Is anyone else out there having a rather turbulent summer? Seems so many are. Either a mate or a child is seriously ill, or someone has lost either their entire job or a good part of it causing a real drop in income, or, someone close has died or is dying. Additionally, you or a family member may be going through a physical setback, a mental breakdown or something equivalent. How much can an individual or an entire family take? What to do??? Well to start it may be helpful to know you are not alone...many, many people seem to be stressed out far more than usual. What could be causing all this?
Well the obvious answer being thrown about is that the economy is...and no doubt it does have a great deal to do with things today. Certainly the lack of a job and/or the lack of the same amount of money to pay for the things heretofore easily paid for, has its impact...not only on the mental self, but the physical self as well. But more importantly is how those affected are able to handle all this.
I would counsel that one would take the time to actually write out what options one has. Itemize any leads on where and how one can increase income, and where one may possibly find employment. List what can be done about our physical pain (doctors to visit. medicines to try, etc.).
My experience with people who are most capable of reducing crippling stress however, focuses on two elements.
First...find a place to escape the turmoil..turn off the TV, close the door, take no calls. Take a walk; sit quietly by yourself in a favorite spot either in a room at home, at church, at synagogue, or in the woods, the mountains, the lake, etc. Then breathe quietly...in fact simply hear yourself breathe for awhile. While doing this imagine yourself in your favorite space such as lying on a lounge, hammock, swing or whatever it is that floats your boat...Then ask God, the Universe, or whatever higher power you believe in, to simply "be with you". Just relax in the knowledge that you are in the hands of a higher power. And trust in Him...trust that He is listening to you...Tell Him what is "going on for you" and you may just hear an answer or you may simply discover a thought you hadn't had until this moment as to what to do about your dilemma. Let the peace of this moment in time just wash all over you. Stay with that for awhile. Then slowly take in a very deep breath; count to at least five and raise yourself up. You may just feel very much regenerated.
Once you are able to achieve this kind of 'high' it is time to 'work out'. Bend, stretch, walk, jog, swim, jump rope...do whatever it is you do that serves as exercise. Know you are taking care of your physical self.
If all this takes no longer than five minutes of your day or fifty minutes of your day...it will serve to provide you with a newer sense of self that may either help in the long term, or simply help for the rest of your day....Think of it as your mini vacation. In fact find some key words that you say to yourself such as: "Relax and Let Go" as you roll your head around, that you can do while waiting for an elevator...That readers, can be a real mini vacation!!
You deserve to feel better about your self, your life, your family, etc. It may not solve any of the things that are causing you the stress...but it may just help you handle it all.
Hope you have enjoyed this session...
Respectfully submitted
Mimi Scott, Ph.D
212 721-2979
917 846-2449
mscott13@aol.com
www.drmimiscott.com
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Sunday, May 6, 2012
IT'S NOT TRUE...
I am still alive....I have been on a hiatus in order to find a place to live! Statistics in my studies have always claimed that the greatest source of stress for people is moving. I never found that to be true. Moving itself has become seamless for me (I've moved eight times since my husband died twenty one years ago...this will be my ninth move), however the feeling that you must leave your current residence before knowing where you are going is just plain 'scary', and absolutely loaded with stress. But for me, the stress emptied out from my body when I signed a lease on an apartment last week that fits my budget much more than my current, ridiculously expensive (especially for one person) does. The pressure accompanying this decision has dissipated, and the building into which I am moving is wonderful.
That said, I realized that there is no better topic to address here than dealing with stress. And what immediately comes to mind on this issue is a phrase in AA's literature that says..."Let go and let God". Since I first learned about it I have used that whenever I was concerned, and 'stressing out' about anything. Faith is always there to comfort us no matter what we are fearful about. But how many of us actually do take the time to converse with God, the Universe, or whomever it is you accept as a greater power? To simply ask the Lord "to be with you" is like having a warm blanket cover your whole body. To place yourself in His hands and have faith that things will work out is a magical moment. I can truly say that this is what got me through the last few weeks. Once you have this comforting thought take over your being, you become more clear headed and able to focus on the tasks at hand that will help you through your turmoil. Indeed it was when I made up my mind to simply 'walk the streets' and find something myself, that I hit the lotto! And saved myself $6000.00 in broker's fees in the process! Finding a way to relax yourself in times of crisis is the key. Which leads me to something else...
Two million kids are homeless and 'walking the streets' at this moment...virtually having been turned away from their own homes. As unbelievable as it seems there are many parents who allow their own children to become homeless. I have become more informed about all this by a dear friend in Miami who is doing something about it.
Ami Lawson formed an organization called Earth Angel Outreach which tries to care for these kids (many of whom have been turned away upon the admission of being 'gay'), by providing meals for them, and by, believe it or not, trying to get them to to release their pain through artwork. Crucial to the program is the Revolving Door Project which provides the kids with talented adult artists who work with them as they paint their 'doors'. Once one adolescent feels nurtured and more peaceful about themselves, they in turn become lifelines for their peers in the same situation...I take a great deal of pride in being Ami's friend, and would appreciate it if you would take a moment to visit www.Earthangeloutreach.org which may lead you to finding out about the Revolving Door Project. ( www.revolvingdoorproject.org ) All of this effort is making a true difference.
If I, as a 'senior' woman, not without means, can become frightened of homelessness, I can only imagine what it is like for an adolescent to find him or herself standing alone and scared in the streets...I don't have to spell out the frequent results that take place for them.
Sometimes the best way to relieve our own stress is to think about the much more potent stress of others and to let the Lord know how grateful we are for what we do indeed 'have'. Please do take a look at the site mentioned above.
Hope you enjoyed this session...
Respectfully submitted
Mimi Scott, Ph.d
917 846-2449
mscott13@aol.com
www.drmimiscott.com
That said, I realized that there is no better topic to address here than dealing with stress. And what immediately comes to mind on this issue is a phrase in AA's literature that says..."Let go and let God". Since I first learned about it I have used that whenever I was concerned, and 'stressing out' about anything. Faith is always there to comfort us no matter what we are fearful about. But how many of us actually do take the time to converse with God, the Universe, or whomever it is you accept as a greater power? To simply ask the Lord "to be with you" is like having a warm blanket cover your whole body. To place yourself in His hands and have faith that things will work out is a magical moment. I can truly say that this is what got me through the last few weeks. Once you have this comforting thought take over your being, you become more clear headed and able to focus on the tasks at hand that will help you through your turmoil. Indeed it was when I made up my mind to simply 'walk the streets' and find something myself, that I hit the lotto! And saved myself $6000.00 in broker's fees in the process! Finding a way to relax yourself in times of crisis is the key. Which leads me to something else...
Two million kids are homeless and 'walking the streets' at this moment...virtually having been turned away from their own homes. As unbelievable as it seems there are many parents who allow their own children to become homeless. I have become more informed about all this by a dear friend in Miami who is doing something about it.
Ami Lawson formed an organization called Earth Angel Outreach which tries to care for these kids (many of whom have been turned away upon the admission of being 'gay'), by providing meals for them, and by, believe it or not, trying to get them to to release their pain through artwork. Crucial to the program is the Revolving Door Project which provides the kids with talented adult artists who work with them as they paint their 'doors'. Once one adolescent feels nurtured and more peaceful about themselves, they in turn become lifelines for their peers in the same situation...I take a great deal of pride in being Ami's friend, and would appreciate it if you would take a moment to visit www.Earthangeloutreach.org which may lead you to finding out about the Revolving Door Project. ( www.revolvingdoorproject.org ) All of this effort is making a true difference.
If I, as a 'senior' woman, not without means, can become frightened of homelessness, I can only imagine what it is like for an adolescent to find him or herself standing alone and scared in the streets...I don't have to spell out the frequent results that take place for them.
Sometimes the best way to relieve our own stress is to think about the much more potent stress of others and to let the Lord know how grateful we are for what we do indeed 'have'. Please do take a look at the site mentioned above.
Hope you enjoyed this session...
Respectfully submitted
Mimi Scott, Ph.d
917 846-2449
mscott13@aol.com
www.drmimiscott.com
Sunday, April 8, 2012
RESSURECTION, RENEWAL and RESURGENCE
What a great time of year! The blossoms appearing, the vestiges of winter disappeaing, and this holiday weekend bringing together a celebration of Spring for both Seder attending Jews, and Egg Hunting Christians. And both holidays featuring a variation on freedom....from shackles and death for some, from the tyranny of an evil government for others. Now what do we do with this marvelous season of renewal?
Some have been cleaning out the cabinets, closets, and drawers, while others are refilling them with newer versions of what was there...But how can we clean out the closets and drawers of that which is inside of us...maybe it is also a time for that kind of renewal. Where have our thoughts and views been taking us, or NOT taking us. Maybe it is time to rethink some of those ideas which have maybe held us back. One of my readers wrote me that he thinks of this Easter Day as a time of creative renewal...I loved that phrase. Maybe it is a time for recreating our thoughts, our ideas, our selves!! I'm a big fan of reinvention.
Sometimes a lifestyle with which we have been comfortable doesn't seem to fit like it had. What to do? There is always reinvention of oneself...here's where the creative part comes in. Who out there is reading to elementary school kids, or feeding those at the homeless shelters? Great ways to creatively reinvent and renew ourselves. If you've been in any kind of 'funk' lately, doing for others is a great way to feel renewed. People say loving ourselves is what must come first. I think making loving 'others' a priority is the real way we begin to love ourselves...just one more example of 'creative renewal'.
So, once the company leaves, take the time to clean out the shelves inside your home and inside yourself. Find a resurgence for yourself...see what blossoms...Ya never know.
Hope you've enjoyed this session...
Respectfully submitted...
Mimi Scott, Ph.D
212 721-2979
917 846-2449
mscott13@aol.com
visit: www.drmimiscott.com
Some have been cleaning out the cabinets, closets, and drawers, while others are refilling them with newer versions of what was there...But how can we clean out the closets and drawers of that which is inside of us...maybe it is also a time for that kind of renewal. Where have our thoughts and views been taking us, or NOT taking us. Maybe it is time to rethink some of those ideas which have maybe held us back. One of my readers wrote me that he thinks of this Easter Day as a time of creative renewal...I loved that phrase. Maybe it is a time for recreating our thoughts, our ideas, our selves!! I'm a big fan of reinvention.
Sometimes a lifestyle with which we have been comfortable doesn't seem to fit like it had. What to do? There is always reinvention of oneself...here's where the creative part comes in. Who out there is reading to elementary school kids, or feeding those at the homeless shelters? Great ways to creatively reinvent and renew ourselves. If you've been in any kind of 'funk' lately, doing for others is a great way to feel renewed. People say loving ourselves is what must come first. I think making loving 'others' a priority is the real way we begin to love ourselves...just one more example of 'creative renewal'.
So, once the company leaves, take the time to clean out the shelves inside your home and inside yourself. Find a resurgence for yourself...see what blossoms...Ya never know.
Hope you've enjoyed this session...
Respectfully submitted...
Mimi Scott, Ph.D
212 721-2979
917 846-2449
mscott13@aol.com
visit: www.drmimiscott.com
Sunday, February 19, 2012
RECORDING YOUR LIFE...(MY BIG NEWS!)
For years my daughter had said:
"Everyone should write a memoir,if for no other reason than to inform grandchildren and great grandchildren what you were all about in order that they can better understand where thay came from and who they are".
I really understood what she meant right away, because I wished my own father had recorded all his thoughts before he died. I considered him a truly 'great man' and wished that the world had been able to read all about him.
Well, largely due to my granddaughter Chelsea, I began writing a memoir
seven years ago. Luckily and surprisingly my memory really served me well. But I found that a memoir doesn't only record the events of one's life, but his or her own feelings about all the events, and how what took place really shapes who one becomes.
Even more importantly the memoir becomes a document that the author can refer to as he or she ages and wants to be reminded of the stuff that brought the tears and the laughter into an author's life. So as you move along, make notes and make a commitment to yourself to do this. Rather than therapy, read your book. The revelations about yourself become an amazing therapeutic element of the process.
Soooo...now all my faithful readers....you, for the incredible price of $2.99, may puchase my memoir called DOIN' WHAT CAME NATUR'LLY simply by going to Amazon.com and next to the All Departments, type in the above title. You can download it not only to all of your various devices, but if you are not that technically wise, simply download it to your personal computer. All downlaods are free.
Not to sound obnoxious, but those who have already read my memoir had all very positive things to say about it. Hope you all will too. No matter what, it is easy and quick to read (all 400+ pages),especailly on all ebook, IPad devices, etc. I'm enjoying it all over again on my Kindle,(which I have thanks to my son who did not want me to remain technically challenged).
Sorry I haven't been so in touch these last few months, but aside from getting the book published, I have a new musical I've written with a great composer and new friend, Nate Kaplan called Mah Jongg, The Musical. Indeed tomorrow are auditions for the reading at the end of March.
Finally, we've made some really nice jewelry from my art which we will begin marketing in the near future...so it's been kinda busy...but when you read Doin' What Came Natur'lly you'll probably notice that this pace was the constant throughout my life...Read it---you'll probably find out a lot about your self.
Hope you enjoyed this session.
Respectfully,
Mimi Scott, Ph.d
212 721-2979
mscott13@aol.com
www.drmimiscott.com
"Everyone should write a memoir,if for no other reason than to inform grandchildren and great grandchildren what you were all about in order that they can better understand where thay came from and who they are".
I really understood what she meant right away, because I wished my own father had recorded all his thoughts before he died. I considered him a truly 'great man' and wished that the world had been able to read all about him.
Well, largely due to my granddaughter Chelsea, I began writing a memoir
seven years ago. Luckily and surprisingly my memory really served me well. But I found that a memoir doesn't only record the events of one's life, but his or her own feelings about all the events, and how what took place really shapes who one becomes.
Even more importantly the memoir becomes a document that the author can refer to as he or she ages and wants to be reminded of the stuff that brought the tears and the laughter into an author's life. So as you move along, make notes and make a commitment to yourself to do this. Rather than therapy, read your book. The revelations about yourself become an amazing therapeutic element of the process.
Soooo...now all my faithful readers....you, for the incredible price of $2.99, may puchase my memoir called DOIN' WHAT CAME NATUR'LLY simply by going to Amazon.com and next to the All Departments, type in the above title. You can download it not only to all of your various devices, but if you are not that technically wise, simply download it to your personal computer. All downlaods are free.
Not to sound obnoxious, but those who have already read my memoir had all very positive things to say about it. Hope you all will too. No matter what, it is easy and quick to read (all 400+ pages),especailly on all ebook, IPad devices, etc. I'm enjoying it all over again on my Kindle,(which I have thanks to my son who did not want me to remain technically challenged).
Sorry I haven't been so in touch these last few months, but aside from getting the book published, I have a new musical I've written with a great composer and new friend, Nate Kaplan called Mah Jongg, The Musical. Indeed tomorrow are auditions for the reading at the end of March.
Finally, we've made some really nice jewelry from my art which we will begin marketing in the near future...so it's been kinda busy...but when you read Doin' What Came Natur'lly you'll probably notice that this pace was the constant throughout my life...Read it---you'll probably find out a lot about your self.
Hope you enjoyed this session.
Respectfully,
Mimi Scott, Ph.d
212 721-2979
mscott13@aol.com
www.drmimiscott.com
Sunday, January 22, 2012
PULEEZE TAKE HEED!!
This week the news carried the story of a young man, a high school senior, who was a football star as well as an honor student, who was not only expelled from school, but who also lost his scholarships to top universities such as Brown, Harvard, and several others who were all courting him. Why?? Because he foolishly 'tweeted' some vile statements and racist sentiment. I was amazed to learn that colleges, and employers check all the social media (Facebook, etc.) to find any incriminating statements which may have been made by their applicants.
This is just one more example of how the internet can 'do us in'. Internet has become so much a part of our daily communication that it has become 'second nature' to us. An inordinate amount of our time is now spent texting. Young people and even older people are being texted that their 'relationship is over'. As one of my friends call texting...'cold communication'. For me it is great to let someone know "I'm running late" or "meet me at...in five minutes". But I'm sorry, a text does not cover everything..."so sorry to hear about your mother's death" simply doesn't 'cut it'.
Nothing can replace a voice!! Thank God we still have the phone (which doesn't even replace a visit when there is a heavy duty situation). Speaking of phones, while they can be our GPS, our restaurant finder, and our means of bank depositing, they most importantly can be our 'warmest means of communication'. Just the intonation voiced in a reply to something or an attempt at consoling someone, can make all the difference if 'heard' on the phone. How many kids have lost friends because they sent an email or text about something they thought about someone. It can be misinterpreted and even passed around so that everyone finds out what may be our innermost thoughts written in a way that they become negative rather than positive.
And the pictures that are sent on facebook!!! Puleeze be careful...a simple picture can rise to haunt you. Your body and your thoughts are "yours". Sometimes it's nice to share with others, and good wishes from people from Facebook can be very wonderful (as they were on my birthday when I heard from people I hadn't heard from in 40 years!), but please, be discriminating as you write. And for heaven's sake, take the time to 'go' into the kitchen from your living room to tell your wife
something important. Next thing you know we'll be texting each other while lying in bed together!! And eventually we'll be texting the sex!!
Just wanted to take some time to kind of 'warn you' or 'remind you' of how much your evey word says about you. And if God forbid you wind up in court one day arguing that you never said that which you are accused of, be sure you only 'said it' and didn't 'text it'!!
Hope you enjoyed this session. Sorry it's taken me so long to get back to you all...will be in more touch in the following weeks.
Respectfully yours,
Mimi Scott, Ph.d
212 721-2979
917 846-2449
mscott13@aol.com
www.drmimiscott.com
This is just one more example of how the internet can 'do us in'. Internet has become so much a part of our daily communication that it has become 'second nature' to us. An inordinate amount of our time is now spent texting. Young people and even older people are being texted that their 'relationship is over'. As one of my friends call texting...'cold communication'. For me it is great to let someone know "I'm running late" or "meet me at...in five minutes". But I'm sorry, a text does not cover everything..."so sorry to hear about your mother's death" simply doesn't 'cut it'.
Nothing can replace a voice!! Thank God we still have the phone (which doesn't even replace a visit when there is a heavy duty situation). Speaking of phones, while they can be our GPS, our restaurant finder, and our means of bank depositing, they most importantly can be our 'warmest means of communication'. Just the intonation voiced in a reply to something or an attempt at consoling someone, can make all the difference if 'heard' on the phone. How many kids have lost friends because they sent an email or text about something they thought about someone. It can be misinterpreted and even passed around so that everyone finds out what may be our innermost thoughts written in a way that they become negative rather than positive.
And the pictures that are sent on facebook!!! Puleeze be careful...a simple picture can rise to haunt you. Your body and your thoughts are "yours". Sometimes it's nice to share with others, and good wishes from people from Facebook can be very wonderful (as they were on my birthday when I heard from people I hadn't heard from in 40 years!), but please, be discriminating as you write. And for heaven's sake, take the time to 'go' into the kitchen from your living room to tell your wife
something important. Next thing you know we'll be texting each other while lying in bed together!! And eventually we'll be texting the sex!!
Just wanted to take some time to kind of 'warn you' or 'remind you' of how much your evey word says about you. And if God forbid you wind up in court one day arguing that you never said that which you are accused of, be sure you only 'said it' and didn't 'text it'!!
Hope you enjoyed this session. Sorry it's taken me so long to get back to you all...will be in more touch in the following weeks.
Respectfully yours,
Mimi Scott, Ph.d
212 721-2979
917 846-2449
mscott13@aol.com
www.drmimiscott.com
Saturday, December 10, 2011
BONNIE & CLYDE
Strange title for one of my sessions, but it had a strong impact on me. Two weeks ago, while in previews, my dear friend Jeffrey Richards, (my first 'boss' here in New York, who is this show's producer, and the guy who has produced most of what has been on Broadway over the past 10 years), gave me a pair of tickets for his latest 'hit' BONNIE & CLYDE.
What affected me immediately was the quality and strength of voice that the two leads,Laura Osnes and Jeremy Jordan possess. The standaard has truly been raised here on Broadway regarding vocal prowess. The training
BONNIE & CLYDE...
Strange title for one of my sessions, but it had a strong impact on me.
Two weeks ago, while in previews, my dear friend Jeffrey Richards,(my first'boss' here in New York, who is this show's producer,and the guy who has produced most of what has been on Broadway over the last ten years), gave me a pair of tickets for his latest 'hit' BONNIE & CLYDE.
What affected me immediately, was the quality and strength of voice that the two leads,Laura Osnes and Jeremy Jordan possess. The standard has truly been raised here on Broadway regarding vocal prowess. The training and preparation that today's young stars receive has gotten greater and greater over the years. As a result it takes an awful lot more to compete today. But it is the love story that really penetrated with me.
The night before seeing this show I had watched a Mitch Bloom tv movie. Mitch was recruited to write a eulogy for a still vital rabbi. In investigating his life, Mitch came to know a black preacher who rose from the depths of the drug world to make a real difference. The part that got to me was showing the preacher as a child of poverty being told that "if you want something...take it!". This same doctrine was the determining factor in Clyde Barrow's life path. We take, get caught and eventually kill in the process. It makes me wonder with the economic crisis we now find ourselves in...what will be the result when the only way to get what you want is to 'take it!'
I am fearful of that, but I'm also thinking about what we can expect when our troops actually do make it home. I read somewhere that among those who have returned there is a suicide every 18 days. It has been traumatic for them. Hopefully we will respond to their heroism with the gratitude they so richly deserve. And if that isn't the message they receive, what will they turn to in order to survive today? Hopefully it won't be a repitiion of the criminal aspects of a war in which they have had to 'fight' and 'kill' for survival.
And as the mates of those returning soldiers, as well as those who have already chosen a life of crime, what do we do? This is where Bonnie & Clyde impacted me the most. Their raw passion for one another was so vividly portrayed that one is made to understand the loyalty of a mate who clearly sees the dangers ahead. As crazy as it seems one totally agrees with the choices made.
A musical that makes you think about the criminal mind and how it relates to where we are today is worthy in itself, but the fabulous music of Frank Wildhorn along with the performances of the entire cast as the love story is played out, result in keeping an audience spellbbound.
If I don't get back to you before the New Year...have a wonderful holiday season. Maybe take in a Broadway show...I would suggest Bonnie & Clyde.
Respectfully submitted,
Mimi Scott, Ph.d
212 721-2979
917 846-2449
mscott13@aol.com
www.drmimiscott.com
Two weeks ago, while in previews, my dear friend Jeffrey Richards,(my first'boss' here in New York, who is this show's producer,and the guy who has produced most of what has been on Broadway over the last ten years), gave me a pair of tickets for his latest 'hit' BONNIE & CLYDE.
What affected me immediately, was the quality and strength of voice that the two leads,Laura Osnes and Jeremy Jordan possess. The standard has truly been raised here on Broadway regarding vocal prowess. The training and preparation that today's young stars receive has gotten greater and greater over the years. As a result it takes an awful lot more to compete today. But it is the love story that really penetrated with me.
The night before seeing this show I had watched a Mitch Bloom tv movie. Mitch was recruited to write a eulogy for a still vital rabbi. In investigating his life, Mitch came to know a black preacher who rose from the depths of the drug world to make a real difference. The part that got to me was showing the preacher as a child of poverty being told that "if you want something...take it!". This same doctrine was the determining factor in Clyde Barrow's life path. We take, get caught and eventually kill in the process. It makes me wonder with the economic crisis we now find ourselves in...what will be the result when the only way to get what you want is to 'take it!'
I am fearful of that, but I'm also thinking about what we can expect when our troops actually do make it home. I read somewhere that among those who have returned there is a suicide every 18 days. It has been traumatic for them. Hopefully we will respond to their heroism with the gratitude they so richly deserve. And if that isn't the message they receive, what will they turn to in order to survive today? Hopefully it won't be a repitiion of the criminal aspects of a war in which they have had to 'fight' and 'kill' for survival.
And as the mates of those returning soldiers, as well as those who have already chosen a life of crime, what do we do? This is where Bonnie & Clyde impacted me the most. Their raw passion for one another was so vividly portrayed that one is made to understand the loyalty of a mate who clearly sees the dangers ahead. As crazy as it seems one totally agrees with the choices made.
A musical that makes you think about the criminal mind and how it relates to where we are today is worthy in itself, but the fabulous music of Frank Wildhorn along with the performances of the entire cast as the love story is played out, result in keeping an audience spellbbound.
If I don't get back to you before the New Year...have a wonderful holiday season. Maybe take in a Broadway show...I would suggest Bonnie & Clyde.
Respectfully submitted,
Mimi Scott, Ph.d
212 721-2979
917 846-2449
mscott13@aol.com
www.drmimiscott.com
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