Are We Losing Our Manners? How To Confront Social Anxiety
My husband and I threw a Super Bowl party many years ago. We ought to have known better. Most of our friends weren’t football geeks, like us. We’d invited about 30 people, and set up an...
Celebrating Life. A Post About Grief And Gratitude
This is a special weekend for me. I’m headed to my hometown to be with my brothers and their wives. It’s the day, a decade ago, when my mother died, and then my father a week later....
The Silent Agony of Staying Thin — At All Costs
For many women, being thin is worshipped like no other physical attribute.
Not your hair, not your muscles, not your voice. The greatest compliment a woman can hear (at least according to some)? “You look like you’ve lost weight…”.
How To Keep A Positive Attitude On Aging: The Technique Of Reframing
I have conceptualized my life for a long time in decades. The first time I did this was when I was turning thirty. My twenties had been tumultuous and I was trying to head in a new direction. I...
Reaching Peace Within Yourself: What I Learned From My Dad About Compromise
“Margaret, life is about compromise.”
That’s what my dad used to tell me from time to time.
Considering the massive amount of wisdom I’d accrued by the age I first heard him say this, probably around 20 or 21, I remember feeling that my father’s early health problems had colored his thinking. I silently shook my head, and believed he was focusing on the negative — on what you gave up in life. I was sure that with enough effort, and maybe a little good luck thrown in, you could achieve exactly what you wanted.
Marriage Is Not For Chickens
wo years ago, I sat down to write a post about marriage.
When it appeared on The Huffington Post, over 200,000 people agreed with what I had to say.
In honor of my now 26th anniversary, celebrated quietly but with great joy recently, here are those thoughts — slightly revised. A lot can change in two years. So it’s nice to realize, I still believe these things.
How To Not Be Victimized By Empty Nest. Letting Go With Intention.
My son is traveling at breakneck speed through the last semester of his college days.
Graduation is two weeks away.
He’s making decisions about his future — carving out a life for himself that will hopefully prove productive and fulfilling.
FiftyPlusFabulous. How To Make Your 50’s Your Best Decade Ever
So far, every decade of life has had its own unique flavor.
My 20’s. I needed to finish growing up, something that took me a bit longer than I had anticipated.
The 30’s? I was fixing the mess I had made in my 20’s.
In my 40’s, my mantra became, “If not now, when?”
I felt like I finally had it together, and was approaching the world like Evelyn in “Fried Green Tomatoes,” shouting “Towanda!”
How Has Writing 200 Posts Changed Me?
I can’t quite believe it.
This is my 200th post.
I’ve come to love sitting down in front of a blank screen, the little cursor blinking an early morning hello at me, and trying to convey either something that I have talked with patients about during my week, or an idea that might be helpful to someone who’s dealing with mental issues. Or just life.
15 Things I Learned In My Fifties
They say hindsight is 20/20.
I am gaining perspective on the decade I exited a year or so ago. In some ways it was my least favorite. In some, one of my more dear. If you can have favorites for that kind of thing.
So what did I learn?
I'm thrilled to announce my new podcast has earned over 100,000 downloads! It's called SelfWork and is available here on the website under "Podcasts," and available for subscription on iTunes. We talk about similar things as on this website, but go even further in-depth. Hope you'll join the thousands of others who listen weekly!
Click here to contact Dr. Margaret by email. I welcome your comments, personal stories, and questions. I will answer you!
Dr. Margaret’s New Book Available on Amazon!
Accompanied by evocative photographs from around the world, Dr. Margaret's words bring a knowing smile, a nod of the head, and a recognition of hard-earned truth. This gorgeous book is a perfect gift to honor those who've loved each other for years, to guide those who've only recently considered commitment... or to keep for yourself.
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