The Sushi Train
Ride the Sushi Train of the Mind My daughter used to love those restaurants where sushi dishes paraded past on a little train track. Long-time Edmontonions may remember that there used to be one in WEM. In this new… Read More
The Difficult Art of Self-Compassion
The Difficult Art of Self-Compassion “To survive in this high-pressured, crazy world, most of us have to become highly adept at self-criticism. We learn how to tell ourselves off for our failures, and for not working hard or… Read More
The Joy of Missing Out
According to Wikipedia, the fear of missing out or FOMO is “a pervasive apprehension that others might be having rewarding experiences from which one is absent”. This can show up as “a desire to stay continually connected with what others are doing”…. Read More
The Swamp
Suppose you are beginning a journey to a beautiful mountain you can see clearly in the distance. No sooner do you start the hike than you walk right into a swamp that extends as far as you can… Read More
Skiing by Helicopter
Suppose you go skiing. You take a lift to the top of a hill, and you are just about to ski down the hill when a man comes along and asks where you are going. “Iʼm going to… Read More
Playground Bully
Our minds are like school playgrounds that are surrounded by secure high fences – they keep children in, and others out. Any bullies in that playground mean that the other children canʼt escape for long. This particular bully… Read More
Passengers on the Bus
Suppose there is a bus and you are the driver. On this bus weʼve got a bunch of passengers. Some of them are scary, and they are dressed up in black leather jackets and they have switchblade knives…. Read More
Mule in the Well
An Acceptance and Commitment metaphor A farmer has an old, useless mule that falls into a dry, abandoned well. Upon realizing that he is stuck, the mule becomes afraid and begins to bray. The farmer, who hears the… Read More
Looking for Keys
An Acceptance and Commitment metaphor Letʼs say itʼs the end of my day and Iʼm ready to lock up my files and leave the office. I quickly notice that I donʼt have my keys — so what do… Read More
The Unwanted Guest
An Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Metaphor Imagine that you got a new house and you invited all the friends over to a housewarming party. Everyone is invited, except for one guy who you don’t invite because he’s trouble. So… Read More