BARBARA'S TCHATZKAHS

This article rang true for me and how I have spent the last 6+ years of my life. I hope you get something from it also. - Barbara The Point of Return by Rosally Saltsman We can take the most insidious penchant, and nurture it into a positive and restorative force. Frank Abagnale, the "hero" of the book and movie Catch Me if You Can , was one of the most infamous contemporary outlaws. He successfully eluded the FBI, Interpol and the Justice system of 26 countries for five years, while amassing millions. After being caught and serving five years in prison, he was offered a chance to redeem himself by working for the U.S. government, uncovering the kind of schemes that he himself had perpetuated. He went from master criminal to crime prevention, protecting companies around the world from people like himself. Moreover, he paid back all the money he stole. Abagnale's success story is paralleled in the Talmud. Reish Lakish was a successful bandit known for his unusua...

How to Help Others Relate to Your Chronic Illness by Ellinorianne One of the biggest challenges for those of us struggling with Chronic Illness is that we may not "look" sick and those around us may not get how we are forced to make compromise with our lives at every turn. For me, it has had a lot to do with work and trying to communicate to my coworkers how my Fibromyalgia affects my ability to deal with everyday tasks. The last few weeks have been rather difficult, just Tuesday I spent a good twenty minutes staring between my computer and my work trying to figure exactly what it was I needed to do. My brain fog was just kicking in, I hadn't been getting enough sleep and I was not fully functional. I probably LOOKED fine but I was not okay and had to leave early. I was almost in tears because I was so frustrated, tired and hurting. Symptoms of Fibro-fog The severity of Fibro-fog fluctuates from day to day, as well as from person to person. The following is ...

One thing 15 years of an unpredictable. excruciating disability has taught me - is to prioritize. Get straight what is important and what isn't. As a single, divorced mom and an advocate for abused women I get overloaded with requests. Of course my children come first. That is something I make very clear. But I am good at my advocacy. And being good at something can be a blessing and a curse. Very often I tend to overload myself with work. However, in the years since I was paralyzed on the left side and couldn't walk to the last few years where I have been extricating myself from a very abusive & controlling partner - I've learned to say NO. I don't ask much for myself. Like I said, my children are my primary focus and then my health. The latter tends to DEMAND I pay attention or it literally makes me sicker than the white noise of physical pain and feeling lousy I do most of the time. My friends are always telling me to do more nice things for myself and to...

...for Abusive Persons ( this article uses the male gender, abusive personalities can also be female) 1. Admit fully to his history of ANY & ALL psychological, sexual and physical abusiveness. Denial and minimizing need to stop, including discrediting your memory of what happened. 2. Acknowledge that the abuse was wrong, unconditionally. He needs to identify the justifications he used, including the ways he blamed you or anyone else, and talk in detail about why his behaviors were unacceptable, without defending them. 3. Acknowledge that his behavior was a choice, not a "loss of control." 4. Recognize the effects his abuse has had on you and on your children, and show empathy for those. He needs to talk IN DETAIL about the impact that his abuse has had, including fear, loss of trust, anger, etc. And he needs to do this without feeling sorry for himself or talking about how hard the experience has been for him. 5. Identify in detail his pattern of controlling behaviors and...

The Hidden Power In Your Fears By Avalon De Witt Who wants to be afraid? In every moment, each of us is given the choice to love or to fear. A simple choice, one might think. But in this world, with violence, terrorism, war and disease becoming every day life for so many, is there anyone who hasn't struggled with fear? Whenever we're about to make a major leap forward in our spiritual development, fear always steps into our path. It's the antagonist in all our personal stories. It's true that we attract what we fear. The more we fear a thing, the more likely it is to happen. And if left unchecked, fear can take control of our lives. Yet, everything has a purpose and fear is no exception. There is good reason to be afraid of some things. Fear is a messenger that warns us there may be danger ahead. Its purpose is to guide us toward actions that will protect us as well as our loved ones. It is natural and healthy to feel fear. But like other natural tendencies we have, we...

ALONE WITH MY CHOICE During my conversion process I heard one Rabbi say that one could not convert without the support of friends. One could be a Noahide and not convert. It was a big problem to me because my ex had me agree to bringing my children up Christian. He was and continues to be very against my choice of Judaism. My family and other friends have been supportive in that they have not been judgmental. Still, Judaism is very very much about family and not being able to include my family remains a hole in my heart. Many of them thought I had ulterior motives of some sort for converting but some did recognize this was a long process for me of listening to my heart & soul. A guy once dumped me because I wasn't Jewish. "I didn't feel like dealing with it," was his excuse. He never asked me how I felt about it. Frankly, I didn't mean anything to him or even as a friend, he would have discussed it with me. He didn't. I wasn't expecting hi...