It is amazing how much a simple timeline of U.S. war history, and a chart of war casualty statistics can reveal. In a short time you are reminded of things forgotten, or learn a few things you never knew. 

Since 1675, U.S. colonists or citizens have participated in 26 wars. Six of the wars took place before the American Revolution. Two involved the English Colonies against France. Another two were between the French Colonies and Great Britain, and two more involved English colonists and Native Americans.

Starting with the American Revolution, we have had a war every 11 to 12 years of our history  .  .  .

Emotions are like people of the opposite sex. It is hard to live with em’ and dull as dirt without em’. Violence is fueled by feeling, but so is creativity. Emotion gives us the experience of loss, and the expansiveness of joy. We might act on emotions and lash out at others, but they also provide a sense of connection and belonging.

Vincent Van Gogh wrote, “Let’s not forget that the little emotions are the great captains of our lives and we obey them without realizing it.” The whole reason for exploring the influence of emotions is so we begin to realize it  .  .  .

An important thing to remember when going through a divorce is that feelings serve a purpose but are not fact. Feelings are based on our inner reality while facts are shared observations over time.

It may be impossible to completely separate thought from emotion but humans can see things subjectively (emotion) and objectively (mind). It is an amazing ability.

Your inner, subjective reality is based on history, culture, education, beliefs, and environment. It is a long nerve that holds all the experiences, remembered or not, of your life. If something touches on a memory that is attached to this nerve, the feelings associated with the memory are felt in the present moment  .  .  .

Feelings and emotions are not indicative of facts. Just because you feel strongly about something does not make it true or right or best. It may turn out to be the best, but not because you feel strongly about it; and some things never boil down to one answer  .  .  .

Julia Ward Howe is known as the lady who wrote the lyrics of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.” She also attempted to have a Mother’s Day for Peace (MDP) formally recognized in the U.S.

The idea of MDP was for women all over the globe to unite over commonalities and resolve the world’s conflicts. 

While MDP is a stretch from today’s memorial-to-mothers holiday, it was a celebration of motherhood on a grand scale. Mother’s Day for Peace was a nobel attempt to cultivate human life everywhere, instead of destroy it .  .  .

May is Mental Health Month and this year Mental Health America is advocating two significant themes. One is Do More for 1 in 4. The second is Healing Trauma’s Invisible Wounds.

Do More for 1 in 4 refers to the one in four adults in the U.S. who have a diagnosable and treatable mental health condition. Healing Trauma’s Invisible Wounds brings attention to the effect of traumatic events on communities and individuals  .  .  .

The death of Junior Seau might be the ultimate consequence of brain concussions received while playing in the NFL, but there are other significant factors to consider as well. Without speculating which factors, if any, played a part in Seau’s death, they are relevant to the mental health of all athletes, even amateur ones (even everyone)  .  .  .

It was bound to happen sooner or later. There is a 3D computer fantasy game that teaches good thinking habits as effectively as biological therapist units can. The game, designed for children and adolescents, is called SPARX (not to be confused with SPANX which are women’s undergarments).

SPARX stands for Smart, Positive, Active, Realistic, X-factor thoughts. 

The game provides cognitive-behavioral therapy to the gamers. That means means it helps them replace Gloomy Negative Automatic Thoughts (GNATS) with positive SPARX thoughts. It was tested on adolescents and young adults from spring 2009 to mid-summer 2010. Participants had a single diagnosis (depression) but were not at risk for self-harm or suicide, and were not receiving other treatment  .  .  .

WASHINGTON, April 23, 2012 - If the incidence of a childhood illness increased 4,000% in 9 years, you would think more people would be alarmed. The diagnosis of Pediatric Bipolar Disorder (PBD) did increase that much from 1994 to 2003, and is still on the rise. There is more buzz in the media about it the past few years, and research has been (and continues being) done.

PBD is not in the current version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed., text revision; DSM-IV-TR ), which is the current guide to mental disorders; approved by the American Psychiatric Association in 2000. However, PBD is an accepted diagnosis by many psychiatrists and doctors who cite studies validating the need for it  .  .  .

History reminds us how resourceful, selfish, inventive, repetitive, generous, and fearful humans are. Mankind is amazing and disappointing, compassionate and cruel. We create breathtaking beauty while the natural beauty that supports us is poisoned. As Spock, in the original Star Trek would say, “Fascinating.”

A Holocaust survivor, Elie Wiesel, put the contradiction that man is this way, “Just as despair can come to one only from other human beings, hope, too, can be given to one only by other human beings.”

WASHINGTON, April 14, 2012 - Some of us remember one or both parents hovering over tax forms, a pencil in their mouth, madly punching numbers into a mechanical calculator. Somehow, they managed to stuff the IRS envelope and make it to the post office before midnight on April 15th, year after year. It is quite a feat of timing when you think about it, almost an art form.

Procrastination is, however, considered and undesirable trait despite its popularity.  Those called procrastinators are usually people who put off unpleasant tasks, but there are other kinds of activity people put off too. Thinking for one’s self, or considering the emotional impact our actions have on others, are two intangibles that people can avoid… …

Mike Wallace did the mental health community a favor in 1996 by going public with his diagnosis of depression. Although there is still stigma attached to having any mental illness, Wallace’s admission made it clear that depression does not descend only upon the faint of heart, and that it can be treated … .

The sun shines on everyone. It is no respecter of persons. None of us receive light because we deserve it, but because we are in the path of the sun’s rays. That is rather humbling when you consider it. Individuals may become as special or important as they can, and the sun will not grant them a spotlight. This also means we are each as deserving of the light as everyone else.

WASHINGTON, April 5, 2012 - Those of us who have tasted at least one “perfect” golf swing understand the pure pleasure of it. That slice of perfect mind and body coordination is the carrot at the end of every beginning and intermediate player’s club. Never mind that there are a minimum of 2,000 strokes between each semi-accidental perfect swing. It is still a taste of the Masters.

The most difficult part of the golf game is managing thoughts and feelings while double-bogeying your way through the course. It is also the most difficult thing to do when the clubs are cleaned, put away, and everyday responsibilities resume … .

WASHINGTON, April 1, 2012 - Winning mega millions in the lottery touches on the subject of happiness. Or does it? It might be more accurate to say that it touches on the ease of obtaining pleasure. Mega money buys us pleasurable goods and experiences, and there is nothing wrong with that. The only catch is, pleasure disappears like cotton candy on the tongue, and does not of itself create a meaningful life.

University of Pennsylvania professor Martin Seligman discovered that people make happier choices when they understand the difference between feelings of pleasure and a feeling of gratification. He observed this while teaching a class to undergraduates about whether happiness could be taught …