*updated on 9/5/2023

It’s pretty obvious to anyone with a pulse over the age of 12 that there is a major difference between infatuation and love. 

Still, the words “I love you” seem to get thrown around a lot. For instance, certain popular rom-com movies show relationships developing in less than two hours! In that context, “I love you” doesn’t exactly carry the same weight as a couple who says it to each other after 50 years of marriage. 

...

Failure.

The word itself is enough to give some of us a mild panic attack.

Generally seen as something to avoid at all costs, the fear of failing (or of being considered a failure) is enough to paralyze us when faced with the decision of whether to take a risk or try something new.

Maybe you’ve experienced that stifling fear of failure.

It takes different forms and can result in preventing us from attempting to make forward progress. It can sound like:

What if it doesn’t work?
...

A quick Google search on “Catholic guilt” results in all sorts of interesting (and many distasteful) articles and cartoons. 

Despite the fact this is largely unscientific data, I’d say it’s accurate to conclude that most people do not consider Catholic guilt a positive thing!

In one (crass) article highlighting the differences between Jewish and Catholic guilt, the writer quipped “The Jews set aside one day each year to atone for their sins. It’s...

As many of you know, I used to be a Franciscan friar.

The friar’s life is one marked by living in vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, revolving around a schedule of work, play, and prayer. I happened to live this radically different lifestyle in the same city I had my first job as a “normal” married man. (Well, normal enough at least to no longer sport a shaved head, long beard, and gray monk-looking outfit).

There are some pretty obvious differences between the two...

- The following is an excerpt edited from a live presentation and Q&A with Dr. Greg Bottaro. 

Q. We hear about mental illness all the time. But how do we arrive at mental health? Can you give a working concept of what that looks like?

A. It could be helpful to start with health in general. What could we point to as an indicator of health that overlaps any dimension of our human experience, whether physical, spiritual, or emotional/mental? 

The presence of adaptability or...

From a presentation given by IDDM Mentor, Ryan Nash.

My first job fresh out of graduate school was as a mental health counselor in a prison.

My days were spent listening to the inmates talk about their intense levels of trauma, both in regards to the crimes they had committed but also the equal or worse crimes and traumas they had suffered themselves.

Not only was the prison understaffed, but there was also an awful amount of paperwork that went along with the job. To make matters worse, the...

Life is hard.

Doing this human thing can be pretty challenging at times. It can feel overwhelming. 

We all have a list of things to point to that justify why we feel overwhelmed: the kids, the deadline, the job insecurity, the commitments, the family conflict...you name it. However, if we take a step back and look at how overwhelm works, we’ll realize that overwhelm doesn’t creep in because of what's happening in the present moment.

Overwhelm takes over when we let our minds...

Ideally, the Christmas holiday is a magical time of year...a time that means really good food, exchanging of gifts, holiday movies, and family togetherness. But in reality, the holidays oftentimes bring along some less-than-ideal feelings. A time of the year which should be reserved for celebrating the birth of our Savior is oftentimes ravaged with stress instead. 

This scenario has been depicted in many a Christmas movie - crowded stores, long lines, overcooked...

With Christmas approaching next week though, you may be feeling as if you can't rest just yet because of all that needs to be done to prepare for the holiday.

It's important to recall simple ways we can increase peace and joy in our lives and the lives of those around us as we prepare to celebrate the Incarnation - one of the most incredible events ever to take place in history.

The good news is that research shows there are five categories of human experience that, when given time to...