Poor Dorothy Gale dreamt of a better place, where dreams come true and love isn't far behind her. Somewhere over the rainbow she thought she could find all that she hoped and wished for. What she didn't realize is that she already could make her dreams come true and she was already surrounded by all of the love she needed. She just couldn't see it.

I used to think that being in a constant state of control would bring to me a sense of personal power. I tried to change myself to meet other's expectations. I struggled to keep the jobs I thought would make me happy. I manipulated situations to get what I wanted. I obsessed over small details in search of perfection. I was in a state of fear and worry 24/7 and worked double duty to submerge my feelings.

By Susan Liddy

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow." Melody Beattie

By Susan Liddy

If you're like most of us, you probably have a fairly continuous "voice" that speaks to you internally throughout your day. Life coaches, motivational speakers and psychology experts refer to this inner dialogue as "Self talk."

Self talk can be positive or negative. Unfortunately for many people, most of the commentary our "inner voice" makes tends toward the negative. Why is this?

Part of the reason may be

by Susan Liddy

If you could go back in time and meet 10-year-old you... what do you think you'd say to each other?

By Laura Rice

What do you think of when you hear the word ‘alone’? Do you think, ahhhh, freedom, time for myself… or does loneliness come to mind? My husband and I recently moved to Santa Cruz, and he almost immediately went on a two week trip for work. So, I was faced with a lot of days in a new community where, I knew nobody.

By Laura Rice

We do not think our way into right living; we live our way into right thinking.

Remember what it was like to be a kid? Remember going to the toy store and seeing that one toy that you wanted so badly, with all that uninhibited desire? You have been thinking about that toy every day for as long as you can remember.

By Susan Liddy

Most of the time, when we think about the word "trust," our relationships with other people come to mind. Who do you trust? Your mom? Your husband? Your best friend? Why do you trust that person? It is because you have come to rely and depend on them, right? They make good on their promises to you. They keep your secrets. They can be counted on to behave toward you in a loving, caring and supportive manner.