“If so many men, so many minds, certainly so many hearts, so many kinds of love” -Tolstoy In reading the words of Carl Jung about love, I found myself fascinated with his ideas of projection. The idea behind projection, according to Jung, is that we project how we see and love people onto them. It’s an…
Category: Love & Family
When Happiness Hurts
Several years ago, when I was young and exceptionally dramatic, I had a life-changing experience. It was life-changing, not only because it involved a boy who I thought I was destined to marry, but also because I learned a simple, profound lesson that has stuck with me since. I was twenty years old, and I…
Placing a Child for Adoption | A Birth Mother's Story
In this exclusive interview, Tamra, a birth mother and adoption advocate, shares the beautiful story of her decision to place her son for adoption. As the mission and message of ForwardWalking.com is to help others move forward in life, I could think of no better example of this than Tamra Dawn Hyde—a woman who, in my opinion,…
Step In!
In working with all sorts of family dynamics, relationships, adolescents, etc. as a therapist I have noticed many recurring themes that seem to strike just about everyone who comes into my office. One of those themes is how people work out conflict in relationships. It seems to be common practice that when a person is…
The Key Ingredients of a Happy Life
For many years I misguidedly sought happiness where it didn’t exist. I didn’t understand the principles upon which it flowed. I did things that most people say are important or will make you happy (traveling the world, striving toward achievement, or taking on big and interesting projects), only to discover that happiness did not flow…
Mercy and Pardon For You and Me
I’m beginning to enjoy funerals. When I was young I thought they were painful. As I’ve grown, I’ve come to appreciate how often funerals cut through all the nonsense in life and get right to the heart of matters. Last week I attended the funeral of a relative I’ll call Carl. I did not know…
Who Determines Your Worth?
Stephanie was 21 years old and engaged to a man she was crazy about. Everything but the gown was planned–the date, the colors, the venue. Announcements were out, the vendors were selected, and the bridesmaid dresses were picked out. It was her future, and she was thrilled about all of it. The lucky man was…
Making a Child's Day
As I walked through the front door, I heard two little voices excitedly yell from down the hall, “Dan’s home! Dan, will you come play with us?!” 4-year-old Gordon and 6-year-old Grace came running around the corner as they waved, “Hi Dan!” They had friends over, and were playing in the back room while their…
Marriage Isn't For You
Having been married only a year and a half, I’ve recently come to the conclusion that marriage isn’t for me. Now before you start making assumptions, keep reading. I met my wife in high school when we were 15 years old. We were friends for ten years until…until we decided no longer wanted to be…