Self Awareness: Empty Your Cup

As we get older and more experienced in life, we begin to feel more confident about our philosophy of life and more rooted in our beliefs. At the same time, we are often experiencing more stress, more responsibility and at times more anxiety about how are we going to get everything that we have dreamt of accomplished! Then someone older and wiser comes along, perhaps a parent, grandparent or a spiritual teacher who has a little morsel of wisdom to share and turn our noses up at it saying thinking that the idea is outdated or they just don’t understand. But is that really the case? Is it really the elder who doesn’t understand? Or is it our ego stepping in to sabotage our success.

 Sometimes we even repeat this process with our Creator. We might say a very heartfelt prayer asking for some particular change or healing in our life. But just as soon as the prayer is said our ego mind goes nuts trying to figure out how we are going to accomplish this task or gain this new insight or heal some situation or relationship issue that we have going on. Not a minute does our mind rest or let up. Do we really think that from our little human ego perspective we can come up with a better plan to accomplish our request than our Creator?

Thought, Language & Emotion - "Reclaiming Your True Power"

            If everything you thought or said manifested instantaneously how clear would you train yourself to think and speak? For generations spiritual leaders, philosophers and respected members of academia have been trying to teach the rest of the world the secrets to success and inner peace. Across the board the common theme is that we have the ultimate power of choice in how we think, feel and speak. In addition, how we think, feel and speak dramatically influence our perception of life, our experience of life how we perceive and respond to opportunity and most importantly our relationships.  

“The world we have created is a product of our thinking;

it cannot be changed without changing our thinking.”

                                                 - Albert Einstein

What is Integrative Psychotherapy?

The Integrative approach to psychotherapy offers a "wholistic" approach to healing. What "holistic" entails is UNIQUE to the individual, but usually involves identifying values and belief systems that conflict with, (thus preventing you from being able to obtain), what you are choosing to manifest in your life. By working to change those belief systems you have the opportunity to experience a mindfulness in thoughts, actions, emotions, spirituality and body awareness bringing you into the fullness of your imagined future quickly and with ease and grace. With Integrative Psychotherapy you can expect benefits like:

• Greater awareness of your mind-body connection
• More energy to accomplish your goals
• Clarity of your life's purpose
• Motivation to take conscious action in important areas of your life
• Transforming current dysfunctional relationships into satisfying and fulfilling relationships
• Regain self-esteem and self-confidence
• Reach previously impossible goals

Morningstar Counseling & Wellness Center    530-878-1005

Do You Have Self-Sabotaging Habits?

How the power of the spoken word can heal you.

I can’t, I won’t, he makes me feel, she always, it’s too hard, I don’t know, I’ll try….Do any of these phrases sound familiar to you? Do they frequently pass your lips without a second thought? If so, you may be sabotaging your own success. What if upgrading just one of these phrases brought lasting change in an area of difficulty or frustration in your life. At Morningstar Counseling &Wellness Center we understand the power that language holds for us. Language reflects our innermost thoughts feelings, desires and beliefs, therefore it may hold the key to unlocking negative beliefs and set the stage for a facing our future courageously.

Zen Parenting: 4 Keys to Successful Parenting and Inner Peace

1.) Both parents on the same page
2.) Consistency
3.) Say what to do instead of what not to do
4.) “Sandwiching”: Effective feedback for sensitive children

For most parents, the happiest time in their life is the day their precious little child came into the world and blessed them with profound joy. The first smile, the first tooth, the first step, the first word…ahhh! Then as they grow older they start to learn words like “no” and “mine” and begin throwing temper-tantrums when they don’t get their way. From one perspective, these first acts of rebellion begin a lifetime of control battles and difficulty in relationships. From another perspective, the child may simply be trying to gain a sense of autonomy and self-control, which are both healthy and necessary to become a well-adjusted adult. If a parent enters into the control battle simply for the sake of control, the child’s sense of self-esteem and self-worth can be significantly compromised. In addition, if the parent loses the battle, they may end up reinforcing the undesirable behavior by having given too much attention to it and then giving up, which may leave the child feeling an inflated sense of false power. Conversely, the parent may exert too much power leaving the child feeling powerless and humiliated, which over time could damage their self-esteem. 
So how can you ensure that you are doing everything that you can to support your child’s self-esteem and self-confidence without losing your Zen? Here are a few suggestions: