How
often have you heard seniors say if I
knew then, what I know now? Not only I have heard that many times, I have
also said it often myself.
An
admission, perhaps, that, as youngsters, we are ill prepared to tackle complex
life challenges or that we could have avoided some mistakes with a good dose of
experience. Unfortunately, when we get
older, many of the mistakes we made along the way are not repairable. So our experience and learning seem to have
little or no value to us because, as the cliché teaches us, it is difficult or
impossible to put toothpaste back into the tube. Does it have to be this way? Maybe not!
Three
weeks ago, I emailed my good friend Allan Katcher, Ph.D. to wish him happy
holidays. I have known Allan since 1972
when he certified me in the use of an instrument he and Stewart Atkins had
developed to measure interpersonal styles (LIFO). From the moment we met, we liked one another
and became friends. I later asked Allan
to serve on my doctoral committee. Allan
is a brilliant psychologist and a great teacher. I have admired his style and bubbly
personality ever since. During our
exchange of emails, we talked about our current interests and activities. I asked him to read my blog. After perusing it, Allan said that I might be
interested in reading his latest publication.
Two
weeks ago I received a copy of his book entitled If We Knew Then, What We Know Now, available through Amazon.com. The co-author is Irving S. Newmark, a
retired dentist and psychologist. The
book reflects the accumulated knowledge of two octogenarian students of human
behavior.
What
Allan and his colleague Irving have written is a magnificent compendium of resource
material for improving important elements of our life. They provide tools for self-examination and suggest
strategies for improving a number of challenges:
· Improving
intimate relationships
· Raising
emotionally healthier children
· Achieving
financial security
· Finding
enjoyment at work
· Healthy
aging
· Reducing
Stress and distress
The
running theme of the book is the power of possibilities for a longer, happier,
and healthier life. Allan and Irving
share freely with the reader invaluable insights and their experience gained over
many years, with personal anecdotes.
The
book includes personal assessment questions, goal setting prompts, way to
establish key success factors, guides for exploration of what is possible, and
a variety of suggestions for making better choices. As a result, the book serves as a study guide
for managing one’s journey more deliberately and more successfully.
In
today’s fast moving world, we seem to rush through life without the opportunity
to stop and deliberately reflect on what is important to us and how to improve important
elements of our lives.
Katcher
and Newmark make a great contribution to us.
They share freely what they have learned so that we might benefit from
their experience and, perhaps, make better choices. Thank you, Allan and Irving!!!
