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Articles from Joyce Shafer, Book Doctor | Selfgrowth.com
- 5 Questions to Help You Become Your Authentic Self - by Submitted on Jun 09, 2011 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorIt’s a complaint you and many others may share: I don’t feel authentic! These 5 questions can help you change this. If you feel inauthentic, you already know how painful that can be. If you’re a people-pleaser, you know how painful that can be, too. If you feel the real you lives behind a ...
Views: 1687(1 vote) - A New Way to View Goals and Desired Outcomes - by Submitted on Feb 19, 2010 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorGoals and desired outcomes seem to come in two flavors: the ones easier to achieve and the ones we struggle with. There’s a word you can apply to both that can shift the quality of your experiences and take some of the “charge” out of struggle. Goals and desired outcomes—personal and ...
Views: 1408(1 vote) - Do You Attach Untrue Stories to Experiences? - by Submitted on Apr 25, 2010 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorA simple action sent me back, in memory, to the first time I became aware of attaching an untrue story to an experience. See if you recognize your own predilection or habit of doing this. I needed to open a new pint of Half & Half. The container had that opening that requires you pull the ...
Views: 1437(1 vote) - Do You Experience Mixed Feelings About Being Patient and Tolerant? - by Submitted on Jul 11, 2011 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorPatience and tolerance are behaviors and states of mind to practice, right? How well do you do with them? Questions about Patience and Tolerance came to me after I spent extended time with someone who couldn’t seem to talk about anything that wasn’t unpleasant. All of us need a dose of ...
Views: 1627(1 vote) - Do You Feel Authentic? - by Submitted on Apr 30, 2010 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorDo you ever feel afraid to be as you are? See if actor Patrick Stewart’s story and these comments help you think or feel differently about this. Tavis Smiley interviewed Patrick Stewart (Captain Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation). The topic of Stewart’s famed hairless dome came up, ...
Views: 1509(1 vote) - Do You Feel Empty or Full? - by Submitted on Dec 10, 2010 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorPerhaps you have certain feelings or longings that are vague, or sharp. These are callings from your soul, drawing attention to areas of you that need to be filled. At one time or another, you may feel one or more of the following: -Depressed or at least that you could feel ...
Views: 1383(1 vote) - Do You Feel You Lack Direction in Life, Business, or Retirement? - by Submitted on Sep 23, 2011 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorWhen you feel you lack direction in life, business, or retirement, it’s frustrating. It doesn’t have to be this way, if you have two things clear in your mind. You feel you lack direction if you don’t have a destination point envisioned in your mind. A destination point, in this context, is a ...
Views: 2893(1 vote) - Do You Know What the Trinity of Self-Realization and Authenticity Is? - by Submitted on Sep 16, 2011 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorDo you ever feel inauthentic, like you wear a mask over what you believe you know, or fear, about who you really are? The trinity can help you follow the path to your authentic-self destination. I read Flip the S.W.I.T.C.H. (How to Turn On and Turn Up Your Mindset) by PJ McClure, The Mindset ...
Views: 1322(1 vote) - Do You Practice This Mega Energy Zapper? - by Submitted on Dec 14, 2011 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorYou may use some of the usual ways to increase energy like rest, diet, supplements, etc., but finding a way to remove or shift this energy zapper will make a huge difference in every area of your life. It’s so commonly practiced that we hardly see it for what it is. Imagine you’re in the ...
Views: 1252(1 vote) - Do You Push When You Could Ride? - by Submitted on Aug 20, 2010 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorIt happens to all of us when we desire to fix, change, or shift something: we push when we could ride. What’s that really about? Years back, the guy cutting my hair told me about a conversation he’d had with a co-worker. She had complained that her father had used the push lawnmower on their ...
Views: 1502(1 vote) - Do You Struggle With Feeling Authentic? - by Submitted on Nov 04, 2011 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorDo you carry the feeling of not being your authentic self or living authentically, and a fear of doing so? If your answer is yes, here are two significant causes for this you need to be aware of. What I consider the first cause—a genuinely significant one—is that we, for the most part have ...
Views: 1618(2 votes) - Do You Yell at the Movie Screen of Your Life? - by Submitted on May 03, 2011 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorIf you find you don’t like a movie, you don’t yell at the screen to change. But, is that what you do about your life? I’d decided to use the Ho’oponopono method to work on old program tapes that run in my subconscious. If you’re going to aim at a target so you can hit it consistently, you ...
Views: 1333(1 vote) - Does Trying to Be Positive Ever Annoy You? - by Submitted on Dec 16, 2011 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorTrying to be positive when that’s not how you feel is kind of like being hungry with a plate of food in front of you, but allowing yourself only a few or no bites. And then there’s the guilt, right? Sometimes it can feel frustrating to me to practice what I preach: Look for and aim at the ...
Views: 1410(1 vote) - Every Fear Hides A Wish - by Submitted on Feb 10, 2008 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorThis title is a line of dialogue from a movie I recently watched. I shared it with a friend who emailed back, “What does THAT mean?” I suppose it could mean we wish the opposite of what we’re afraid of were true instead. If we fear instability in some area of our lives, perhaps we wish ...
Views: 2760(1 vote) - Everything Has a Reason and a Season - by Submitted on Dec 23, 2011 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorTrees don’t try to keep their leaves when autumn arrives, nor do they resist new growth in the spring. But, that’s how we sometimes approach our lives. Life asks, insists really, that we engage a continuous shedding and new growth aspect. Maybe you’re trying to hang onto something it’s time ...
Views: 1489(1 vote) - How Big Does Your Dream Need to Be? - by Submitted on Jan 30, 2010 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorMany individuals don’t go after their dream because they don’t think they can, should, it’s too small, or “don’t know” what it is. Are any of these holding you back? Two inspirational videos were emailed to me: one about a dog named Ricochet and one about Rudy Ruettiger, for whom the popular ...
Views: 1328(1 vote) - How Well Do You Cope with Change? - by Submitted on Jul 19, 2010 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorThere are two types of change to be aware of—the type you desire and the type you don’t. Do you feel you manage yourself well enough through these? Do You Want Your Life to Be Different? If you desire change in some area of your life, the first thing that must change is whatever in you ...
Views: 2639(1 vote) - Is it Time to Ask Different Questions? - by Submitted on Jul 12, 2009 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorWe’re half-way through 2009, and nearly everyone might agree shift has hit the fan. Significant change prompts significant questions. These questions may have lingered beneath the surface of busyness (and cluttered thoughts) for a while; and just as some seeds in the forest need fire to ...
Views: 1267(1 vote) - Is It Time to Simplify? - by Submitted on Sep 18, 2011 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorCould a lesson from Super Nanny apply to you and your personal and professional life? If you feel stressed and overwhelmed… yeah. The parents Super Nanny Jo Frost went to help were well-meaning—they wanted to give their children the best head start in life. Unfortunately, this meant not only ...
Views: 1307(1 vote) - Is Self-Esteem an Issue for You? - by Submitted on Jun 18, 2011 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorAre you a member of the Low Self-Esteem and Self-Worth Club? What you’re about to read may inspire you to cancel your membership. One of the times you feel low self-esteem and self-worth is when you’re around someone you believe, according to your perception, has more going for them than you ...
Views: 1359(2 votes) - Is Trying to Be Positive Making You Negative? - by Submitted on Jun 28, 2011 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorDo you ever feel trying to be positive is more like one step forward and two or more steps back? There is a good reason you feel this way. You may believe you’re obligated to be positive 24/7; and that if you were, everything about your life you don’t like would shift to what you want. And, ...
Views: 1134(1 vote) - Is Your Focus on the Target or the Prize? - by Submitted on Apr 08, 2011 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorThe article title asks an important question. The one you focus on has everything to do with not only your outcome but your experience reaching it. In his book, Awareness: The Perils and Opportunities of Reality, Anthony De Mello quotes Chinese sage Tranxu: “When the archer shoots for no ...
Views: 1530(1 vote) - Is Your Life Really the Same Old Thing? - by Submitted on Sep 29, 2012 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorDo you ever say or get the response to the question about how things are going, “Same old, same old,” or something similar? What does this really mean? I woke and, still under the covers, said my statement of “Good morning. Thank you for another day.” My ego-mind followed with the thought, ...
Views: 1383(1 vote) - It May Not Be Easy to Forgive But It Is Worth It to YOU - by Submitted on Oct 07, 2012 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorWalking through life with resentment is like walking through ankle-deep molasses. You move, but not well, not far, and not fast. Forgiveness, resentment, resistance… let’s look at them. Here’s something about forgiveness from two sources: One old, one new. The Bible, in its various versions ...
Views: 1427(1 vote) - Life Is Not Supposed to Be All About Problems - by Submitted on Jul 04, 2011 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorDo you wake every day, move through your day, and go to bed with problems on your mind? Maybe you’d like to do something about that right now. What can you do that’s quick? Reframe the problem or your perceptions about it to make a difference, even if just a small shift at first. I ...
Views: 1308(1 vote) - Living with BS Also Known as Belief Systems - by Submitted on Aug 31, 2012 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorI once wrote that beliefs change, Truths never do. But how can we know which is which; and, why should we concern ourselves with the difference? Belief Systems, which author David Brown humorously (and somewhat accurately, when you think about it) referred to as BS, are concepts we cling to ...
Views: 1315(1 vote) - Maybe It Is All in Your Mind - by Submitted on Jan 22, 2012 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorWhere do you experience most of your life? Is the majority of activity outside of you or inside your mind? I was with a person who, as other times before, talked about what’s perceived as wrong in her life, wrong with others, and recounted past events shared from a negative perspective. Yet, ...
Views: 1383(1 vote) - Number Your Days and Name Your Blessings - by Submitted on Dec 05, 2011 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorDo your days feel ordinary? Do you feel there are too few blessings in your life? Maybe you’d like to shift this. Let’s look at the second part of the article title first. We tend to put a lot of energy into naming what we want (often stated as “don’t haves”) and not a lot of energy into ...
Views: 1398(1 vote) - One Reason Your Nagging Issue Seems Hardest to Resolve - by Submitted on Nov 06, 2011 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorThis particular reason keeps the same problem or problems around far longer than you ever imagined they would be. It’s also what contributes to your feeling stressed, exhausted, frustrated, and why little to no lasting progress is made, no matter what you do. Think of one issue you’ve been ...
Views: 1612(2 votes) - The Big Question for Many: Who Am I, Really? - by Submitted on Dec 10, 2010 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorIt seems a minority of people feel genuinely at home in their skin, know who they are and how to go after what they want, and live as their authentic selves. Why is this? Let’s look at where things go off track for the others. We have a perplexing set-up as human beings: We come into our ...
Views: 1195(1 vote) - The Power of a Firm Decision - by Submitted on Oct 10, 2011 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorWhatever you believe is involved in improvement or success, the power of a decision is key. It will help if you understand what this really means. A firm decision is one without discord, or one that transmutes any discord that makes an appearance. A firm decision is made and a knowing ...
Views: 3783(1 vote) - The Power of Choice and What You Choose - by Submitted on Sep 23, 2012 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorWhat we choose not only influences us in the moment, but beyond it. How well or often do you practice the power of choice? I was walking along on a beautiful morning, while my ego-mind was busy playing old tapes and imagining unpleasant future moments, when I noticed that I was allowing this ...
Views: 1841(1 vote) - What Are the Differences Between Soul Needs and Ego Needs? - by Submitted on Dec 23, 2010 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorWe are souls in physical form, and we have an ego that is meant to serve us in specific ways. Frustration happens when we get their needs confused (or ignore them) rather than have them work together. Let’s look at some ways to differentiate between ego needs and soul needs. Ego serves us ...
Views: 5836(1 vote) - What Confidence Is and Is Not - by Submitted on Jul 20, 2012 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorWhat do you believe confidence is? Maybe you’re right, and maybe you’ll be surprised. Maybe you, like many, confuse confidence with competence. And that’s understandable because you’re advised to enhance your skills, knowledge, and expertise, and presto: The confident you will emerge and ...
Views: 1566(1 vote) - What Does Feeling Overwhelmed Really Mean? - by Submitted on Jul 29, 2011 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorThere are two types of overwhelm: the type that’s triggered by external events and the type you self-impose. Both can be managed with the same technique. “I’m overwhelmed,” was my client’s first comment. You’ve been in that state of mind, and so have I. And, that’s what’s important to ...
Views: 6687(1 vote) - What Is a Short Temper Fuse Really About? - by Submitted on Jul 16, 2011 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorWe all experience having a short fuse at times, though some seem to have this more often. What’s really going on; and can two simple methods make a difference? Thoughts that motivated my recent article, “Do You Experience Mixed Feelings About Being Patient and Tolerant?” didn’t stop when I ...
Views: 4946(1 vote) - What Key Ingredient Is Needed for Joy? - by Submitted on Jun 12, 2012 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorYou can choose joy as easily as you can choose any emotion. But you won’t enjoy your life as much as you could unless you include one key ingredient. Do you enjoy what you have: your key relationships, material items, spiritual awareness and connection to Source, personal traits and ...
Views: 1463(1 vote) - What Self-Sabotaging Behavior is About - by Submitted on Aug 29, 2011 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorSelf-sabotage is not about lack of willpower; so, you can stop beating yourself up about that one. What it is about may surprise you… and empower you. Self-sabotage happens when you confront the need to move out of your comfort zone to improve your life experience or make a dream or goal ...
Views: 1554(1 vote) - WHERE Is the Best Place to Start - by Submitted on Jul 22, 2011 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorWhen you have a goal or dream in mind, do you ask yourself where the best place to start is? The answer is in the question: Where you’re going. You’ve seen floor plan maps in public places like large malls, stores, or office buildings that let you see where shops, offices, or sections are ...
Views: 1129(1 vote) - Which of Your Selves Is More Sacred to You? - by Submitted on May 25, 2012 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorYou have a spiritual self and a material self that operates in the world. Which do you nurture first? How’s that working for you? You have a “foot in two worlds.” One foot is in the spiritual world, which is where you come from, where you return to, though, that world stays with you through ...
Views: 1264(1 vote) - Your Focus Equals Your Commitment - by Submitted on Sep 08, 2012 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorIf you ever feel your focus is faulty, check your commitment. But, also look at what else is going on in your life. It was a Sunday, a day I’d planned to relax and do as little as I could get away with. There were good programs and movies on, and I wanted to slounge (sleep and lounge) the ...
Views: 1761(1 vote) - Do You Possess Your Life or Do You Endure It? - by Submitted on Apr 02, 2010 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorHere is a partial line from a P.D. James novel: “. . . preserving always the same look of puzzled acceptance of a life which had to be endured rather than possessed.” Do you possess or endure your life (or any part of it) at this moment? Every day, each of us endures something, even if ...
Views: 1425(3 votes) - Do You Keep Beating the Same Drum? - by Submitted on Sep 18, 2009 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorHave you found a philosophy or technique you believe will lead you where you want to go: specific feelings and desired outcomes? It takes a while to realize you can’t get there, unless you travel the path to that destination. So much of what we do is habit we don’t recognize it for what it ...
Views: 1779(2 votes) - Does a Road Trip Parallel a Life Journey? - by Submitted on Jul 13, 2010 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorDo you ever wonder if you’re on the right road of your life? If this is or has been your experience, how did you manage yourself? A friend and I took a road trip using her GPS to get us from New York City to Louisiana. We wanted to beat the anticipated July Fourth traffic, so left Thursday ...
Views: 1327(2 votes) - How Can I Identify My Life Purpose, True Goals, or Bucket List? - by Submitted on Jul 30, 2010 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorIs there really one question or method that can help you answer each or all three of these questions? Let’s find out. First, a few thoughts about each . . . Life Purpose This one gets a lot of play. I think it’s because many of us feel if we, without question, know what our purpose is, ...
Views: 2612(2 votes) - How Do You Clear Your Inner Space? - by Submitted on Jan 09, 2012 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorWouldn’t it be great to be able to point at and click a Delete button at what clutters your inner space? Our days would be so different if we could. When I turn on my computer each morning, I go through a 3-step ritual. First, I use a program (which interestingly has the word Aware in its ...
Views: 2060(2 votes) - Three Keys to Goal Setting and Getting - by Submitted on Jul 18, 2011 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorRichard Bach said, “You are never given a dream without also being given the power to make it true.” Are you working on your dream, or feel too stuck to move? There are three keys for goal setting and getting. When something other than achievement or accomplishment is the result, one or more ...
Views: 1113(2 votes) - What Causes Negative Thinking? - by Submitted on Jul 15, 2012 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorDo you ever wonder if or wish there was an On-Off switch when it comes to negative thinking? Maybe if you know what causes it, you can find the switch and flip it. What we usually notice about negative thinking first is the Effect, not the Cause, of it. In fact, we may not even be aware that ...
Views: 8924(2 votes) - Do You Practice Self-Help or Shelf-Help? - by Submitted on Sep 11, 2009 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorYou invest in a book or program to improve something about you or your life. Do you take what it offers as far as is appropriate for you or as far as the bookshelf? Does this pattern show up in other areas of your life? We all have things in our lives we move forward on with no problem, ...
Views: 1325(3 votes) - Does Your To-Do or Goals List Overwhelm You? - by Submitted on Mar 12, 2010 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorLists are handy to help you stay organized. But, what if your list leads you into overwhelm instead of focus, achievement, and fulfillment? One of my newsletter readers emailed that he was not able to focus or move forward on any of his goals, and included a list of almost thirty items he’d ...
Views: 1381(4 votes)