Posts by Jenna Kantnor

You are, just like everyone else, an almost inconceivably complicated mix of abilities and limitations. Instead of dwelling on something you think is wrong and resolving to improve it, take a different approach. Resolve to accept yourself right now as a work in progress. Acknowledge that, faults and all, you are a complete person and…

When you’re depressed, it’s easy to take a situation you are uncertain about and come to a negative conclusion. For example, if you aren’t sure why another person is being nice to you, you might assume that the person has a hidden agenda. Any situation can be viewed as an act of selfishness if that’s…

The word “conviction applies to a lasting, habituated state of mind carried into action. Conviction is the end product, not the starting point, of your choices. But it is the end product of each choice, not of the entire process. When you decide you want to improve your life it will be the start of…

One of the best ways to claim your life is by claiming the important people in your life. They are just waiting for you to reach out to them. Depression can pull you far into yourself, and it leads you to believe that you might be a burden if you lean on others. This is…

Winston Churchill said a pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, and an optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty. Oscar Wilde said that the basis of optimism is sheer terror. George F. Will said that the nice part about being a pessimist is that you are constantly being either proven right or pleasantly surprised. Optimism…