1936-, American Psychiatrist, Writer
Acceptance Life is difficult. This is a great truth, one of the greatest truths. It is a great truth because once we truly see this truth, we transcend it. Once we truly know that life is difficult - then life is no longer difficult. Because once it is accepted, the fact that life is difficult no longer matters. The Road Less Travelled , 1978
Adversity Problems are the cutting edge that distinguishes between success and failure. Problems call forth our courage and our wisdom; indeed, they create our courage and our wisdom. It is only because of our problems that we grow mentally and spiritually. When we desire to encourage the growth of the human spirit, we challenge and encourage the human capacity to solve problems, just as in school we deliberately set problems for our children to solve. It is through the pain of confronting problems that we learn. Ibid.Wise people learn not to dread but actually to welcome problems because it is in this whole process of meeting and solving problems that life has its meaning. Ibid.
The healthy life is hardly one marked by an absence of crises. In fact, an individual's psychological health is distinguished by how early he or she can meet crisis. The Different Drum
Anger To function successfully in our complex world it is necessary for us to possess the capacity not only to express our anger but also not to express it … We not only need to know how to deal with our anger in different ways at different times but also how most appropriately to match the right time with the right style of expression. The Road Less Travelled , 1978
Attention / Awareness Greater awareness does not come in a single blinding flash of enlightenment. It comes slowly, piece by piece, and each piece must be worked for by the patient effort of study and observation of everything, including ourselves. Ibid.
Autonomy / Control It is only when one has taken the leap into the unknown of total selfhood, psychological independence and unique individuality that one is free to proceed along still higher paths of spiritual growth and free to manifest love in its greatest dimensions. Ibid.
Avoidance / Denial / Refusal In the absence of wake-up calls, many of us never really confront the critical issues of life. Ibid.We are all in need, in crisis, although most of us still seek to hide the reality of our brokenness from ourselves and one another. The Different Drum
Wisdom for The Soul: Five Millennia of Prescriptions for Spiritual Healing , © 2004