SilverDisobedience

11/02/2026

Understanding Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy with Dr. Debbie Joffe Ellis

In this enlightening episode, I have the great opportunity to talk with Dr. Debbie Joffe Ellis, a world-renowned expert in Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT). (I was so excited, you'll hear me stumble through the unedited opening!!!) We discuss the concepts of rationality and emotions and how these elements intertwine to affect behavior. Dr. Ellis explains how thinking patterns create emotions and behaviors, distinguishing between healthy and unhealthy emotional responses. We also delve into personal responsibility, empowerment, and the importance of gratitude, illustrating how REBT can be a transformative tool for mental well-being. Dr. Ellis also addresses common objections to REBT and provides practical advice for those seeking change and self-improvement.

Check it out and let me know your thoughts.

The full show run is below.

00:00 Introduction to Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)
01:52 Defining Rational Thinking
03:05 Understanding Emotive Behavior
04:48 Healthy vs. Unhealthy Emotions
08:28 The Power of Personal Responsibility
18:34 Gratitude and Its Impact
25:59 Nature, Nurture, and Personal Responsibility
28:07 The Role of Healthy Models in Learning
28:45 Impact of Parental Attitudes on Self-Beliefs
29:07 Consequences of Negative Reinforcement
30:30 The Importance of Unconditional Self-Acceptance
30:50 Distinguishing Worth from Behavior
32:46 Developing Empathy and Compassion
40:05 Healthy vs. Unhealthy Emotions
40:38 The Power of Rational Thinking
47:24 The Philosophy Behind REBT
48:42 Final Thoughts and Advice for Struggling Individuals

11/02/2026

Listen to what Dr. Debbie Joffe Ellis has to say about Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT). Then, catch the full episode.

10/02/2026

🎙️ Dive deep into Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy with world-renowned expert Dr. Debbie Joffe Ellis. Discover how changing your thoughts can transform your life. Don't miss this enlightening conversation! Full episode here: https://diangriesel.com/the-power-of-rational-emotive-behavior-therapy-with-dr-debbie-joffe-ellis/

06/02/2026

It takes real soul-searching to stop taking personally what others say to us or about us. That kind of self-awareness is essential -- unless we want to keep responding reflexively. Of course, most of us are well-meaning. We care about others. But here’s the hard truth: many of our perspectives, comments, ideas, and criticisms are reflections of ourselves -- not necessarily accurate assessments of someone else. ✨ A brief essay by Hugh Prather in Notes to Myself has stayed with me for many years. He wrote something to the effect of: when someone criticizes us, we don’t suddenly become “less” than we were before the critique. We’ve simply received information – data -- to consider. ✨ In that sense, criticism -- whether we’re the critic or the one receiving it -- is often nothing more than a glimpse into someone else’s critical thinking, assumptions, expectations, or emotional state. ✨ Think about how differently we handle critique at work. If feedback is about a situation, a process, or a problem (rather than about who we are), we can usually debate it, evaluate it, and decide whether we agree. But when criticism feels personal, “critical” reasoning often shuts down right when we need it most: Emotions rise and take the wheel. ✨ That’s why the real skill is learning to step back when you’re on the receiving end of criticism and ask, calmly:
• Is there merit here?
• Do I agree that this points to something I need to address?
• Or is this more about the other person’s lens than my reality?
Maybe there’s truth in the comment. Maybe there isn’t. Either way, criticism is not a verdict on your value or worth. It’s information that’s been filtered through another person’s perceptions and it’s up to you to decide whether it’s relevant to your behavior, your choices, or your growth. ✨ And if you’re the one offering criticism to someone else, remember: There’s a big difference between constructive and destructive criticism. Before you share either, pause. Then, think long and hard before sharing either.

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04/02/2026

Leaders: Listen up and learn about "The Curse of Power" with Willie Pietersen. Then catch the full episode!

04/02/2026

This is my second interview with Willie Pietersen. I learned so much from him the first time -- I couldn't wait to interview him again -- especially since one of his mantras is "Never retire." (But you'll have to listen to his version of what that means! You'll be surprised!) Willie is the real deal, leading from the C-suite at companies like Lever Foods, Seagram USA, Tropicana and Sterling Winthrop Consumer Health. 🚀 Dive into strategic learning as Willie shares insights from his journey from law to the C-suite, to academia at Columbia. Why did he choose "learning" over "management"? Find out in this latest episode! AND learn about “The Curse of Power.” You can also catch highlights in a written format here. https://diangriesel.com/strategic-learning-how-to-create-and-implement-with-willie-pietersen/

03/02/2026

🔥Time to heat up the cold northeast ❄️ with Uncle Illmos Band Tune in here 🎶 https://www.reverbnation.com/uncleillmosband/song/4633668-rockn-rollphd

Rock`n` Roll...Phd. by UNCLE ILLMO`S BAND, Indie music from Shelbyville, TN on ReverbNation

02/02/2026

👶 Parenting without a manual? Join my conversation with author Kate Hamilton and explore how embracing imperfection can lead to better parenting. 🎤 The Silver Disobedience® Perception Dynamics Podcast with host Dian Griesel

02/02/2026

More than once, I’ve been asked if I run on testosterone, implying that I appeared to be focused on facts, while easily processing emotional weather storms without getting soaked. Someone also once told me they thought I was “missing an emotional chip.” That misinterpretation of my essence momentarily saddened me. I just operate with deep understanding and respect of objectivity and subjectivity as two different processes. ✨ For as long as I can remember, I’ve thought about & studied how we perceive ourselves, others & life. I’m exceptionally fortunate to have built a lucrative career based on my understanding of perception. All day long & often into the night, I’m percolating how perception impacts personal & professional relationships via messages we share consciously with intention or unconsciously without awareness. I’ve been asked to help “message” and relay: the loss of a loved one; a divorce request; illness of a child; a major failure or public setback; sudden financial losses or gains; a big move; and an array of other big decisions. I’ve spent countless hours considering how a corporate message will be perceived: Not just by investors – but by everyone, stakeholder or not, who has access to the internet. ✨ Perception is always at the essence of every outcome. Perception is how our minds merge thoughts & beliefs along with sights, sound, scents, tastes & touch. Think of it as any of these: Awareness. Understanding. Knowledge. Comprehension. Intellect. Intelligence. Reason. Rationality. Thought. Mental & information processing. Sense-making. Judgments. Evaluations. Interpretation. ✨ But it’s also: Apprehension. Discernment. Recognition. Insight. Meaning-making. ✨ It underlies our judgment: The way we reason, deliberate & assess. Perception defines strategic & critical thinking. ✨Philosophically it is consciousness, mental faculty & function: Our knowing and our noesis. ✨ In plain language? Perception is our mental framework and way of understanding. It’s our thought processes, and also those of others. It is the most important perspective you need to learn how to apply for better relationships and success in every area of your life. ✨

© Dian Griesel

02/02/2026

Question: Would you like me to add my podcast episodes to Facebook? My podcast ended up in the top 8% of those downloaded and in the top 1% of engagement rates. It now airs in 125 countries. Most of the episodes are interviews with people I find interesting. The interviews are unscripted, very conversational, covering a broad range of topics and frankly -- even I never know what might come up during the discussions. I'd love to hear your thoughts and opinions! Thanks! 😘

31/01/2026

Pause long enough to think, and you often avoid having to recover. ✨ In this trigger-happy world of instant reactions, this principle speaks to one of the most undervalued skills in modern life: The discipline of a deliberate pause. In our current culture of immediate response coupled with constant action, we've forgotten that thinking is doing -- and often the most important doing. ✨ When we rush into decisions, conversations, or actions without adequate thought, we frequently create problems that demand far more energy to fix than they would have required to prevent. The hasty email sent in anger needs careful damage control. The project launched without proper planning spirals into crisis management. The words blurted out in haste require lengthy apologies and relationship repair. The social media post that scathes in ways we'd never do in person now lives forever. ✨ The pause creates space for several crucial mental processes. It allows initial emotional reactions to settle, revealing whether our impulse was wisdom or just reflex. It lets us consider second and third-order consequences, seeing beyond the immediate moment to what might unfold. It gives us time to consult our deeper values rather than just our surface wants. ✨ Recovery is expensive. It consumes time, energy, relationships, and often money. It forces us to operate from a defensive position, undoing damage while simultaneously trying to move forward. And some things, once broken, can never be fully restored to their original state. ✨ Consider the pause an investment. Those few seconds, minutes, or even days of reflection front-load wisdom that saves us from months of regret. The pause allows your natural instinct to help guide you. The pause is the difference between preventing a fire and fighting one -- both require effort, but one is far preferable to the other. ✨ This doesn't mean overthinking or analysis paralysis. It means developing both self-mastery and self-trust to know when a decision deserves more consideration, so you confidently exercise the self-control to permit that space, the pause, despite likely pressure to act immediately. ✨

30/01/2026

Tokenization is a hot word these days. It means breaking complexity into smaller, manageable units — “tokens” — for easier analysis & processing. I think tokenization underlies how we perceptive life. ✨ Instinctively, our minds compress overwhelming experiences into mental tokens: We create labels, categories, narratives & use emotional shorthand. We don't perceive the world whole. Instead, people become archetypes. Situations become stories. Signals get sorted into meaning or dismissed as noise. ✨ This mental shorthand enables us to be speedier and efficient, but at a cost. Once tokens harden, meaning we start treating a thought or belief as fixed truth rather than provisional or moment-by-moment, our perception narrows. We stop seeing underlying realities and respond to labels we've created, often unconsciously, possibly to our detriment & loss. ✨Rarely do we act on raw information. Rather, we rely on probabilities, metrics, roles, deadlines, models & memories: All tokens standing in for complex realities. Working with 100s of people over the years, I've observed poor decisions often stem not from flawed logic but from outdated or oversimplified “tokens” that were never reexamined as conditions changed. ✨ Decision quality improves when we question what we've reduced, assumed, and lost via compression. "Decompressing" key assumptions can dramatically shift outcomes especially if we pause, breathe deeply & physically stretch, adding oxygen to brain, heart & cells. ✨ Success in love, work & play is about managing how we tokenize consciously rather than unconsciously. Words we use to describe & define ourselves and others function as powerful tokens that shape our entire understanding of life. ✨ Getting wiser is understanding how we tokenize others and ourselves. It’s knowing when simplification enables action versus creating distortion. The most perceptive people don't eliminate complexity -- they decide where it belongs. They recognize tokenization creates efficiency, but awareness of it creates wisdom. That awareness — the deliberate pause between perception and action is where clarity, influence & better outcomes are born.

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