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Wellness is defined as the state or condition of being in good physical and mental health whereas illness is a disease or period of sickness affecting the body or mind. Looking at the spelling of these two words, the letters in common are the ones at the end ("llness"), yet quite interestingly, what differentiates these two words from one another are the beginning letters - WE versus I. WE*llness is often achieved by building a community of individuals (the "we") who can support our health, growth and strength. Yet when we become individually focused and do not involve others around us (the "I"), we may be prone to I*llness in that our internal focus may lead us astray in terms of our goals and we could become exhausted if we do not have those around us to guide, nurture, uplift, and empower us to reach greater heights. To be well, take a careful look around you to see who can be part of your team - who can support you - who may be able to help you reach your greatest potential - and involve them in your life so that you can achieve WE*llness.

The issue of change obviously comes up frequently in psychotherapy, as therapy is geared to help people make the changes necessary to improve their lives. Most changes are not easy, in fact they are accompanied by a healthy dose of fear and trepidation, and a wheelbarrow full of "what if" questions. What if a change is made and life is worse afterward? What if it doesn't work? What if it does work and I am more miserable than before? Although graduate schools have stopped giving out the crystal balls and magic wands (drat!) that would allow psychologists to see the future and make all pain go away, it is still necessary, in fact essential, to take leaps of faith in life instead of remaining paralyzed by fear. Afterall, without change, one would be relegated to having the same misery in life repeat itself over and over.

What fears are preventing you from making the changes you need to make in your life? How can you overcome these fears, using the tools that you have learned that help you calm your anxiety? What dreams can you seek to attain, even if slowly and in a step-by-step fashion, if you fight being paralyzed by fear?

The impossible exists only because one was afraid to chase after their dreams. - - Sarah Ruth