Wednesday's Words of Wisdom: Dr. Lavi on Being a Psychologist

Thought for the Day: It's only Wednesday and I have been very busy. So much so that I did not post yesterday. I looked at an earlier post today to reshare and found a quote that I created a while back. It was inspired by a Carl Rogers quote on optimism. I decided to make a new "moving" image for my quote that better captures the privilege of being a therapist. I hope that you will find your calling and be as energize by your work as I am. Have a wonderful day.

Motivational Monday: What We All Can Learn from a Three Year Old About Giving

Thought for the Day: There are many things we learn from our children. However, young teachers like three year old Emily James are rare. Today, I am sharing a video showing how Emily can teach all of us about caring and giving generously. Surely little Emily was only able to teach this lesson because her parents taught her the importance of giving to children in need. Many parents would be reluctant to speak with a small child about a life threatening disease. However, Emily's parents seemed to understand that the psychological benefits of teaching a child about helping others outweighed any fears they may have had. They were able to explain cancer in a way that even a toddler could understand and empathize with other children's challenges. See how they helped her grasp the concept and want to help. Could you be missing opportunities like these to teach your children about giving and being empathic? Take a look... 

Sunday's Comic Strips: A Freudian Slip and Vara, A Blessing

Thought for the Day: Today is usually devoted to comics & the above photo is a classic Freudian slip. I have no time to write, since I am heading to the last day of the Tribeca Film Festival #TFF2014. So far, the best movie I have seen was "Vara, A Blessing." We were fortunate to get in to see it last night. We were literally last inline for Rush tickets when someone offered to sell us two tickets. It is a beautiful glimpse into life in rural India. The cinematography is exceptionally beautiful. The Indian music, dancing, costuming and art work are wonderful. When we came out of the movie we learned that it won best online film at the festival. 

Today, while we were waiting in line for another movie we met Shahana Goswani, the star of Vara, A Blessing! She was gracious enough to let us take her photograph. That's what makes this film festival special. If the picture is not clear I will fix it at home! Have a great day!

Saturday's Songs for the Soul: Gone, Gone, Gone by Phillip Phillips

Thought for the Day:  I heard today's Song for the Soul recently at the end of a Zumba class.  I try to exercise 4 or 5 times a week. Usually I swim, but have been adding additional types of exercise lately. For those of you who have never tried Zumba, it is an exuberant, fun mix of Latin dance moves and exercise to very loud uptempo music. I can only do about 30 minutes of a class and, therefore, don't always arrive at the beginning. It was the first time that I was present at the end of the lesson for a "cool down." As I listened to the lyrics of this powerful uptempo song (not really cool down music, but compared to the previous melodies, it was a bit more subdued), I was impressed. I knew I had to find out the name of the artist to share here. I found out that it was written and performed by American Idol season 11 winner, Phillip Phillips. The song is a testimonial to everlasting love.

#FF Friday's Fabulous Finds: #TFF2014, Blind Pole Vaulter, Lego Building Career, NYC World Fair Photos

Thought for the Day: I have some wonderful finds for you today from Flipboard. I am still haven't figured out how to add something from outside flibboard, but want to mention that the Tribeca Film Festival #TFF2014 is ending this Sunday. If you are in NYC this weekend, it is well worth catching some great films. Even waiting in the rush lines for tickets is a fun and interesting experience. You can meet people from around the world, including aspiring actors and film makers. If you come early, you can get into the screenings. This week I saw "Art and Craft." It is a surprisingly funny, albeit touchingly sad and insightful documentary. The film exposes the life of an emotionally disturbed exceptionally talented artist. who donates his forged replicas of classic art to museums around the United States. I spoke briefly (and exchanged e-mails to continue the conversation) with the filmmaker, MARK BECKER,  who edited this film. It raised multiple questions for me as a psychologist about developing more creative treatment options for the mentally ill in our nation. I also saw "Below Dreams," a portrait of three twenty-something transplants to New Orleans in their search for their dreams. It is a cross between a documentary and narrative looking at the challenges three young people face in today's world.

My flipboard picks this week include a long, but well worth the read, cover story about a teenage blind pole vaulter. As those of you who have been following my blog know, I have been working for several years with the Blind Judo Foundation, which is featured in my book,  since they encourage blind athletes to reach for and accomplish their dreams by pursuing the sport of Judo. This young woman's dreams are literally taking her to new heights. If your dream is to build with legos for a living there's an article on how to be paid to play. (At the Tribeca Film Festival there is film about Legos, too, "Beyond the Brick: A Lego Brickumentary.") Other posts include photos from NYC's World's Fair which was held 50 years ago, some very creative lunch boxes, and packaging that sells itself. I hope you like my picks.

Tuesday's Psychology Tips: With Hope, The Odds Don't Matter

Thought for the Day: Today, +Heather Von St. James, one of the people connected to me on Google+ asked me to share her story. She told me that although Mesothelioma Awareness week is over, she would like me to share this on my blog. After I viewed her story, I decided to share it here on Tuesday's Psychology Tips. Her message, "With Hope, The Odds Don't Matter," is a wonderful tip for anyone struggling with a difficult medical diagnosis. 

Monumental Monday: Proud to Support Boston on Marathon Monday

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Thought for the Day: I just came home from Boston. While there I had the privilege to sit at Mile 20 of the Boston Marathon in Newton MA in the middle of Heartbreak Hill. I watched as the wheel chair competitors passed, the female front runners, the male front runners and then the waves of runners from around the country and around the world who came out in full force to support Boston as they took back the Marathon.