.” The article summarized its findings this way: “When people hear another person talking to them, they respond not only to what is being said — those consonants and vowels strung together into words and sentences — but also to other features of that speech — the emotional tone and the speaker’s gender, for instance. Now, a report provides some of the first evidence of how dogs also differentiate and process those ... Read More
It is my philosophy that we are blessed with the ability to think. It is therefore incumbent upon all of us to do just that. To begin we must ask the first question, “Who am I? ” When we truly begin this self-examination process, we typically discover that who we think we are is actually based on how our society has defined us. Indeed, one of my favorite questions today goes like this, “What was your last truly original thought?” Painful Prices When I ask this question I typically receive ... Read More