Tag Archives | behavior change from emotion

Emotive Storytelling: Laundromat People

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When you spend time in a Laundromat, as I have done for the last two years, one thing is immediately obvious: almost everyone there smokes, most are overweight, and many are eating junk food and drinking colas.  The need to use a Laundromat is generally a sign of limited financial resources; the behavioral side suggests limited health literacy.

For home re-location and professional transition reasons, I coincidentally found myself in this environment to observe both. Continue Reading →

Healing Combat Trauma with Humorous Stories and Laughter

Soldiers Peter Nemmers, Morgan Bright and Matthew Hildebrandt from the 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division laugh while preparing to depart from Iraq at Imam Ali Base on December 17.(Mario Tama/Reuters)

Soldiers Peter Nemmers, Morgan Bright and Matthew Hildebrandt from the 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division laugh while preparing to depart from Iraq at Imam Ali Base on December 17. (Mario Tama/Reuters)

The last place you would probably expect to find a standup comedian would be in an Army uniform. But there I was for the better part of a decade, trying to make one of the most dangerous chapters of my life a laughing matter. Not because I didn’t take the Army seriously, much to the contrary. I took it very seriously, which is why when the laughter stopped I was in big trouble. Continue Reading →

Saved By My Own Story

Kela Holmes - U.S. Army Veteran

Kela Holmes – U.S. Army Veteran

It has been a painfully slow climb out of darkness. For a really long time, I allowed past traumas to run my life. Bad stuff happened. Years went by. I couldn’t get beyond it. That’s called stuck.  And being stuck sucks. Continue Reading →

It’s All About Behavior Change

Dr. Gerard Gibbons, Director/Author

Let me ask you a question. What do these concepts have in common?

Prevention, compliance, marketing, sales, assertive communication, setting limits, and incentives.

Look closely. The commonality may not be obvious because they are each associated with diverse areas of endeavor including medicine, business, interpersonal relationships, morale building and parenting.

Give up? Continue Reading →

The Best Story Wins

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The Best Story Wins

Years ago, mealtimes in many homes meant story time – retellings of work experiences, report cards and bargains. When friends, uncles and aunts came to visit and mealtimes were longer, there was more storytelling, gossiping and laughing. (And yes, crying and arguing were part of those stories, too.)  Continue Reading →

Storytellers Need Storylisteners

ear2He can only hear his story: He found her in bed with another man when he returned from an important mission. She can only hear her story: She’s tired of being his second wife – the military is his first.

They’ve got four kids. And along with their wedding vows, they promised each other an ugly divorce – if it came to that.

Each thinks the other is the villain. But they’re about to learn the name of the real enemy. Continue Reading →

The Journey Begins Before the Uniform Comes Off

Up-front-and-early2Joe read the Go Army ads and enlisted. He’s a good guy. Not Harvard or Stanford material, but a hard worker, a guy who knows that courage is acting in spite of fear. He was also thinking about the post-deployment perks when he signed the papers.

So he goes through kick-butt training, gets deployed, gets knocked down, and two years later comes home with PTSD and mild traumatic brain injury.

Continue Reading →