Posts by Laura K. Schenck, Ph.D., LPC
Mindfulness & Gratitude
“A noble person is mindful and thankful for the favors he receives from others.” – Buddha When you enter into a state of mindfulness, you make the choice to open your awareness to all aspects of your experience… positive, negative, and neutral. You look at yourself, others, and the world with an open-eyed sense of…
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Why it Matters to Express Gratitude
“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” – William Arthur Ward What is the meaning of gratitude to you? How do you know when you are experiencing a sense of gratitude and what are the benefits of expressing it openly? Almost all of us have felt a…
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Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction: Week Five
“When we are in the midst of chaos, let go of the need to control it. Be awash in it, experience it in that moment, try not to deal with the outcome but deal with the flow as it comes.” – Leo Babuta In last week’s post, “Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction: Week Four,” we learned about…
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Top 10 Ways to Stop Procrastinating – Part Two
“You may delay, but time will not.” – Benjamin Franklin In yesterday’s post, “Top 10 Ways to Stop Procrastinating – Part One,” we began to identify common obstacles to getting undesirable tasks completed. We all struggle with some form of procrastination from time to time. What matters is recognizing your own personal patterns and tendencies…
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Top 10 Ways to Stop Procrastinating – Part One
“Nothing is so fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of an uncompleted task.” – William James Many people struggle with avoiding or feeling overwhelmed by unwanted tasks or chores. During these times, there can be a natural tendency to want to sweep things under the rug that we would rather not deal with or to…
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9 Questions to Identify Relationship Patterns
“The giving of love is an education in itself.” – Eleanor Roosevelt We all have patterns in relationships… what types of partners we choose at different points in our lives, where we usually meet these partners, and how the relationship progresses. While each relationship is different in many ways, it is important to recognize that…
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Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction: Week Four
“To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders.” – Lao Tzu In last week’s post, “Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction: Week Three,” we explored what it means be mindful in movement. There is often a common misconception that in order to practice mindfulness, you must engage in a very still and quiet formal meditation practice.…
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3 Fundamental Activities of Mindfulness
“People suffer because they are caught in their views. As soon as we release those views, we are free and we don’t suffer anymore.” – Thich Nhat Hanh What activities come to mind when you picture mindfulness? How do you “know” when you are truly practicing mindfulness? Many people experience mindfulness as a quiet sense…
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8 Basic Characteristics of Mindfulness
“Do you have patience to wait till your mud settles and the water is clear? Can you remain unmoving till the right action arises by itself?” – Lao Tzu What does it really mean to practice mindfulness? In many ways, mindfulness is such a simple concept that it becomes puzzlingly difficult to truly comprehend, let alone…
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What is Ability Emotional Intelligence?
“It is very important to understand that emotional intelligence is not the opposite of intelligence, it is not the triumph of heart over head — it is the unique intersection of both.” – David Caruso We have all had experiences with people who seem to have extraordinary emotional intelligence. Perhaps we are unaware of the…
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