Being completely independent is overrated. As a culture, we’re programmed to instill, praise and value a sense of autonomy and we often fail to promote and foster the importance of connection in our lives. In reality, connection is the foundation for developing healthy, secure attachments with others. One simple definition of connection is that it’s…
“Fear is a natural reaction to moving closer to the truth.” — Pema Chodron In today’s world, we hear a lot about the benefits of being mindful and present, but what if you’re fearful of being present? Being in the now and living in the moment can be scary and uncomfortable for those who wish…
“Radical acceptance rests on letting go of the illusion of control and a willingness to notice and accept things as they are right now, without judging.” – Marsha Linehan We all have those times when themes seem to permeate into our lives, as the same ideas come up time and time again. My theme this…
I had the opportunity to be a guest on the SportsEpreneur podcast (listen here). This podcast is produced by the content marketing team of KazSource. The SportsEpreneur platform drives leaders to pursue amazing through content, execution, and community. With my love of business, sports, and entrepreneurship, it was an honor to appear on this podcast…
I had the opportunity to be a guest on the podcast, Entrepreneur Perspectives (listen here). This podcast is produced by the content marketing team of KazSource. It’s a weekly podcast where Eric Kasimov, the CEO of KazSource, chats with inspiring and influential people in the business world–it’s all about helping you the business leader build and…
Moving from an insecure to a secure attachment is like removing the leaves off an artichoke; enjoying each piece, until you get to the heart, which is the best part. Knowing your attachment style helps you understand how you interact with others and your potential triggers, and what you might want to work on to…
Wisdom has always been considered an admirable attribute of personality but has remained a rather abstract concept due to the complexity of its nature. Life span developmentalists began to study wisdom as an example of positive aging, but it was difficult to study the concept scientifically and test concrete hypotheses. In 2003, a questionnaire measuring wisdom was…
There’s an old Bonnie Raitt song called, “Something to Talk About” that’s about falling in love and giving folks “something to talk about”! As I thought about that song, I realized that when something special happens to us like falling in love, we want to TALK about it! We want to tell the story, share all the details,…
Building client relationships and developing trust is very important in the recovery process. Our counselors believe in the client and connect with each individual upon first contact. On the rare occasion that our counselors do not connect on a deep level with clients, we happily send the individual to one of our trusted connections in…
When the New Year comes, many of us make resolutions. We might resolve to lose weight, get out of debt, exercise more, or be more diligent in our recovery programs, but usually the focus is on helping ourselves. And usually, we give up on keeping our resolution before the month ends. But we don’t have to wait for next January 1st to try again. Why not make July 1st resolutions? That’s halfway through…
Are you certain that this time will be different only to be disappointed? As soon as you become close to your partner, do they suddenly pull away or disappear? Or do you? Are you settling for less than you want? Do your relationships drain you? Do you feel like you no longer trust your own dating instincts? If you…
Our Intensive Treatment program, developed by Ann Foster and her team at Millennium, offers extensive support and wrap-around care for individuals during critical transitional times of their recovery including, but not limited to, the time between leaving inpatient care and transitioning into everyday life. In this video, Derek Bylsma discusses our Intensive Treatment Program —…
One of the big questions around the holidays is how to make everyone happy by attending ALL family gatherings. Answer? YOU CAN’T! The phrase in that first sentence that needs to jump out at you is “making everyone happy.” That’s impossible most of the time, and doubly so over the holidays. But if you can…
“Once an Addict, Always an Addict” Stigma is one of the most difficult aspects of addiction because it can make it harder for individuals to get the help they need. Some of us have heard the old saying, “once an addict, always an addict,” but what does that really mean? And how does the saying…
Before we know it, the holidays will be here. For those of us who struggle with family relationships, the holidays bring up lots of feelings—not all of them happy. So how do we navigate through all these emotional “minefields”? The answer is to plan ahead! Yes, plan out who will go where for which holiday…
“I don’t have enough motivation.” How often do we hear athletes blame lack of motivation for poor performance? But while motivation can indeed be a problem, often the real issue is the fear of failure, injury, or even of fear itself. An athlete who endures a fall, suffers an injury, or has a traumatic or…
Life after a divorce is hard, here are some tips on navigating life and relationships after a divorce. The process of ending a relationship begins long before finding a lawyer, drafting divorce papers or signing the final documents. It’s normally an arduous legal and emotional roller coaster. Afterward, you are met with a new normal…
The crisp air of fall and the autumnal glare of the sun’s rays brings about a certain hope of celebration and perhaps pumpkin everything as a harbinger to the holidays. However, for some of us, particularly those with less-than-healthy families, the eve of celebratory months brings about a sense of dread. Others of us look…
Learning to pay attention to the moment while also cultivating a nonjudgmental stance towards self sounds pretty ideal to an addict in recovery, right? Individuals experiencing addiction, past or present, often find themselves “stuck” in certain patterns or behaviors, sometimes not even realizing their “stuckness”. With obsessive, compulsive and self-centered thinking tendencies, addicts can easily…
This is the time of year when some sports are in playoff mode, and others are just beginning their season. With the NFL draft right around the corner, there are many draft pick hopefuls waiting to hear their names called on that stage and have their careers begin. As fun as the NFL draft is…
He’s too hard to buy for! She’s so picky! I don’t know what to get them, they have everything! We all have someone in our lives who is hard to shop for. Trying to find the perfect gift anyway can be a real source of stress. Actually, the real source of stress is often not…
One philosophy the Chicago Cubs hold dear is never give up! From their manager Joe Maddon, to almost every player who’s been interviewed, they all say the same thing; we believe in ourselves and, no matter what’s happening, we never give up. And we all know where that philosophy led. This is the team that…
There’s this saying being thrown around jokingly by college students that ultimately leaves a lasting, detrimental impact. The saying goes “It’s not alcoholism until you graduate.” This statement perpetuates the belief that college students can acceptably consume alcohol to an extent that would be classified as alcoholism if any other individual were drinking in that…
A “full-court press” in basketball means the entire team surrounds one opposing player when he/she tries to inbound the ball. Instead of spreading out across the court, they all gather and make it really tough for the opposing team. The “full-court” part means they continue to do this at both ends of the floor—the team…
