Chronic Illness: 7 Gems of Wisdom for Understanding Friends and Family Stan Goldberg June 8, 2021 Caregiving, Chronic illness4 CommentsIt is natural to hold onto memories of what gave us joy, whether that involves experiences or images of friends and loved ones. However, when something, such as a chronic illness, makes the images fade, we either adjust to the new reality or pretend the changes haven’t occurred.
Caregiver Abuse: The Role of Personality and Illness Stan Goldberg December 21, 2017 Caregiving"How do I separate my loved one’s old abusive behaviors from those caused by his illness?” It’s a question I often hear from caregivers and one that’s difficult to answer definitively.
Alabama Euphoria: Why Principals of Change Suggest Restraint Stan Goldberg December 13, 2017 Life1 CommentThe defeat of Roy Moore brings back memories of my arrest in Alabama 52 years ago. It was March, 1965 and there was a nationwide call for college students to descend on Montgomery in support of the civil rights workers marching from Selma.
The Need for Stability: Part III-Five Ways To Introduce It Stan Goldberg May 8, 2015 Aging, Life, Thoughts of the Day4 CommentsStability, as we age, is more important than excitement. In Part I of this three-part series, I explained the role of stability in aging. In Part II...
The Need for Stability: Part II-Its Role in Chronic and Progressive Illnesses Stan Goldberg May 6, 2015 Aging, Chronic illness, Life, Thoughts of the DayWe often underestimate the need for introducing stability in the lives of people living with chronic and progressive illnesses. In Part I of this...
Stability : Part I-Why It’s Critical for Successful Aging Stan Goldberg May 4, 2015 Aging, Chronic illness, Thoughts of the Day3 CommentsI came to an understanding about the need for stability when faced with two financial choices. Regardless what I chose either outcome would be fine,...
Why Motivation Alone Stinks: Part III-How to Evaluate Change Programs Stan Goldberg April 10, 2015 Life, Thoughts of the DayYou are about to spend time and money on a program guaranteeing you will be slimmer, shapelier, healthier, or more successful. You’re motivated to...
Why Motivation Alone Stinks: Part II: Change-You Didn’t Fail; The Guru Did Stan Goldberg April 8, 2015 Life, Thoughts of the DayWe place our trust in experts to instruct us how to change. With failure, we rarely blame the expert or her program. Most of the time, that’s where...
Why Motivation Alone Stinks: Part I-Difference Between What and How Stan Goldberg April 6, 2015 Aging, Life, Thoughts of the DayAdvice gurus flood Saturday morning cable shows with programs on weight loss, exercise, wealth management, and becoming more authentic. By following...
When Your Cancer Says “Hello.” Stan Goldberg November 19, 2014 Cancer, Thoughts of the Day10/29/14-Although I’ve lived with prostate cancer for twelve years, it’s not something that I dwell upon. But inevitably, at least once a day, it...
When You Really Screw Up Stan Goldberg November 19, 2014 Alzheimer’s/dementia, Thoughts of the Day06/27/14 Last night I went to an intimate dinner-concert to hear my favorite shakuhachi player. When I sat next to a couple I bubbled over with...
Life Lessons From Roadside Wood Stan Goldberg November 19, 2014 Aging, Thoughts of the Day06/23/14 A few months ago I began doing wood sculpting. The first few pieces were done from blocks of kiln-dried wood. The desired object was...
Why You Should Avoid Anger and How to Do It Stan Goldberg November 19, 2014 Grieving and Recovery, Life, Thoughts of the Day06/13/14 I think everyone has a limited ability to function well. As we age, that threshold becomes lower. Imagine this ability is a 10” pie. The...
Time to Ban Some Words Stan Goldberg November 19, 2014 Aging, Thoughts of the Day06/05/14 I was at an event the other day and politely listened to two people talk about how their friend was ruining her life. “If I was her,”...
Aging and Identity: Part I-The Perfect Storm Stan Goldberg March 12, 2014 Aging11 CommentsIn 2010, I wrote Top 10 Insults for Old People, a tongue-in-cheek article about an insensitive young couple I watched making fun of an older man as...
The Fear of Change: A 50 Year Perspective Stan Goldberg August 20, 2013 Aging9 CommentsChange is frightening, whether it's a person coming to terms with a terminal diagnosis or an evangelical minister learning his son is gay. Both are...
Caregiving: Why Change is Difficult Stan Goldberg May 18, 2013 Caregiving10 Comments(An Excerpt from Leaning Into Sharp Points). Change is analogous to a large boulder balanced on a precipice. It looks like it could tumble off the...
Why New Year’s Resolutions Don’t Work: And How to Change It Stan Goldberg January 1, 2013 Aging7 CommentsI look at my aging body and resolve to get in shape, lose weight, eat better, listen without judging, and practice my flute more often. They are the...
What Makes You Think You’ll Live Forever? Stan Goldberg August 19, 2010 End of Life3 CommentsThe opening line of the pamphlet was straightforward: Join us in a workshop where you will experience your own death. Six months prior, I would have thought it an interesting exercise. But having received a diagnosis of “aggressive prostate cancer,” it had the relevance of a guidebook for an upcoming trip.
Reinvent Yourself: 12 Principles of Change Stan Goldberg December 1, 2002 Grieving and Recovery, LifeShe died on Christmas day of a massive heart attack. Looking at a shelf in her apartment, I saw fifteen self-help books on diet and exercise. With that much information, I couldn’t understand how it happened. As I read, I found each offered general philosophies and broad ideas, none provided specifics necessary for my mother to save her life.
