michaeldawsonlpc@gmail.com, Author at Mike and Susan Dawson ⋆ Page 3 of 24

How to Sleep Better? Tips for Positive Change!

michaeldawsonlpc@gmail.com2024-01-08T01:12:46+00:00Mental Health, Strategy, Uncategorized|

The holidays are almost over, which means many of us are thinking about New Year’s resolutions. You know — lose weight, stop smoking, spend more time with family, etc. All of these are worthy resolutions as we try to make a positive change for the new year, and if they’re on your list, please act on them. But the one that should be at the top is to sleep better. Top of your Resolutions List: Sleep Better Wait … sleep? Yes … sleep! We all know how important quality sleep is. But it’s not surprising that so many people still don’t sleep very well — especially after the past few [...]

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The Best Present Ever: Jesus!

michaeldawsonlpc@gmail.com2024-01-08T01:12:47+00:00Hope|

Merry Christmas! Over the last few weeks, we've written about making it a great holiday season by adapting to the quick pace of all that’s going on around us. This includes understanding and finding real peace and thinking about how we really need to love in the holiday season. These are all important lessons for a variety of reasons. For starters, it’s great to refocus during the holidays to do things that are better for us. And by doing so, we find joy and happiness in our relationships and our day-to-day life — regardless of how hard life and our daily circumstances get. I always like to see the signs [...]

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The Best Present You Can Give This Christmas: Gift of Love

michaeldawsonlpc@gmail.com2024-01-08T01:12:48+00:00Love|

When Christmas rolls around, we think of Christmas trees, multi-colored lights, parties, food, gifts under the tree, and lots of fun and laughter with friends, family, and loved ones. This is all a gift of love. We also think of Santa Claus and children opening presents. And we think of the wise men, the star over Bethlehem, and, of course, the Virgin Mary and the baby in the manger. It’s all feel-good stuff, and we crave it. We also LOVE it. It’s during times like these that we need to remember that word — LOVE. God is the Gift of Love God IS love. And the reason baby Jesus was [...]

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The Best Present You Can Give This Christmas: Peace

michaeldawsonlpc@gmail.com2024-01-08T01:12:49+00:00Perspective|

In last week’s post, we talked about flexibility and adaptability. These are especially important during the holidays, when, believe it or not, we’re still faced with all the things going on in our world that keeps us busy. We’re moving too fast for our own good and unable to just enjoy the moment. With that said, there’s a difference between adaptability and peace. So, how do we then find peace when our world keeps moving at such a fast pace? World Peace vs. God's Peace-which is the Best Present There is a difference between how the world perceives or defines peace and how God defines it. The way the [...]

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Best Gift You Can Give This Year: Flexibility

michaeldawsonlpc@gmail.com2024-01-08T01:12:50+00:00Attitude, Expectations|

Am I off my rocker to think that the holidays used to be a time when the hustle and bustle of everyday life slowed to a crawl? Don’t get me wrong — Christmas is still a joyous time of the year, and we all look forward to spending it with the people we love. But our world today seems like it is moving faster and faster, and more often than not, holiday life is just as hectic and chaotic as the rest of the year. As a result, the anxiety and rush of life make us feel like we can’t afford to slow down and enjoy the season. Being “in [...]

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Top 5 Actions & Attitudes for Joy This Holiday Season

michaeldawsonlpc@gmail.com2024-01-08T01:12:51+00:00Mental Health|

The holidays are finally upon us. And for most of us, it’s a really exciting time. I say “most of us” because I can remember a time in my own life when the holidays were not something I looked forward to — not even remotely. I was in the food business for 25 years. And for all but two of those years, I was responsible for planning, inventory, ordering, and managing all the things it takes for people to have the huge holidays they expect and all the delectable goodies that come from their kitchens. So basically … the holidays were a massive headache for me. I didn’t like them. [...]

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3 Ways Compromise will Make Your Relationship Great Again

michaeldawsonlpc@gmail.com2024-01-08T01:12:52+00:00Connection, Marriage|

So many couples today still view the term “compromise” as if it were the same as one of those nasty four-letter words. To them, compromising means to “give in” to someone else’s wants — even if theoretically the idea is to meet in the middle. No one wins with compromise. Inevitably, someone will always get the short end of the stick. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Unless you’re making a moral compromise. Relational compromise — especially when trying to resolve conflict in a healthy way — is usually very positive. “Compromise is not about losing. It is about deciding that the other person has just as much right [...]

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Oneness With Your Spouse Doesn’t Mean Becoming the Same

michaeldawsonlpc@gmail.com2024-01-08T01:12:53+00:00Connection|

I wanted to open this week’s blog post with this passage from the Book of Genesis about oneness. It says: “For this reason, a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.” This passage is about oneness and being united in marriage, but we often misunderstand the message and think that we must also be the same. In other words, there shouldn’t be any differences allowed if we are one and the same. As we continue our conversation about our differences and not allowing them to [...]

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Do Differences Divide Your Relationship or Can You Accept Them as Normal?

michaeldawsonlpc@gmail.com2024-01-08T01:12:53+00:00Difference|

Raise your hand if you’ve said or thought this before: “If everyone were more like me, this world would be a much better place.” Wow! Everyone’s hand is up — not really surprising. After all, there wouldn’t be any more differences if everyone was like you. We’d think the same, react the same, make the same decisions, share the same values and beliefs. We’d all be right. There wouldn’t be any more conflict or division. Wow. What a time to be alive! Sign me up! As great as that sounds, we have to face reality and realize that our differences aren’t the problem. We are created differently for a reason. [...]

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Should I Bring my Anxiety to God?

michaeldawsonlpc@gmail.com2024-01-08T01:12:54+00:00Anxiety|

Sometimes, we act like anxiety is a new thing that we all experience in our everyday lives. But, honestly, anxiety is as old as life itself. It’s even in the Bible! King David, a man after God’s own heart, had anxious thoughts and pleaded with God to help him. The proverbs tell us that an anxious heart weighs us down, but kind words cheer us up. Even the apostle Paul says in the Book of Philippians not to be anxious but to take all our anxiety to God with prayer and thanksgiving. Obviously, that can be easier said than done for most of us, especially when our minds are racing [...]

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