Hi, my name is Jim Jones. What about you? What do you do? This wouldnt be uncommon banter at a business meeting or even a casual encounter. Very often, if not most often, people are identified by what they do. Epitaphs concern themselves with the accomplishments of those who have passed as do obituaries. In the day-to-day busyness of our society, there seems to be little time to get to know others for who they are. In fact, we are so busy most often that we dont even know who we are. It seems that the only time we might spend some time asking this question of ourselves or others is when there is a criticism to be levied. There seems to be so little time to appreciate ourselves, our qualities, strengths and sensitivitieseven our limitations.

We always seem to want moreget betteraccomplish more. An exercise that is usually quite difficult for many people is to practice living in the moment. This means being focused and totally attuned to whatever it is were doing, saying, feeling, etc. to the exclusion of what happened previously or what may be about to happen. Try it! It can really help you to be more aware of yourself as a person. It might seem a little uncomfortable at first but as you continue to practice, as with anything else that you want to change or accomplish, the more comfortable youll become.

It seems that the more we can be aware of and accept our humanness, the happier and more productive our lives become. Its not just psychological mumbo-jumbo but it really works. And so, maybe this Thanksgiving, in addition for all of the benefits and favors that weve received for which we are grateful, we can also be grateful for who we are. Loving ourselves and others for who we/they are is WHAT ITS ALL ABOUT.

Charles Bonasera

Charles M. Bonasera had been a practicing psychotherapist since 1962 and has served as a Consultant, Mediator, Author and Workshop Presenter since 2003. Based on years of extensive research he became a Stress Management expert and founded/ directed the Stress Management Center which evaluated and treated stress-related problems. As President of Personal Identity Controls, he developed and produced a number of interactive materials on various stress-related topics to enable people to take greater control their lives.Charles produced the CD/workbook entitled “Guide To A Life Management Process” which helps people recognize and manage their stress more effectively. His Workshops and consultations with businesses, corporations and schools, stresses the recognition that our greatest resource is people and treating them with dignity and respect promotes productivity. His role as a keynote speaker mixes his professional wisdom with practical solutions and a sense of humor.

Based on his previous experience as an evaluator of learning disabilities, he began rendering Workshops to school districts in 1995. His goal was to help educators recognize the importance of incorporating principles of mental health in the classroom. His Workshop and Consulting roles dealt with issues such as anger and stress management, developing reasonable expectations, belligerent behavior, case study workshops, parent-teacher relationships, reducing anxiety to facilitate the learning process, problem solving techniques and the practical components of healthy, happy relationships. Many of these same topics were incorporated into general audience workshops as well.

Charles’ methods center around helping people develop “alternative ways to happiness.” His problem-solving techniques are practical and interactive enabling people to make their own choices in their own individual style and time-frame.. His approach clearly embodies the philosophy that “the greatest learning we experience is when we don’t know we’re learning and are having fun” and that learning is both an intellectual and emotional process.