We live in a world that loves to diagnose us. In fact, it is not usually possible to get an insurance agency to cover prevention and growth because they are focused on "Treating Illness". Sometimes when I was Coaching a couple one of them would start to tell me what is wrong with their mate by quoting Oprah or Dr. Phil.
"I saw a show last week and Dr. Phil said that people like my wife are really suffering from Narcissistic Personality Disorder or NPD. It is at that point I will act like I am wearing a striped shirt and blow the imaginary whistle and call him "Out of bounds for practicing Psychology without a license".
One of the reasons I left the Clinical Psychology program and entered the Counseling Program at the University of Cincinnati was its obsession with sicknesses. We all had to study big books with names like "Personality Disorders" and "Mental Illness". Every new chapter brought groans and complaints from the students who started to think they and all their friends had every disease mentioned in the book.
Because my Master's Degree was twice as long as most programs I was able to choose classes that I liked more than the sickness focus so I was able to develop a minor in small groups that was focused on growth and assets than it was weaknesses and illness. All of us certainly have weaknesses, pains and dysfunctions but we also possess gifts, talents, abilities, skills and energies that allow us to contribute to our church, work and society.
Write your strengths and talents down by using the suffix "ABLE".
I am Lovable:
I am _____
I am _____
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