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Posts Tagged: possibilities

“Just Go to Prague!” Overcoming Impossible Odds and Challenges

Posted by Marlene Anderson, MA, LMHC, NCC

“Just Go to Prague!” Overcoming Impossible Odds and Challenges | focuswithmarlene.com

A crowd gathered in the expansive home of a friend and colleague of my son. We were there to honor and celebrate his life.

After mingling and getting acquainted, we gathered in the spacious living room to share our stories about Don. One story I heard for the first time truly epitomized my son. Many people who gathered there that day used to meet regularly as a support group, where they encouraged each other as they endeavored to survive in a very tough industry, discussing potential and collaborative efforts on projects and their careers.

Developing a Vision: Why, What and How

Posted by Marlene Anderson, MA, LMHC, NCC

eveloping a Vision: Why, What and How | FocusWithMarlene.com

Developing a vision is more than just thinking about what you might want to do or to have. It’s also developing a new focus. Your focus determines who you are and who you can become. It makes you unique.

On the front page of my website I have defined my platform with the following:

Focus

  • On God – let Him lead
  • On what you can do – not what you can’t
  • On choices and possibilities
  • On solutions – not problems
  • On principles and values – live them

Adjust Your Focus: Reframe Your Circumstances

Posted by Marlene Anderson, MA, LMHC, NCC

Adjust Your Focus: Reframe Your Circumstances | FocusWithMarlene.com

Life is full of challenges. Some challenges will be fairly straightforward while others will require major adjustment and reframing to meet the demands within them.

Years ago, when I was helping design and write a class on Chronic Illness, we reviewed a book by Arnold Beisser titled, Flying without Wings: Personal Reflections on Loss, Disability and Healing. Arnold was a young man ready to conquer the world. He was an athlete and tennis champion and had just completed medical school when polio struck. He found himself in an iron lung instead of in an office taking on new clients.

As he lay there unable to move, paralyzed from head to foot, he asked himself, Now what? His life seemed over. But he decided to take it back and gradually began to reframe his situation.

A New Focus

Posted by Marlene Anderson, MA, LMHC, NCC

A New Focus | FocusWithMarlene.com

Before I returned to school to get my master’s degree in psychology and counseling, I had the privilege to work for a company that provided two-week training workshops to injured workers in chronic pain. The participants were mandated to attend before their workman’s compensation expired.

When they arrived, they were angry and combative. Yet over the two weeks, we saw a profound change in individuals – they had hope again. They began to focus on what they could possibly do rather than what they no longer were able to do. It was an amazing transformation I witnessed many times.

However, some participants refused to consider such an option, and remained locked in bitterness over their injuries. When we believe we are limited or have no choices, we experience hopelessness, helplessness, resentment, anxiety and fear.