Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Folks, I don’t put much stock in all that hogwash about 2012 being some sort of Apocalyptic year. But, I’m also an advocate of being prepared. So, just in case the world ends in 2012, here are 10 things you should probably do as soon as possible.
#10 – Stop being an idiot
Look, I don’t care if it’s robots or zombies that might take over, the bottom line is that idiots are the first to die either way. So, it’s time to start becoming aware of your surroundings and getting a sense of …

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

This week, a video made its way around the Internet of a Texas judge hitting his 16-year-old with a belt. While the video is difficult to watch for some, I feel like it re-ignites an important and ongoing debate in our culture: whether or not we should publicly flog stupid parents.
Now, this debate has many sides. There are some that say that stupid parents should never be flogged, especially in full view of the public, and at the hands of some kind of town disciplinarian. Others say that the children …

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

 As I’ve been telling you, you and I are going to change your life.  Hopefully, you’re up to speed on this, because we’ll be a lot more effective in changing your life completely if you know what’s going on.
Last time, we talked about what you deserve.  But once you get the inkling about what you deserve, there’s still a number of things that can stand in the way of getting that pile of deserving. Before you start going around pointing and blaming possible things that stand in your way, the …

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Folks, it’s time for a change.
I don’t mean for me.  I’m happy as a clam who has been invited to a clam honoring ceremony, in which he or she is about to receive an award for Most Delightful Clam.  I can’t think of other circumstances in which a clam would be happy, so that will have to do.
No, I’m talking about you, of course, to you folks out there who are ready for a change.

You see, I’ve decided to tell you how to change your life: dramatically, completely, and irreversibly.  Sure, …

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

I don’t know if you know this, but a crisis can often tell you everything you need to know about a person.  Nothing will separate heroes from idiots faster.  There are plenty of examples in the world to illustrate this, but one that caught my eye recently came from Sanford, North Carolina.
Sanford was recently hit by a doozy of a tornado, an event that always produces a pile of stories, some heart-warming, and some heart-breaking.  However, one story in particular stood out for me, as told by MSNBC.com, which …

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Once in a while, I’ll encounter someone who is really enthusiastic about me and my work.  Actually, usually pretty much everyone is enthusiastic about me, so that’s not the issue.  The issue is that, for some, their enthusiasm translates into seeking familiarity with me.  Sometimes this happens in counseling sessions, and sometimes at sell-out seminars.

So, what’s the problem with treating Dr. Matt like your good ol’ pal from junior high, or your ex-lover who you are again on good terms with, on the off chance that your current relationship will …

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

In the last while, my partner Midgie has been working on getting her PhD.  Thankfully, I haven’t been through this process, but I hear it can be a bit of a challenge, and lately she’s been a little stressed out.  Sometimes when Midgie gets stressed, I take a stroll outside or spend some time in the library reading one of the books I’ve written.  It’s not that I don’t want to help her out, but stress is contagious, and catching someone else’s virus doesn’t help cure them.
Midgie said once that …

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

I’ve been riding the bus a lot lately, ever since my Toyota Plug-In Hybrid Prius suddenly accelerated towards the edge of a cliff while I was parking.  As you know, my Prius is something that is sacred to me, so this was an event that profoundly affected me at a spiritual level.  If the thing I chose had some flaws, then is there something wrong with my choice?

Anyway, I was on the bus the other day, and there was a crazy guy on it.  I mean, crazier than usual for Vancouver. …

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

It’s been a little while since I’ve jotted down my thoughts to you folks.  I spent a number of days at the International Psychology Conference, where I gave a lecture entitled, “Regaining Things In Your Life That You Stupidly Lost.”  You see, when we’re young and we haven’t been burdened with all of society’s limitations of what we can achieve, we tend to reach far and, in many ways, accomplish quite a bit.  Over time, people continue to tell you what you can’t do.  If you’re older, you can’t be …

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Well, Vancouver (and other parts of the world not so gorgeous, save Texas), the Olympics are over.  I was pretty busy during these Olympics, volunteering as the Official Uncertified Psychologist of the games.  And now, of course, there’s additional work for me, because there’s a significant wave of depression that’s hit folks that have been preparing months or even years for this event.  BOOM, they woke up on Monday and realized there’s no more for them to do.  No more glory, no more spotlight.  One day they’re a volunteer uncertified …