5 Self Esteem Management Tips
There is an infinite assortment of books on how to improve self-esteem for you or for your children. Life coaching, personal trainers, and fit bit apps have also become enormously popular to help people become their ideal self. Conventional wisdom suggests that...
Do Self-Affirmations Work? The Truth About Affirmations
Many people ask if self-affirmations work. What is the truth behind affirmations? Is there a type of self-affirmation that can work?
Mindfulness vs. Psychoanalysis — Who Is Right?
The beliefs of those practicing mindfulness vs. psychoanalysis vary dramatically. Is mindfulness or psychoanalysis right?
Being Authentic at Work or Faking It?
At work, can you be authentic or do you always have to fake it? Defining authenticity or being “real” can be an entire philosophical dissertation. A Buddhist may even say there is no true self. So to avoid obfuscation, I will use the following psychological definition found in research to define authenticity: authenticity is being aware of desires, objectively assessing strengths and weaknesses, engaging in behavior consistent with values and goals and being interpersonally honest. Studies indicate that greater authenticity can enhance self-esteem and overall wellbeing (Goldman & Kernis, 2002). Many people come to therapy because they want to live more authentically and discover their genuine feelings and motivations. However, what happens when one is at a job where being authentic can cause problems? Telling your boss off, or your client how you really feel about them could mean filing for unemployment. Do you fake it? The following are tips on how to cope when being authentic at work can be problematic.
Self-Image and Finding Meaning in Life: The Movie “Birdman”
Have you thought about the lessons about self-image and finding meaning in life in the movie Birdman? Birdman is a thought provoking film that leaves a lot open for interpretation. Bloggers and writers have asked many questions about whether the main character, Riggan Thomson, played by Michael Keaton, has super powers or what really happens at the end of the movie. Although these are interesting questions, what I found most compelling about Birdman is not what has happened or what is real, but what the film says about the psyche of a wounded actor and the drive that many of us have to find meaning in life and our self-image.