Michelle Gottlieb, MFT
Life is full of challenges. Our biggest is to achieve a healthy balance in our lives. It can be very difficult to make the changes needed in order to live that healthy balance. As Michelle Gottlieb, MFT, a noted psychotherapist, realized in her work with her clients, it helps to enter into a dialog with someone. By doing so, it is easier to process the “blocks” that prevent us from achieving that balance. Michelle has created this book to help you overcome your blocks.
As you write your responses to Michelle’s musings, you will see that you are growing and changing. As you continue the journey, you will find that you have achieved a balance in your life.
Life is a voyage. It helps to have good people to talk with along the way. Michelle is opening up a dialog with you to help you along your path. As Michelle says, “Enjoy the journey!”
Michelle Gottlieb has been a Marriage and Family Therapist for more than 15 years. She is in private practice in Southern California. In her quest to increase her knowledge, she went back to school to get her doctorate in psychology.
Michelle has been writing a newspaper column for over 6 years. She has enjoyed the interaction between herself and her readers, as well as the e-mails that she has received from people who have discovered her over the Internet.
Michelle invites you to contact her at www.michellegottlieb.com to continue the dialog.
By picking up this book you are entering on a journey. You control the pace of the journey and the distance. The journey begins as soon as you turn the page.
The idea for this book came from the column that I have written for a local paper, The Fullerton Observer, for the last several years. I have often had people approach me and tell me that the article had started them thinking about their own issues. So, this journey will take the form of a dialog between you and me.
To, begin the dialog, I invite you to read a column, any column. Start in the middle of the book, or the end, or simply open the book to any page and read the column there. And then begin to write your thoughts in response to those words. There is a statement or question there that may help you with your processing. Use it if it is helpful. Ignore it if it is not. Allow yourself to let go and simply go to wherever your brain takes you. Allow yourself to grow. Allow yourself to experience your feelings, even the uncomfortable ones. Do not judge whether the places you go are where you are “suppose” to go to. If you went there, you were suppose to. The goal is to understand yourself better and to have the courage to achieve balance in your life.
This book is called Balance and Change because I feel that those are two of the most important things that we struggle with. We need to achieve balance with all the aspects of our lives, personal, business, spiritual, physical. And we need to learn to tolerate the change that is necessary to achieve that balance. Some of the pages will fit you better than others. Some will touch on your issues. Some will be far distant. Journal on all of them. There is learning for us in every place. So, even if it does not seem to fit, try it anyway. You may be surprised to see what comes up.
So turn the page. Start your journey. Allow your growth. Begin our dialog. And enjoy the process.
There are many paths that we can take. Every day we are handed new choices. We can take the path of treating people nicely or we can take the path of being aggressive. We can take the path of growth or the path that will lead us to decay.
It is time to re-assess the paths we have chosen. Yes, chosen. Always be aware that we have chosen the paths that we are on. Which, naturally, means that we can choose a different path. Everyone has choices. Everyone can change their path. I am not saying that it is easy. It isn’t, far from it. But it is possible.
So look at the path that you are on. Are you encountering happiness regularly? Not constantly. No one is happy constantly. But if you are experiencing happiness on a regular basis, you are doing well. If you are being challenged, not over-whelmed, that is good. If you have support, but are not being smothered, you have chosen a good path.
But most of all, if you have love in your life, you are on a good path. Love that will understand you, nurture you, make a commitment, and like you, you are on a wonderful path. Make sure that you are on a path that some of your dreams will come true. Not all of your dream can come true. Nor do you want all of your dreams to really come true. But some of your dreams do need to become real.
So look at your path. Assess it wisely. Alter your path if you need to, but most of all enjoy your journey.
