• #42 (no title)

Barbara Scoville, LCSW

~ Pioneers of Peace™

Barbara Scoville, LCSW

Category Archives: Life Mastery Skills

Imagination, Risk, and Personal Growth

20 Thursday Aug 2015

Posted by Barbara Scoville, LCSW in Fear, Imagination, Inspiration, Life Mastery Skills, Resilience, The Optimism Corner

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

authentic self, Courage, Emotions

Allow a 6 year old to teach you about risk and personal growth. Enjoy

https://player.vimeo.com/video/58659769“>http://

Share this:

  • Pinterest
  • Print
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr
  • Email
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Reddit

Like this:

Like Loading...

Quotes to Memorize

30 Tuesday Jun 2015

Posted by Barbara Scoville, LCSW in Emotion School, Inspiration, Life Mastery Skills, Motivation, Quotes, Resilience, The Power to Do, Wellness

≈ Leave a comment

Miss Sophiella at the Utah Art's Festival

Miss Sophiella at the Utah Art’s Festival

We do our best work when we compete against ourselves — not others.

~Richard Lavoie

Share this:

  • Pinterest
  • Print
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr
  • Email
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Reddit

Like this:

Like Loading...

Lessons from a Hummingbird

17 Wednesday Jun 2015

Posted by Barbara Scoville, LCSW in Life Mastery Skills, Mindfulness, Resilience

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

authentic self, Courage, Energy, Humility, Hummingbirds, Life's lessons, Mindfulness, Teachable

You can't see it, but there is a hummingbird in this tree. I promise.

You can’t see it, but there is a hummingbird in this tree. I promise.

A friend of mine had two hummingbirds fly into her house the other day. She said they had to wear themselves out before she could scoop them up and set them free. There’s a message in that isn’t there. Imagine how much more energy we could have, how much more creative we could be, how much more love we could offer…

Sending love from the beautiful Southwest 🙂

Barbara

Mr. Bingley

Share this:

  • Pinterest
  • Print
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr
  • Email
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Reddit

Like this:

Like Loading...

Get Me Off of This Merry-Go-Round; An Introduction to Mindfulness

25 Monday May 2015

Posted by Barbara Scoville, LCSW in Emotion School, Life Mastery Skills, Mindfulness, Resilience, Wellness

≈ Leave a comment

Step Off the Merry-Go-Round

Barbara Scoville, LCSW

Unknown

How many times have you heard the idiom, “ Get me off of this merry-go-round!”?

It’s an expression that conjures up a familiar, commonly shared image of someone “mindlessly” attempting to run faster than their legs can carry them; often but not always, directed by someone other than the person who is doing the real running. Around and around we go, doing, doing, doing; believing we don’t have a choice and resenting the demands placed on our time that keep us from doing what we think we would “rather” be doing.

One mother complains, “I don’t even have time to go to the bathroom.”  A college student says, “It’s like being in prison; my time is not my own; if I’m not studying, I’m working, and if I’m not working, I’m studying.” A grandfather says, “I want to write my family history, but my kids count on me to babysit…

View original post 708 more words

Share this:

  • Pinterest
  • Print
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr
  • Email
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Reddit

Like this:

Like Loading...

Walking the Labyrinth of Life

25 Saturday Apr 2015

Posted by Barbara Scoville, LCSW in Emotion School, Life Mastery Skills, Mindfulness, Resilience

≈ Leave a comment

IMG_3021

A couple of days ago I had the opportunity to walk this beautiful labyrinth and I learned an important lesson. If my eye was on the goal…that is reaching the middle, I got dizzy and frustrated; but when I was fully present and kept my eye on the path, I saw the beautiful rose petals laid beneath my feet along the way. I smelled the honeysuckle and heard the song of the birds.

IMG_3026

Sending love,

Barbara

Share this:

  • Pinterest
  • Print
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr
  • Email
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Reddit

Like this:

Like Loading...

David Steindl-Rast says: Grateful people are happy people; Not the other way around

23 Saturday Aug 2014

Posted by Barbara Scoville, LCSW in Emotion School, Life Mastery Skills, Mindfulness, Pioneers of Peace, Resilience

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Gratitude, Happiness, Peaceful World

Share this:

  • Pinterest
  • Print
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr
  • Email
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Reddit

Like this:

Like Loading...

The Criteria of Emotional Maturity

09 Saturday Aug 2014

Posted by Barbara Scoville, LCSW in Emotion School, Life Mastery Skills, Mindfulness, Pioneers of Peace, Quotes, Resilience

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Emotional Maturity, Emotional Well-being, William C. Menninger

IMG_2310

The Criteria of Emotional Maturity

by

William C. Menninger

The ability to deal constructively with reality

The capacity to adapt to change

A relative freedom from symptoms that are produced by tensions and anxieties

The capacity to find more satisfaction in giving than receiving

The capacity to relate to other people in a consistent manner with mutual satisfaction and helpfulness

The capacity to sublimate, to direct one’s instinctive hostile energy into creative and constructive outlets

The capacity to love

Share this:

  • Pinterest
  • Print
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr
  • Email
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Reddit

Like this:

Like Loading...

Begin where you are…a beautiful quote

15 Tuesday Apr 2014

Posted by Barbara Scoville, LCSW in Emotion School, Life Mastery Skills, Mindfulness, Pioneers of Peace, Quotes, Resilience, The Power to Do, Wellness

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Brother David Steindl-Rast, Goals, Gratitude, Inspiration, Motivation

Image“The first thing to remember is to start where we are. How could we start where we are not? And yet, how often we try to start way ahead of ourselves. That leads nowhere. But wherever we are, help is there. Life provides all the help we need. If we trust and look for it, we shall find it.” ~Brother David Steindl-Rast

Share this:

  • Pinterest
  • Print
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr
  • Email
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Reddit

Like this:

Like Loading...

Self Compassion

07 Friday Mar 2014

Posted by Barbara Scoville, LCSW in Emotion School, Life Mastery Skills, Mindfulness, Pioneers of Peace, Resilience, Wellness

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Compassion, Kindness, Kristen Neff, Self Compassion, Self-esteem

I came across this talk today and am compelled to share it.

To all of my clients who follow this blog… this is homework 🙂 Please take the time to watch it. 

Share this:

  • Pinterest
  • Print
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr
  • Email
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Reddit

Like this:

Like Loading...

Do You Suffer From Anxiety?

02 Sunday Mar 2014

Posted by Barbara Scoville, LCSW in Emotion School, Life Mastery Skills, Mindfulness, Resilience, Wellness

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Anxiety, Emotions, excessive anxiety and worry, Generalized Anxiety, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Stress, Stress management, Worry

Philosopher's Path  Kyoto, Japan

Philosopher’s Path
Kyoto, Japan

Don’t let your mind bully your body into believing it must carry the burden of its worries.  Astrid Alauda

 

Dear Friends, do you suffer from anxiety?

Did you know that 3.1% (6.8 million people) of Americans suffer from Generalized Anxiety Disorder?

 According to the DSMlV you have Generalized Anxiety (GAD) if:

A. At least 6 months of “excessive anxiety and worry” about a variety of events and situations. Generally, “excessive” can be interpreted as more than would be expected for a particular situation or event. Most people become anxious over certain things, but the intensity of the anxiety typically corresponds to the situation.

B. There is significant difficulty in controlling the anxiety and worry. If someone has a very difficult struggle to regain control, relax, or cope with the anxiety and worry, then this requirement is met.

C. The presence for most days over the previous six months of 3 or more (only 1 for children) of the following symptoms:

1. Feeling wound-up, tense, or restless

2. Easily becoming fatigued or worn-out

3. Concentration problems

4. Irritability

5. Significant tension in muscles

6. Difficulty with sleep

D. The symptoms are not part of another mental disorder.

E. The symptoms cause “clinically significant distress” or problems functioning in daily life. “Clinically significant” is the part that relies on the perspective of the treatment provider. Some people can have many of the aforementioned symptoms and cope with them well enough to maintain a high level of functioning.

F. The condition is not due to a substance or medical issue

-DSMlV

Does any of that sound familiar to you?

Anxiety is a physical condition. We experience it in association with the emotion fear.

When we find ourselves in situations we don’t believe we can handle, our brain interprets that as a danger to our survival and immediately releases hormones such as adrenalin and cortisol to prepare us to fight, flight, or freeze.

Those hormones cause chemical changes in our body that translate into the symptoms of anxiety. Think for a moment what it feels like when adrenalin is rushing through your veins.

In our busy lives, the  demands on our attention and time are extreme. It is natural to feel like what we are asked to do is more than we can handle. Feeling like we “can’t handle it” is the most common cause of GAD.

“It’s not enough to be busy; so are the ants. The question is: what are we busy about?”    Henry David Thoreau

We each have a different capacity for how much we can handle.

Do you ever feel like your plate is too full? There are times in our lives such as when we are parenting small children, or going to school while working that can make us feel like we can’t do it all.

Other times we have chosen to do too many things or accepted assignments we really don’t have time to do, or may not even know how to do.

It really gets complicated when ALL of the above apply.

Often our perception of what we have to do is the culprit.

If we believe:

 ... we must be perfect and always have the approval of others

or,

… demand that others always do “the right thing”

or

…believe life must be easy or something is wrong

… then we will have anxiety because those along with many other beliefs are not based in truth. We can’t “handle” a fantasy.

Fact #1          Nobody is perfect. It is impossible to have everyone’s approval.

Fact #2          The only person we can control is ourselves.

Fact #3          The nature of life is change.

IMG_0587

What Can You Do if You Have Anxiety?

  • Understand it is up to you to find relief. The world will not change.
  • Simplify… Take an honest look at how you are spending your time and make changes.
  • Ask for, and accept help. Don’t make the mistake of thinking YOU have to do it all.
  • Tell yourself you can handle it… try it. It’s amazing how powerful those words are coming from your own lips.
  • Take care of yourself by getting sleep, exercise, and proper nutrition…you can’t expect your body to function at it’s highest level if you are not taking care of it.
  • Learn how to breathe for stress relief… inhale count to 5…exhale count to 7
  • Meditate… access your higher power.
  • Don’t catastrophize… life is hard enough. Don’t embellish it. Making it sound bigger makes it feel bigger.

If you have struggled with anxiety, you are in good company. Here is a list of well known people who have or had anxiety.

  • Isaac Asimov (author)
  • Kim Basinger (actress)
  • Roseanne Barr (comedian)
  • David Bowie (singer)
  • Charlotte Bronte (author)
  • Barbara Bush (former First Lady – U.S.)
  • John Candy (comedian)
  • Naomi Campbell (model)
  • Ray Charles (musician)
  • Eric Clapton (musician)
  • Dick Clark (television personality)
  • Cher (singer, actress)
  • Michael Crichton (writer)
  • Sheryl Crow (musician)
  • Johnny Depp (actor)
  • Edie Falco (actress)
  • Sally Field (actress)
  • Sigmund Freud (psychiatrist)
  • Aretha Franklin (singer)
  • James Garner (actor)
  • Anthony Hopkins (actor)
  • Olivia Hussey (actress)
  • Naomi Judd (singer)
  • Nicole Kidman (actress)
  • Courtney Love (singer – actress)
  • John Madden (announcer)
  • Howie Mandel (comic)
  • Robert McFarlane (former National Security Advisor – U.S.)
  • John Cougar Mellancamp (musician, actor)
  • John Stuart Mill (philosopher)
  • Alanis Morisette (singer)
  • Sir Isaac Newton (scientist)
  • Sir Laurence Olivier (actor)
  • Donny Osmond (actor)
  • Marie Osmand (entertainer)
  • Bonnie Raitt (musician)
  • Burt Reynolds (actor)
  • Joan Rivers (actress)
  • Winona Ryder (actress)
  • Charles Schultz (cartoonist)
  • Willard Scott (weatherman)
  • Sam Shepard (playwright)
  • Sissy Spacek (actress)
  • Carly Simon (singer)
  • John Steinbeck (author)
  • Howard Stern (king of media)
  • Barbra Streisand (singer)
  • Dave Stewart of the (singer – Eurythmics)
  • Anne Tyler (author)
  • Ann Wilson (singer)
  • Oprah Winfrey (host)
  • W.B. Yeats (poet)

I would love to hear how anxiety has impacted you in your life. Your comments help me, help you.  I along with fellow readers would welcome any tips you have discovered along the way that have helped in managing your anxiety.

Until next, time may you find your cup half full 🙂

Love, Barbara

1240447_10200648736848566_795156431_n

Share this:

  • Pinterest
  • Print
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr
  • Email
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Reddit

Like this:

Like Loading...
← Older posts

Recent Posts

  • Ripples on the Ocean of Kindness
  • Food for Thought
  • Meditating in Paris
  • Walking the Labryinth
  • When an Empty Basket is a Good Thing

Archives

  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • April 2019
  • May 2018
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012

Categories

  • Altruism
  • Caregiver's Storyboard
  • charitable sewing
  • Compassionate Knitting
  • Emotion School
  • Fear
  • homeless
  • homeless youth
  • Homelessness
  • humanitarian service
  • Imagination
  • Inspiration
  • Life Mastery Skills
  • making a difference
  • Meditation
  • Metta
  • Mindfulness
  • Motivation
  • Pioneers of Peace
  • Quotes
  • Recipes
  • Refugees
  • Resilience
  • Self Discovery the Michelangelo Way: A Game
  • The Optimism Corner
  • The Pioneers of Peace Thanks"Giving" Cup Campaign
  • The Power to Do
  • The Thanks"giving" Cup Campaign
  • Uncategorized
  • Utah Refugee Center
  • Valentine's Day
  • VOA Homeless Youth Resource Center
  • Wellness

Meta

  • Register
  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.com

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 187 other followers

Blog at WordPress.com.

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
Cancel

 
Loading Comments...
Comment
    ×
    %d bloggers like this: