By Rosanne Bane I was out of town last week for a family emergency and on the flight home, I finally got an explanation for why flight attendants demonstrate how to use a seat belt. (I’ve always thought, “Really, you’re going to show us how to use a seat belt? Is there anyone on the plane … More Please Adjust Your Own Mask Before Attempting to Help Others
By Rosanne Bane My friend Melissa and I were laughing about how silly our rebellious natures can be – especially when we get “oppositionally defiant” with ourselves. (Oppositional defiance is a significant disorder for children and adolescents, but when you’re our age and you’re only defying yourself, it’s pretty silly.) “I hate it when I … More Stop Stopping Yourself
I can’t tell you exactly how you’ll discern your Self from your self and how you’ll finesse the balance between your ego-self and your True Self . But one guideline I find helpful is to always honor the promises you make to yourself and others. When you honor a commitment you make, you strengthen your awareness of … More Don’t Take Yourself Seriously Part 3: Keep Your Promises
While you shouldn’t take yourself too seriously, you must take your Self seriously. I’m talking about the distinction between your (lower case s) self and your (capital S) Self, aka your True Self or Spirit. (If you’re curious, I discuss Carl Jung’s distinction between the larger Self and the ego-self and … More Don’t Take Yourself Seriously Part 2: Ego, Maslow and All That
“Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.” That’s lesson #4 in Regina Brett’s Life Lessons and a good thing to remember when you’re fighting resistance, especially perfection-induced resistance. You know the “I can’t write that, it’ll sound stupid” or “I’ve got to get this right, right now!” thinking that freezes your creative … More Don’t Take Yourself Seriously Part 1: Angels Fly Because They Take Themselves Lightly
“Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.” “When in doubt, just take the next small step.” “You can get through anything if you stay put in today.” These are lessons in Regina Brett’s article “45 Life Lessons and 5 to Grow On” published in The Plain Dealer, Columbus OH back in 2006. Apparently, the … More Writing Life Lessons: When All Else Fails, Use Chocolate
After the last post on the Neurology of Resistance, many of you may be thinking “Okay, so writing resistance is normal and I don’t have to feel guilty or embarrassed, and that’s a huge relief, but what do I do next? How do I get past resistance and start writing again?” The key is the … More Relax Already (Neurology of Resistance Part 2)
“Before this class, I thought there was something wrong with me – that I must not really want to be a writer since I wasn’t writing. Now I know there’s neurological and psychological reasons for it and, even better, there are solutions! I’ve written more in the past few weeks than I did in the … More Neurology of Resistance: Limbic System vs. Cerebral Cortex
Growing up with “Bane” as my last name, I’ve heard more references to “the bane of my existence” than I can count. That’s right, my last name means “death, doom, destruction,” and comes from the Old English “bana” which means “slayer.” Fortunately (I guess) the clichéd use of the phrase ‘bane of my existence” has … More Welcome to the Bane of Your Resistance
Bane of Your Resistance 