For the past 16 years Dr. Michael Sullivan has happily been a member of UUCC, where he has served as a Board member and committee chair. He is a retired psychologist whose professional work has been recognized by many psychological associations, including the American Psychological Association’s designation as a
“Citizen Psychologist”. Mike enjoys delivering Meals On Wheels as his volunteer job in retirement. He is also a super fan of the South Carolina women’s basketball team; his stats about their record-breaking attendance are frequently circulated by Coach Dawn Staley on social media.
There is a popular belief about Nature that we live in a dog-eat-world of brutish survival of the fittest. If such a pessimistic world view ever makes you depressed, primate psychologist Frans de Waal offers an optimistic counterpoint. He found striking evidence that animals other than humans have empathy and a sense of fair play, … Continue reading Nature’s Lessons for a Kinder Society: The Wisdom of Frans de Waal
Retired psychologist Dr. Michael Sullivan will be sharing the insights and inspiration of a leading Unitarian minister about our experience of gratitude. Rev. Dr. Galen Guengerich sees gratitude as a central source of meaning in life. In his book The Way of Gratitude, he offers it as a new spirituality for today, especially for the … Continue reading The Way of Gratitude: The Wisdom of Galen Guengerich
The Rev. Dr. Forrest Church was a leading Unitarian theologian and minister who wrote many influential books including a popular introduction to Unitarian Universalism, A Chosen Faith (with John Buehrens). Two of his books profoundly influenced Dr. Michael Sullivan, a psychologist, in becoming a UU after moving to Columbia with his wife Susan in 2008. … Continue reading On Love and Death: The Wisdom of Forrest Church
In a consumerist society that values money, volunteering can be diminished as unpaid work. In reality, it pays remarkable dividends. As Winston Churchill said, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” Giving freely of our time and energy in service to other persons or causes … Continue reading The Remarkable Benefits of Volunteering
