Excerpted from Chapter 9

Pathfinder's Tip

A person is empowered by what he does with what happens to him.

The man I just told you about is in his late sixties. He had a heart attack not too long ago. When I went to visit him, he said to me, “Steve, I need you to come over tomorrow and take me to the nursing home.”

I was shocked. He didn’t seem ready for a nursing home.            He went on to explain to me, “You know Steve, I figured if I felt so shaken by a mild heart attack,  other people might be shaken as well. So I gave it some thought, and, I’ve decided tomorrow I will begin to volunteer at a nursing home to help other folks get through their problems.”

“Besides,” he said, “it will let me focus on somebody else for a change, and get me out of myself.”

This is the action component for expanding your prism. Reflect upon how you respond to your circumstances. Do you give-up, give-in, overcome, or do you act at all? What do you like about the action you take? What would you like to improve upon?

Now think for a moment about what is going on in your life. What action can you take to make those circumstances different. Write down a plan of action in the space below.

G.B.U.

Steve

Dr. Steve Frisch, Psy.D. is a clinical psychologist in private practice in Chicago, Illinois and Northfield, Illinois. You can contact Dr. Frisch, Psy.D. at drfrisch@aliveandwellnews.com  or at (847) 604-3290. Recover from chemical dependency as well as  its toxic impact on family members. Raise your children to choose to be alcohol and other drugs free. Learn how to in Dr. Frisch’s, Psy.D. Recovery book series.