By Penelope Andrade

June 30, 2010 (San Diego) -- Are you connected to life? While many move in a daze of action, haze of forgetting, or tangle of technology, real life requires full frontal engagement. Yes, I’m talking about getting naked with the present moment. This means dropping in right here, right now sans overwork, alcohol, drugs, IPod, Blackberry, laptop, etc. to see how you feel. If you can barely imagine such a thing, you’re probably overdue to reboot your life connection.

By Penelope Andrade

January 1, 2010 (San Diego)--Are you ready for a new year?

As you prepare to enter a new year, you may find yourself consciously or subconsciously reviewing this past year in particular and your life in general. This potent time of transition beckons you tune in to who, what and where you are.

Do you have an easier time giving than receiving? At Thanksgiving attention typically turns to turkey (or tofu) and gratitude.

Paradoxically, giving thanks spotlights your ability to receive. The reason for this is that gratitude requires opening yourself to receiving. If you’re like many of us you may not always feel deserving. It’s easy to get caught thinking its better to give than get.

By Penelope Andrade

Is self care last on your holiday list? Winter's dark, short days invite you inside your home and self to slow down, rest . . . rejuvenate. The holidays pull you out into festive, hustle bustle. Torn in two directions you may feel more acutely the stress of lives that don't suit you or nourish you. You remember previous holiday disappointments and hope for fulfillment . . . maybe this year.

 
By Penelope Andrade
 
July, 2009 (San Diego) -- Can you say no when you need to? It's often hard to say no . . . especially to people in positions of authority. An airplane once crashed because the crew was afraid to confront the captain. The captain was distracted by a landing gear malfunction and failed to notice the fuel gauge dropping to empty.

By Penelope Andrade
 
June 2009 (San Diego)--Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired? If you’ve got some chronic ‘itis’ like sinusitis, dermatitis, cystitis, gastritis, colitis, arthritis, thyroiditis or other ongoing physical aggravation, chances are something you are doing is making things worse. This could be something as simple as not taking medications/ herbs /remedies properly or as complex as poor self care – too much sugar, fat, alcohol, processed food, TV, Internet or too little sleep, sex, exercise and real leisure. No joy in love or work may also be a factor. While figuring out how you’re making yourself sicker is the first step, changing your life is the real challenge.

May 1, 2009 (San Diego)--Do you worry about what others think of you? Of course everyone likes to be well regarded. Having some sense of how you’re viewed is healthy. The problem comes when you imagine someone holds a negative view and you can’t stop thinking about it. Your anxiety may be heightened if that someone is a family member, boss or co-worker…someone whose opinion and connection matters to you.

By Penelope Andrade

April 1, 2009 (San Diego)--Are you caught in a relationship triangle? Everyone is familiar with two people having an affair without the knowledge of a spouse or significant other. What you may not know is that other triangles also cause problems – parent and child against the other parent – friends, couples/in-laws, co-workers siding with one another in shifting alliances. Extricating yourself from any of these tangles can be a challenge because they’re typically a smokescreen for deeper issues.

Trouble keeping resolutions?

By Penelope Young Andrade

February 1, 2009 (San Diego) — Are you having trouble keeping your New Year's Resolutions? For many, February finds you slinking back to old habits. You hate and berate yourself for being ˜weak willed" but can't find a way to resist temptation. The problem, typically, is not that you're weak willed, but rather that you haven't found a way to use your will skillfully.

By Penelope Andrade

January, 2009 (San Diego) — Is your past getting in the way of your future? Like most of us you've probably based your notions of the future on what has happened to you in the past. That's human nature. Your subconscious mind is designed to operate that way. That's how you learned to avoid hot stoves or angry dogs even if you weren't aware that's what you were learning. However, if you want to transform your life now, you'll need to open up to a future free of the past. Fortunately, as an evolving human, you have tools for this. You have a potential for consciousness bigger than any sub or unconscious programming. You also have the will to move your awareness wherever you choose--as long as you practice!

Gratitude for Hard Times

By Penelope Young Andrade LCSW

Are you grateful for hard times?  Although you may welcome reminders to be grateful, you probably don’t strive to be grateful FOR hard times themselves.  If you’re like most of us, hard times are something you wish would pass as fast as possible. The problem is that hard times are usually your best teachers and provide profound gifts. Giving thanks for dark times is often a prerequisite for receiving these blessings.