As we move into the final hours of 2010, I thought it would be appropriate to do a “best of” post for “The Healing Project.”
I started this blog in February 2010 and have made 50 posts to date. Regular weekly posts will resume next week (and will continue at least through February 2011 – most likely longer).
Which Posts Were Tops?
I have designated the following posts as the “Top 10 Posts of 2010.” This designation was made based upon several criteria: post popularity, comments and feedback from others (either directly on the blog or to me personally), and my personal feelings about which posts were my best of the year. The posts are listed from most recent to least recent and a post summary is included. To read a post in its entirety, click on the post title.
Happy New Year!
I hope you enjoy this recap of the best “Healing Project” posts for 2010. I wish you health, happiness, and peace in the coming year. Here’s to healing ourselves and our lives in 2011!
Top 10 Posts of 2010
- Don’t Worry! (10/22/2010): Over the years, I have wasted many hours and sacrificed endless enjoyment by worrying about all sorts of things, most of which never came to pass. This post examines the hazards involved in being a “worrywart” and presents some powerful insights from Dennis Prager and Gay Hendricks on the topic of worry. You will learn some good reasons to stop worrying, as well as excellent questions to ask yourself when you find yourself engaged in this destructive and deflating habit.
- It’s the Little Things (9/30/2010): I have always wanted to help others and make a difference in the world. Lately, however, I have questioned how much of a contribution I am making and have increasingly felt that what I do is not good enough. A recent experience vividly illustrated the powerful truth in Mother Teresa’s simple quote, “We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.” The focus of this week’s post is on that experience, what it taught me, and how I will proceed in life based upon what I learned.
- Serenity, Courage, Wisdom… (8/25/2010): This post explores the meaning of the Serenity Prayer and how it can help us to live a more peaceful and happy life. The Serenity Prayer is also applied to a personal struggle involving the self-destructive behavior of someone in my life and my inability to help or save that person.
- Revisiting Loss & Letting Go (7/27/2010): Fifteen years ago, one of my closest friends committed suicide at the age of 32. Although I don’t know if one is ever completely “over” a loss of a loved one, I thought that I had mostly moved on after the passage of so much time. However, when I recently came across an old box of mementoes of this friend, I found myself unable to open the box and look at what was inside. This post explores the issue of loss and how being stuck in the past can hurt us. I also look at how facing things instead of avoiding them can set us free and help us to heal.
- Illness As Avoidance (5/25/2010)- Could it be that you have created your physical pain in order to prevent or avoid potential psychological discomfort? If so, how would it be for you to face the challenges at hand and not let your ailments stop you?
- Facing Fears (5/17/2010): Fear is a normal emotion and a natural part of life. Fear can help us to steer clear of dangerous situations and it can help us to navigate safely through treacherous encounters. While some fears can be healthy and helpful, other fears are actually detrimental to our happiness and well-being. In this post, I write about how fear adversely affects our lives and examine one of my irrational fears and my powerful decision to face it.
- Body Love, Self Love (5/11/2010): If someone were to ask you if you love yourself, how many of you would reply with an enthusiastic “Yes”? How about if you were asked if you love your body? For years, I was my own worst critic. I would look in the mirror and pick myself apart mercilessly. The years of criticizing my body have taken a toll on my psyche and my health. This post is about the hazards of criticizing ourselves and our bodies and how our thoughts create our reality. According to Louise Hay, criticism locks us into the very pattern we are trying to change. Understanding and being gentle with ourselves helps us to move out of it.
- Missing Tile Syndrome (5/3/2010): As human beings, we have a tendency to focus on what is missing instead of on what is present. This post focuses on a concept introduced by author Dennis Prager in his book, “Happiness is a Serious Problem.” I present an overview of the concept of the “missing tile syndrome,” as well as the three main ways for dealing with it.
- Compulsive Behaviors (4/23/2010): Over the years, I have struggled with various forms of compulsive behavior, including dieting, compulsive overeating, excessive exercise, overspending, and working too much. You may have grappled with similar issues, or you may have had problems with drinking, drugs, gambling, sex, or any number of other maladaptive behaviors. It doesn’t matter which of these behaviors has plagued you, the problem is usually rooted in the same causes. This post is geared toward examining compulsive behavior, getting to the root of why we engage in such destructive actions, and looking at what we can do to begin to turn it around.
- Key Principles – Part 1 (2/19/2010): This post summarizes some of the key philosophies of Louise Hay, author of “You Can Heal Your Life,” the book which is the foundation for The Healing Project. Among the principles examined is “we are each responsible for our own experiences” and “every thought we think is creating our future.”
