The Official Website of Michael Corthell

''The radiant glow of the eternal Light remains unwavering, whispering with gentle conviction, "I AM the beacon of hope, illuminating the path forward." Embrace its brilliance and embrace a brighter future.'' Michael Corthell To first define what hope is and how to have it, let's start with what hope is not. Let's look at hopelessness. Here is how one person felt during a period of deep depression. ''The future vanished completely, plunging everything into darkness. A profound sense of emptiness prevailed, stripping away any meaning. Memories of joy or success were overshadowed by regrets and failures. The present seemed devoid of positivity, and the future held no hope. I felt lost, with no guiding compass or center. However, emerging from that darkness, everything appeared different. What I once valued most seemed insignificant, while what I overlooked became essential. Money and career success faded to the sidelines, while relationship

''People dealing with an addiction may lie to cover up addictive behavior for a variety of reasons, so don't take it personally. It's part of the disease of substance abuse or any addictive behavior including gambling. People who are addicted are slaves to their addiction and a slave must obey his or her 'master'.'' Michael Corthell Yes, as it turns out, almost everything we know about addiction to substances is wrong, in fact most of what we do for, and to addicts is the exact OPPOSITE of what we should be doing.  "Chasing the Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs" is a non-fiction book written by Johann Hari. It was first published in 2015 and explores the history and impact of the global war on drugs. The book challenges the conventional wisdom and policies surrounding drug addiction and offers a fresh perspective on the issue. Johann Hari delves into the origins of the war on drugs and examines its failures and unintended cons

We are all connected. Your happiness is my happiness and your suffering is my suffering. by Michael Corthell ''We are selfish.'' ''Greed is really good.'' ''Altruism is a dream.'' ''Cooperation is for idiots and fools.'' ''Competition is a natural human state, so war is inevitable.'' ''The bad in human nature is stronger than the good.'' Those negative comments come from people who obviously have a negative mindset, and this mindset is a learned way of thinking. Being positive or negative minded is a choice, therefore there are no excuses.  One of the greatest joys in life is to work together for the benefit of all. Compassion is an innate trait bestowed upon human beings by God that has enabled the survival of our species since birth. However, the degree to which individuals exercise compassion can vary significantly and be selective. "We are interconnected an

Fear and anxiety are the driving emotions behind hate and anger. Fear and anxiety are made worse by impatience, hurry, and ignorance.  by Michael Corthell Hurry Sickness or the Fear of Not Having Enough Time By definition, hurry sickness is “a behavior pattern characterized by continual rushing and anxiousness; an overwhelming and continual sense of urgency.” ''There is always a bit of fear where there is a bit of hurry. When you hurry to the train you are in fear that you may be left, and with that comes fear of other possibilities consequent on your being left. When you hurry to the party, to the meeting of a person by appointment, you are in fear of some ill or damage resulting from not being in time...''  - Prentice Mulford, ''Thoughts are Things'' (1889) As if that isn’t bad enough, it’s also defined as “A malaise in which a person feels chronically short of time, and so tends to perform every task faster and to get flustered when encou

In 'It's a Wonderful Life'  An angel is sent from Heaven to help a desperately frustrated businessman by showing him what life would have been like if he had never existed.  We are all on Earth for a reason  Think of your past and give yourself credit for the good you have done, the people you have influenced and the joy you have brought. This Christmas season, whenever you hear a bell ring, think of something good you have done for others.  by Michael Corthell "No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another." — Charles Dickens "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness" may be the most famous phrase in the history of the United States. It is a God-given right protected by the Constitution. We are guaranteed the right to chase that happiness. How happy and joyful we become is entirely up to us. So, how do we pursue that happiness, that joyfulness? Let's take a look. Being sad, being disappointed, or facing severe challeng

Lizzie is not a complainer. Follow her on You Tube . by Michael Corthell We all choose to complain from time to time. We sometimes don't even know that we're complaining. Sometimes a common complaint can help bond two people, but too much complaining may just break down the relationship. Some people say, "Why do I complain, no one listens anyway.'' (I wonder why??) I like to tell people, ''The complaint department is on the 99th floor and there are no elevators.''   ''Instead of complaining that the rose bush is full of thorns,  be happy the thorn bush has roses.'' —Abraham Lincoln We've all known people who complain long and loud, they are the ones who constantly gripe about their health, their family, their relationships, their job, and the list goes on and on. They are never happy with anything. (because they are not happy with themselves) And every time you hang out with them you are left feeling drained.

“You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope someday you'll join us. And the world will live as one.” ― John Lennon If you're reading this...yippee, you are alive!  If that's not something to celebrate,  then I don't know what else is!   “Hope is the thing with feathers That perches in the soul And sings the tune without the words And never stops at all.” ― Emily Dickinson

by Michael Corthell We all complain. We sometimes don't even know that we're complaining. Sometimes a common complaint can help bond two people, but too much complaining may just break down the relationship.   ''Instead of complaining that the rose bush is full of thorns,  be happy the thorn bush has roses.'' —Abraham Lincoln Again, a positive mindset. Thank you Mr. Lincoln. We've all known people who complain long and loud, they are the ones who constantly gripe about their health, their family, their relationships, their job, and the list goes on and on. They are never happy with anything. (because they are not happy with themselves) And every time you hang out with them you are left feeling drained. No matter what you say or do, it never seems to help. There may be no arguing that they are going through a tough time, but their negative attitude certainly makes matters worse and is probably the cause of their cycle of ''bad luck

“Love only grows by sharing. You can only have more for yourself by giving it away to others.” ― Brian Tracy Loving all creatures is the greatest gift we can give ourselves. Altruism is an act that rewards itself. “We have so far to go to realize our human potential for compassion, altruism, and love.” ― Jane Goodall, Harvest for Hope: A Guide to Mindful Eating

Support, confidence...hope. by Michael Corthell Discouragement is part of life or we wouldn't have a word for it. So the question is, how do we tame discouragement and ultimately eliminate that feeling altogether? ''In spite of everything I shall rise again: I will take up my pencil, which I have forsaken in my great discouragement, and I will go on with my drawing.''  — Vincent Van Gogh Rejection, criticism, frustration, tough obstacles and 'learning failures' are all part of the deal. There are some fortunate souls who are immune to discouragement, this writer certainly is not and I suspect that you probably aren’t either. We must always push back the negatives in life. Push them back to the fulcrum or balance point. We do this through focused determination. Then what we need to do is recharge our motivation. It's just like resting for a day can help relieve sore muscles. Refueling our motivation and boosting our energy will

“I’m not telling you it is going to be easy; I’m telling you it’s going to be worth it.” – Art Williams When we turn the corner, and find ourselves facing in the right direction, then all we have to do is keep on walking. “Recovery didn’t open the gates of heaven and let me in.  Recovery opened the gates of hell and let me out!” – Anonymous

All of us need just three things in life to be truly happy:  Someone to love Something to do  Something to hope for.... let's just do this, shall we?

  by Michael Corthell “A time to tear down and a time to build up.” — King Solomon, Ecclesiastes Most people began 2020 with all the hope and optimism that marks any new year. Little did any of us know that a deadly pandemic was beginning on the other side of the world that would have a tremendous impact on people's lives. As we reach the end of this momentous year, millions are feeling that 2020 has been the absolute worst year of their lives. But, history has tells us that all bad things will pass, and that good days will come again. “Everything has its time. There is a time for everything under heaven.” Pete Seeger famously rearranged the words for the song “Turn! Turn! Turn!'' (To Everything There Is a Season) In 1965, it was adapted by The Byrds and became an instant hit. 2020: a time to tear down Many verses in Ecclesiastes seem relevant are a perfect fit for 2020. It was a time to die. Large numbers of our neighbors died from the coronavirus. It was a time to kill