A Journey of a Thousand Miles Begins with a Single Step

I want to talk to you today about why I am starting a blog. I was talking to a friend of mine recently, and I mentioned to him that I was thinking about starting a blog. “Why?” he asked me. “There are thousands of blogs out there. What will make your blog unique? Why should I read it?”

Good question.

I am passionate about helping people live full, abundant lives. However, if you are anything like me, you sometimes struggle to do this. Maybe you are unemployed or underemployed. Perhaps you struggle to communicate with your spouse. Maybe you struggle with anxiety or depression. Perhaps you feel distant from God. Whatever the issue, I think we can all connect with the idea that there are certain areas of our lives that we might not be reaching our full potential. There might be things holding us back. We hope that things could be different and better. The world needs passionate, engaged individuals and communities giving their best and reaching their full potential. I want to do my part to help us get there.

Most of what I write on this blog will be related to two broad topics that are important to my identity. First, my education and training is in the field of Counseling Psychology. I am a licensed psychologist, and I teach and do research at the University of North Texas. I study positive psychology. At the risk of sounding trite, positive psychology is focused on helping people be happy and good. Positive psychology is the science of helping people do well in all areas of their lives.

Second, I am a person of faith. I identify as a Christian, and am passionate about helping people grow closer to God and love others well. However, I also have struggled (and continue to struggle) with aspects of the Christian faith, and am committed to having difficult dialogues and helping religious individuals work through these faith struggles.

So if there are areas of your life that you are struggling with, or think you could be more effective, this blog is for you. I plan to dialogue with you and share what I am learning—through my research, reading, and discussions with friends and colleagues. I believe that we are made to have life and have it to the full. Unfortunately, many of us don’t experience that on a daily basis. I know there are times when I struggle. My hope is that some of what I write here will help you on your journey toward the abundant life.

Discussion: What is one area of your life that you struggle to live with abundance or fullness?