Health

The Indecision Conundrum

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THIS ARTICLE ENTITLED, “THE INDECISION CONUNDRUM” IS BY DR. SHANNI DOVER   Hello again, Dear Reader.  This article will again be a departure from previous articles. Moving away from psychology, I will discuss the indecision conundrum. Let’s take a closer look.   The Indecision Conundrum: When we hear the word indecision, we often have a … Read more

Integrity And You

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THIS ARTICLE ENTITLED, “INTEGRITY AND YOU” IS BY DR. SHANNI DOVER   Hello again, Dear Reader.  This article will again be something of a departure from previous, and perhaps more technical articles. Moving away from psychology-proper, I will discuss ethics and integrity. Let’s take a closer look. Integrity: If you randomly ask someone to define … Read more

Seeking Your Inner Self

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THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE ENTITLED, “SEEKING YOUR INNER SELF” IS BY DR. SHANNI DOVER   Hello again, Dear Reader. This week’s topic is about seeking your inner self. The paths of life are many; there are numerous demands and choices we must face in our lives. The  variety of roles we must play are many. Oftentimes, … Read more

What We Owe Our Children

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THIS ARTICLE ENTITLED, “WHAT WE OWE OUR CHILDREN” IS BY DR.SHANNI DOVER     Hello again, Dear Reader. For this week’s installment I will discuss what we owe our children. This topic was spurred by a brief conversation with a friend which made me wonder what “shoulds, oughts and musts” we might all have in … Read more

Facing Challenges

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THIS ARTICLE ENTITLED, “FACING CHALLENGES” IS DR. SHANNI DOVER Hello again, Dear Reader. This week I have chosen to discuss facing challenges. This past week was particularly difficult for me as I had to face the possible death of a pet; he had a 50/50 chance of waking up from the anesthesia after surgery. As … Read more

Brain Health As We Age

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THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE ENTITLED, “BRAIN HEALTH AS WE AGE” IS BY DR.SHANNI DOVER     Hello again, Dear Reader. For this installment, I will discuss brain health as we age. Many adults struggle with vitality, mobility, independence and memory. These changes are often inevitable. In fact, I was compelled to write about this topic due … Read more

Poetry For The Soul

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Hello again, Dear Reader. For this week’s installment, I am trying something quite different. With the desire to offer you inspiration in dark days, I have selected some poetry for your perusal. Being a novice at writing poetry, I have been trying my hand at Japanese-style poetry. Many are likely familiar with the Haiku. This … Read more

Cognitive Dissonance

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THIS ARTICLE ENTITLED, “COGNITIVE DISSONANCE” IS BY DR. SHANNI DOVER Hello again, Dear Reader. This week I will discuss cognitive dissonance. This concept has been around for many years. Today, cognitive dissonance is still relevant. We will look at the genesis of this term, as well as how it may be at work in our … Read more

Forgiveness

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THIS ARTICLE ENTITLED, “FORGIVENESS” IS BY DR. SHANNI DOVER   Hello again, Dear Reader. For this installment I will be discussing forgiveness. Forgiveness is defined by Webster Merriam as, “the act of forgiving.” Needless to say, this definition leaves much to be desired. Therefore, we look again to the field of psychology for edification. Psychologists … Read more

Saying No and Creating Boundaries

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THIS ARTICLE ENTITLED “SAYING NO AND CREATING BOUNDARIES “ IS BY DR. SHANNI DOVER Hello again, Dear Reader. This week’s topic is about saying no and creating boundaries. This skill is a must in life. No matter how positive and caring we may strive to be, there will be moments in life when saying no … Read more

The Anxiety Contagion

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THIS ARTICLE ENTITLED, “THE ANXIETY CONTAGION” IS BY DR. SHANNI DOVER Hello again, dear Reader. I’m back after a brief hiatus. This week I will discuss what I call the anxiety contagion. I will be asking the question, is anxiety contagious? We typically think of contagion as pertaining to physical disease. In our current state … Read more

Decision Making, Part 3: Steps to Improve Strategic Decision Making

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THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE ENTITLED, “DECISION MAKING, PART 3: STEPS TO IMPROVE STRATEGIC DECISION MAKING SKILLS” IS BY DR. SHANNI DOVER     Hello again, Dear Reader. In the last two articles in this series, “Decision Making”, definitions and literature were reviewed. Also noted was the distinction between strategies and tactics as these terms pertain to … Read more

Decision Making – Part 2: Strategies and Tactics

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THIS ARTICLE ENTITLED, “DECISION MAKING – PART 2: STRATEGIES AND TACTICS” IS BY DR. SHANNI DOVER   Hello again, Dear Reader. Today I will continue to discuss last week’s topic, decision making. A cursory review of the literature and definitions were presented, along with the notion of uncertainty and how it effects decision making. Given … Read more

Decision Making

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THIS ARTICLE ENTITLED,”DECISION MAKING” IS BY DR.SHANNI DOVER   Hello again, Dear Reader. For this week, I will begin to discuss decision making in a series. The art of decision making can be quite daunting for many of us. As we consider our rapidly changing environment, we witness prominent individuals making decisions that do not … Read more

The Panic Mode

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            THIS ARTICLE ENTITLED, ‘THE PANIC MODE’ IS BY DR. SHANNI DOVER     Hello again, Dear Reader. This week’s topic of discussion is the panic mode. With today’s uncertainties, many of us can relate to and understand the feeling of being in panic mode. Let’s look a bit closer … Read more

Control

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THIS ARTICLE ENTITLED, “CONTROL” is by Dr.Shanni Dover   Hello again, Dear Reader. The topic I’ve chosen to discuss this week is “Control”. In light of current events, this appears to be a salient and timely subject. We will look at behavior patterns, and discuss ways to improve negative cycles of thought. Control:  The concept … Read more

Surviving Heartache

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THIS ARTICLE ENTITLED “SURVIVING HEARTACHE” IS BY DR.SHANNI DOVER     Hello again, Dear Reader. Today I will discuss  surviving heartache. This is something we all must face in life – whether young, old, sick, healthy, rich or poor. But do not fear. You are strong enough to get through to the other side of … Read more

Be The Hero

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THIS ARTICLE ENTITLED, “BE THE HERO” IS BY DR. SHANNI DOVER Hello again, dear Reader. Last week I discussed how to be the hero in your life and in the lives of others. We learned that  faith in yourself is essential to the process of becoming a hero. Thus, by believing in yourself, you bolster … Read more

Be The Hero

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THIS ARTICLE ENTITLED, “BE THE HERO”, IS BY DR.SHANNI DOVER

 

Hello all. Today I am submitting this, my first post on DailyWisdomWords.com. I am excited to have the opportunity to reach out to others.

For this first entry, I will discuss ‘being the hero of your own life story’. Joseph Campbell is credited with the quote:

“You are the hero of your own story.”

Simply put, this means that you and you alone define your life. Through faith in yourself, you decide who and what you will be.

Therefore, it stands to reason that we have the power to be a hero if we choose. With each challenge, and mistake, we can rise to the occasion and conquer the shadows. Those who see only our mistakes may view us as failures, but this far from the truth. Mistakes are part of everyone’s life, and how we face adversity is what truly helps to define us.

Thus, by believing in ourselves and accepting both the good and bad, we can choose to embrace the pain and reinvent ourselves. Consequently, we can grow  and learn as a result of the trials we face, and subsequently become better human beings. By being the hero of your own life story, you validate your experiences and you help to define your existence. Furthermore, by working towards self understanding, we open a door to our true selves: the hero within. This is more than mere survival; this is a path towards thriving in your life.

 

A Positive Choice

Remember that one of your choices is to maintain a positive countenance in the face of heartbreaks. Our tolerance for life’s ambiguity is key to our growth, both intellectually and emotionally. By practicing positivity, you can look at your life with all its ups and downs without judging yourself too harshly.

Additionally, being the hero allows for your internal structures/schemes to be altered. Very much the way steel is tempered by fire, your seeming losses can be construed as learning opportunities…a means to your personal growth.

“Experience: that most brutal teacher. But you learn, my God do you learn.”

-William Nicholson, 1948

Beyond the personal empowerment that can be gained by reframing your own definition of success, your life can be a shining example to others as they traverse life’s labyrinth.

As a result, your life also allows you to be the hero of someone else’s story, given that you are born with a wellspring of strength and love. Every act of kindness, whether that be a smile or a hand held tightly, can serve to uplift others.

Life is love: sharing love, being love…this is your heroic path. The gift of life is immeasurable and unlike any other gift you could receive. By being a hero, you show others that they too can be heroes in their own lives and perhaps in the life of others.

“What I like about experience is that it is such an honest thing… You may have deceived yourself, but experience is not trying to deceive you. The universe rings true wherever you fairly test it.”

-C.S. Lewis

 

Next week, Sunday at 3:00, I will discuss ways in which we can become the hero in our lives, as well as in the lives of others. Please feel free to offer your feedback, e.g., was this of value to you? Until then, dear Reader, I remain your friend.

 

THIS ARTICLE ENTITLED, “BE THE HERO” , IS BY DR.SHANNI DOVER