Dr. Carolyn Coon

What do you do when conflict raises it’s head? Some people will do just about anything to avoid a ‘fight’ and some people will do just about anything to spark a ‘fight’. If neither of those two descriptions fit you then you must fall somewhere on the continuum between the two. While avoiding a fight […]

Intentions of the heart – gets you every time, doesn’t it? My trifecta is that intentions underlie motives and motives underlie behavior. Yes, there is a difference between intentions and motives. We begin with intentions which requires us to be honest with ourselves as to our why. You can’t hide from your intentions nor feign lack of

What’s your opinion about habits? Are they helpful? Tiresome? Facilitory? Bad habits also exist and they typically are detrimental, but I’m talking about ‘good’ habits. What are yours? How long does it take for a  repetitious behavior to become a habit? As an example: does your ‘routine’ include exercise? And, is this exercise something you

Are you saving for a rainy day? Do you even know what that concept means? We, of a certain age, do understand the meaning and, undoubtedly, practice it. But at what point is your saving completed? Have you ever consider this question? When is it OK to begin spending, at least some, of the rainy

“Until I am dead, I am alive.” is a statement in a book by one of my favorite characters. He goes on to say, “Life is a riddle… It is filled with clues along the way, with messages we struggle to understand.” Aren’t those powerful concepts? So many people are walking around consumed by the negative and

Where does your validation of your worth come from? Does it have to come from outside of yourself and if so, who is the other person (people) that validates you? And, most important, what is it you have to do to earn and keep that validation? Perhaps the question should be – do you need outside

Do you not need an enemy because you are your own worst enemy? Do you do more to undermine yourself than anyone could ever consider doing to you? Do you shoot yourself in your foot by what you say/do or don’t say/do? Do you know what it is that you are doing to yourself and

We all make life changing decisions, maybe not every day but quite often. I wonder if we think (ahead) to the consequences/ramifications that emanate from the decisions we make? Actually I wonder if we recognize the decision to be life changing? The answer is ‘probably no’ to both questions. Some examples of what I am calling life changing decisions

Do you ever have a pity party? Everything good happens to everyone else and you’re, at least in your mind, lefts with the dregs? You have untold burdens to bear but everyone else seems to have things handed them on a golden platter?  Most pity parties range the gamut from really maudlin to only slightly distracted.

How do you react, respond to a point of view different from your own? For that matter, do you even let them finish their sentence before interrupting? Do you feel you have to ‘defend’ your view? Or perhaps you tolerantly let them talk but dismiss their thinking out of hand? (This often happens to young people