Opinion Forum

Don’t Go “Caveman” in a Crisis

May 17th, 2012

By Dr. Jim Taylor Research has shown that when we experience a crisis, we regress back to our primitive ancestors; we go caveman! We fall back on most deeply ingrained instincts and habits that have served us well for eons by ensuring our survival, namely, by triggering the “fight-or-flight” response. This primal reaction produces intense [...]

Articles written by Dr. Jim Taylor
Tags: business, caveman, control, crisis, emotions, fight, flight, reactions, threat
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Align Your Values and Your Life

May 15th, 2012

By Dr. Jim Taylor In my last post [on this topic], I described the essential role that values play in the life you lead. I also showed how you can deconstruct values so you can really understand what values are driving your life. But it is one thing to recognize what values you possess and [...]

Articles written by Dr. Jim Taylor
Tags: choices, happiness, lifestyle, passion, personal growth, values
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Your Values, Your Life

May 7th, 2012

By Dr. Jim Taylor Your values form the foundation of your life. They dictate the choices you make and determine the direction that your life takes. Your values will influence your decisions related to your relationships, career, and other activities you engage in. Despite this importance, few people choose their values. Instead, they simply adopt [...]

Articles written by Dr. Jim Taylor
Tags: choices, occupation, personal growth, popular culture, society, values
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Is Technology the New Opiate of the Masses?

April 24th, 2012

By Dr. Jim Taylor Karl Marx famously called religion the “opiate of the masses.” Well, to paraphrase Reggie Hammond, Eddie Murphy’s character in the film 48 Hours, “There’s a new opiate in town and its name is technology.” Yes, folks, everywhere you look these days, you see people “shooting up” their technological “drug” of choice, [...]

Articles written by Dr. Jim Taylor
Tags: addiction, dependence, games, internet, opiate, social media, technology
Categories: Life, Media, Science | Comments (0) | Home

Should Parents Raise Their Own Children?

April 16th, 2012

By Dr. Jim Taylor This is, I realize, a rather heretical question to ask given the size of the “parent-industrial complex,” the fact that the word parent has morphed from being a noun (i.e., what someone is) into a verb (i.e., what someone does), and the recent proliferation of “I am a better parent than [...]

Articles written by Dr. Jim Taylor
Tags: children, coaches, kids, parenting, parents, raising, teachers
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Do You Have ‘Complete Freedom’ in Your Life?

April 9th, 2012

By Dr. Jim Taylor My series of posts on “life inertia” has been exploring the role that it plays in where your life has been, where it is now, and where it is heading. As you consider ways to change your life inertia, it’s helpful to have a vision of the direction you want your [...]

Articles written by Dr. Jim Taylor
Tags: choices, freedom, goals, life inertia, needs, personal growth, vision
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The Librul* War on Fact and Science

April 7th, 2012

By Dan Miller Belief can result from a desire to believe and desire to believe can result from wanting to be thought fashionable. Both can be unfortunate as to matters where objective analysis of fact is claimed as the basis. Wars have long been waged in many ways. New ways were developed so that we [...]

Articles written by Dan Miller
Tags: beliefs, climate change, facts, fashion, global warming, liberal, librul, satire
Categories: Politics, Science | Comments (0) | Home

Blame Your Parents for Your Problems!

April 2nd, 2012

By Dr. Jim Taylor In my last post, I described the differences between needs, which ensure your psychological and emotional survival and growth, and NEEDS!, which arise from the neuroses, pathologies, and just plain whims of your parents and the environment and culture in which you are raised and have likely caused you considerable unhappiness [...]

Articles written by Dr. Jim Taylor
Tags: adulthood, choices, needs, parenting, personal growth, responsibility
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Do You Have Needs or NEEDS!

March 27th, 2012

By Dr. Jim Taylor Just as your basic physical needs (e.g., food, water, shelter) must be met to ensure your physical survival and growth, another set of needs must also be satisfied to guarantee your psychological and emotional survival and growth. These needs include: Feeling loved (“I’m worthwhile”), Allaying insecurity (“I’m safe”), Feeling competent (“I’m [...]

Articles written by Dr. Jim Taylor
Tags: childhood, dysfunctional, healthy, life inertia, needs, personal growth
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Changing Your Life “Inertia” Takes Courage

March 19th, 2012

By Dr. Jim Taylor In a previous post, I first introduced you to my law of life inertia: “The tendency of people, having once established a life trajectory, to continue on that course unless acted on by a greater force.” I followed that post with another in which I described the four forces that drive [...]

Articles written by Dr. Jim Taylor
Tags: change, conviction, courage, faith, life inertia, personal growth, uncertainty
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Crisis: Emotional Threat or Challenge

March 13th, 2012

By Dr. Jim Taylor Emotions lie at the heart of how you respond to crises. They are the starting point for all of the reactions that we have toward a crisis. They are also the first obstacle to establishing a positive response to a crisis. That is why it is essential to understand the role [...]

Articles written by Dr. Jim Taylor
Tags: challenge, crisis, emotions, reactions, threat
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Freak Out or Geek Out?: Children’s Emotional Reactions to Achievement

February 14th, 2012

By Dr. Jim Taylor These days, children seem to be given every opportunity by their parents to achieve success in school, sports, and the performing arts. Children receive private tutoring, coaching, and instruction. They attend summer camps devoted to their achievement activity. They seem to be assured of having every possible skill necessary to achieve [...]

Articles written by Dr. Jim Taylor
Tags: achievement, children, emotional skill, failure, parenting, success
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Five Steps to Positive Life Change (and the Big Payoff!)

January 30th, 2012

By Dr. Jim Taylor In my first post in this exploration of how we can produce meaningful and last life change, I described the four obstacles that prevent change. In my last post on this topic, I introduced you to the five building blocks of change. These steps I just described set the stage for [...]

Articles written by Dr. Jim Taylor
Tags: change, forks in the road, goals, obstacles, payoff, personal growth
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Why Corporate Change is Difficult, But Possible

January 27th, 2012

By Dr. Jim Taylor Now, more than ever, the corporate world is in a state of constant change. Whether increasing global competition, the emergence of new technologies, or the high turnover of company staffs, life in the business world is constantly in flux. Despite this reality, companies themselves don’t always adapt quickly or well to [...]

Articles written by Dr. Jim Taylor
Tags: business, change, management, motivation, obstacles, recognition
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Fatigue Is a Parent’s Worst Enemy (and Constant Companion)

January 26th, 2012

By Dr. Jim Taylor An almost unavoidable part of parenting – unless, I suppose, you have a cadre of full-time nannies – is exhaustion, both physical and mental. Too little sleep, too few respites, and too little time dedicated to your own needs can all contribute to a state of deep fatigue that leaves you, [...]

Articles written by Dr. Jim Taylor
Tags: communicating, expediency, fatigue, mental, messages, parenting, physical
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Five Building Blocks of Positive Life Change

January 23rd, 2012

By Dr. Jim Taylor In my last post, I described how difficult changing your life can be and the four obstacles that you must overcome to achieve meaningful and long-lasting change. Yes, change is difficult, despite the “quick and without any effort” claims of motivational speakers and self-help books. The reality is that nothing of [...]

Articles written by Dr. Jim Taylor
Tags: courage, determination, emotions, epiphany, faith, personal growth
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Four Obstacles to Positive Life Change

January 18th, 2012

By Dr. Jim Taylor Change is essential for your growth and development as a person. Without change, you are assured of staying just the way you are and doing things just the way you have always done them. For some people, that’s a good thing; they’re happy and fulfilled in their lives. But for many [...]

Articles written by Dr. Jim Taylor
Tags: change, obstacles, personal development, personal growth
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“Know Thyself” Is the First Step to Life Change

January 10th, 2012

By Dr. Jim Taylor The first step in making meaningful changes in your life involves gaining a better understanding of yourself in essential areas that impact your life. This self-knowledge can provide you with direction as you try to maximize your efforts at change. Self-knowledge can also help you be more efficient and focused — [...]

Articles written by Dr. Jim Taylor
Tags: abilities, change, personal growth, self-knowledge, strengths, weaknesses
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Motivation: The Drive to Change

January 4th, 2012

By Dr. Jim Taylor According to the research of Dr. Anders Ericsson, motivation is the most significant predictor of success. In simple terms, Dr. Ericsson found that experts in many walks of life, whether sport, music, chess, dance, or business, had put in the most hours at their craft. He coined the phrase, “It takes [...]

Articles written by Dr. Jim Taylor
Tags: change, effort, goals, matrix, motivation, personal growth, success
Categories: Education, Life, Science | Comments (4) | Home