Directions in Life for the Occasionally Confused—Learning How to Learn.

Why thoughts are like maps and most of us drive blind by taping them to our windshields.

-How pain is important to experience and equally important to ignore.

-The significant difference between power and control and how to gain both.

-How the mandatory condition for courage is tremendous fear.

-That confusion is necessary for discovery and innovation.

-Why thinking that you’re “more” messed up than anyone else may be really a problem of arrogance.

-That self-respect and self-esteem as an adult can’t come from anyone else but yourself.

-How the tension between stability and change creates evolution.

-How if everything was equally important, nothing would be.

Over one hundred original metaphors, fables, analogies and more directive instructions are offered here for everyone. Each written piece contains symbolism and imagery specifically designed to generate personal identification and change.

John Foster Elliott began his career in psychology at age twenty-one, founding the first crisis intervention and drug-counseling center at Pennsylvania State University. He worked with Dr Steven Danish and others in utilizing Rogerian techniques for paraprofessionals and presented his first paper for the APA at age 22. John graduated cum laude in 1974, receiving the Eric Walker Award for “the most outstanding character, leadership and citizenship” among the senior graduating class. He went on to Los Angeles and established several other non-profit mental health programs for the poor and disadvantaged. John received his master’s degree in clinical psychology in 1981 at International College and trained under Dr. Eric Marcus MD of UCLA Medical School. He was licensed by the State of California as a Marriage and Family Therapist in 1982. John has been in private practice for 45 years. He believes that one day he’ll get good at this stuff. He's been happily married to his wife Beth for forty-three years