The Lifeworks Group, Inc.

  By: Megan Muñoz IMH Comparison can be a sticky topic because not all comparison has an adverse effect on us. There are lighter sides to comparison when it impacts us positively. Sometimes comparing our story with others can motivate us to live more fully in our own. When we read about or watch someone move into a challenge and navigate their way through difficulties with perseverance, it can help us find the courage to face our own fears. Comparison can also help us put our own life in perspective. Sometimes comparison can be helpful to evaluate our situation with more clarity and objectivity when we get stuck inside our own thoughts, emotions and environment for too long. But there is a darker side to comparison that keeps us stuck and unable to move forward in our life. The darker side of comparison is where shame lives.  It sits just out of consciousness, shrouded in the shadows, making it difficult to recognize. When this side of comparison is actively engaged

By: Christine Hammond LMHC Kathy woke-up startled to hear her phone ring so at 5am. She was in her second semester of college and was busy with school and work. It was her narcissistic dad calling her, which he hadn’t done since she left home, so she was immediately on high alert. He skipped any niceties and immediately started with what a terrible daughter she was. He explained that her mother was sick and it was all her fault. He gave no details about her mom’s illness and when Kathy tried to inquire, he abruptly hung-up the phone. She tried calling him back but he refused to answer. Kathy went into panic mode. It was winter time and despite a huge snowstorm, she risked being on the road, called in sick to work, skipped her classes, and headed home. Her mom was surprised to see her knowing nothing of the early morning call from her dad. It turned out her mom was diagnosed with Crone’s Disease. The doctor had given strict instructions for her to rest, change

By: Christine Hammond LMHC After spending an afternoon conversing with her grandfather, Stephanie realized for the first time just how wise he was. His insight was amazing. He showed compassion and patience towards frustrating family members without losing himself. His perception of world market economics was eerily precise for a person who never worked in that field. And his ability to pick up on small, yet significant, nuances without overexposing a person was almost an art form. His wisdom was admirable, attractive, and enticing. For the first time in her life, Stephanie woke up to the benefits of being wise. Once obtained, she would stop wasting energy on things that don’t matter, know were and how to invest her time, stop exhausting herself emotionally, be more careful with how much she said and expressed to others, and reduce her obsessive thinking. Wisdom became something she sought after and desired. But how does a person get wisdom? Are they born with it? O

By: Megan Muñoz IMH What do you think of when you think about forgiveness? The general concept of forgiveness is known somewhat by everyone. Most people have scratched the surface of it through stories, teachings or literature, but not many have gone deeper to understand and apply the healing it has to offer. Still fewer have actually walked the long and difficult path of forgiveness. Of those who have, only small fragments of what it cost to get to the end of it are shared. So what are some of the truths about forgiveness that can help us develop a healthy understanding of its purpose in our lives and relationships? Forgiveness sets YOU free . Many people think that forgiveness is primarily for the benefit of the person who needs to be forgiven, but the process of working towards forgiveness has a deeper effect on the forgiver. While forgiveness can work healing in the life of the offender, its primary task is to work towards healing in the heart