This week I wish to turn our attention to a cover story in May’s issue of Psychology Today. The headline reads, “The Voice of Reason.” What exactly is the voice of reason? It seems we have two possibilities going on in our heads all of the time. One we can think of as the voice of treason and the other as the voice of reason. The voice of treason informs us of every little limitation we might be able to think of when it comes to fulfilling our dreams. It literally evokes ... Read More
Over the past several months I have had the opportunity to interview several neuro-scientists—all of whom are considered to be at the top of their game. I have taken one observation to them all with this question, “Where is free will?” Here is the problem. Using fMRI to watch the brain live time we discover that a technician can know what you will decide six or more seconds before you know what your choice will be. Think about that! Non-conscious Thinking Just imagine that you were the subject and you ... Read More
I have long looked at gratitude as one of the corners to what I have called the four-corner philosophy for wellbeing. This Four-Corner perspective is completely developed and fleshed out in my book, Choices and Illusions. The idea behind the Four-Corners is one of structural support for all phases in life, including those moments when seemingly everything goes wrong. Gratitude plays a critical role here, so much so, that a few years ago we made up lapel buttons that simply stated, “I have a gratitude attitude!” Gratitude impacts our lives ... Read More
The mind is a believing machine and many have argued that it needs to be just that in order for our survival. The mind makes up stories about everything and everyone, so not only is the mind a believing machine—it’s a story machine as well! It is constantly interpreting and reinterpreting stories about everyone including ourselves. The mind must believe in order to prepare for the moment and plan for tomorrow. The mind makes mistakes, however, but it never informs us of the errors. It makes mistakes in our perception, ... Read More
