In a world where individuals are increasingly self-focussed; where self-interest is supplanting care and compassion; the milk of human kindness is becoming alarmingly bitter. We're moving from an era where the perceived threat once was killing an issue, situation or person with kindness to an era where it's kindness itself that has become the victim. Neglect is now turning … Continue reading The Killing of Kindness →

They are among us. Those people who, in spite of everything, exude happiness and contentment; those people who give the appearance of bursting with joy. There's such a lack of colour in the world we share that there is a general expectation that anyone with a joyous disposition is almost required to justify their attitude; explain their … Continue reading The Justification of Joy →

There are times in our lives when we crave isolation; times when we want to remove ourselves from society; times when we want to close the door and keep the world at bay. "Me time'' is important. We can use "Me time'' to reassess and regroup, recharge our emotional resources  and refresh our spiritual strength. The result can … Continue reading The Importance of Involvement →

If there's one thing we all want it's happiness. We want to feel fulfilled, content, at peace, comfortable in the sure knowledge that all is well with the world. If we can get the ducks in our life to line up then we are certain that the result will be blissful happiness. The reality is though … Continue reading The Hunt for Happiness →

Negativity is a powerful and ever-present force. It's something we encounter every day. It's unavoidable. How we deal with negativity very much dictates the success or the failure of the day we are having. The problem with allowing negativity to get the better of us on any given day is that days stretch into weeks, … Continue reading The Goodness of Gratitude →

The greatest hindrance to success is the fear of not succeeding. Fear of failure is strong enough to stop an endeavour before it has even started. It's impossible to estimate how much further advanced our society would be if it were not for the "what ifs.'' Blind and unfettered enthusiasm, though, is not the answer. Excessive, … Continue reading The Fear of Failure →

We have a number of basic psychological needs and we can spend a lifetime seeking to have those needs met. A core need - and one that is central to every individual's existence - is the need to be understood. Understanding leads to acceptance; acceptance to love; love to fulfilment. If we feel we are … Continue reading The Encouragement of Empathy →

Given that we live in a world where we are under constant attack from the opinions, attitudes and beliefs of others, it's little wonder that there are times when our own perspectives can become somewhat blurred. World leaders, community representatives, advocates and elders can all say and do things that appear irrational , confused and off … Continue reading The Dilemma of Delusion →

There are those who believe that the passage of time  brings with it wisdom and serenity...that the older an individual gets the easier life becomes. Each day I am a little older and I've been around for quite a few decades so I claim the benefit of my own limited knowledge and experience. And I'm here … Continue reading The Capacity to Cope →

Life, generally, is a mixture of good and bad, ups and downs, sadness and happiness, success and failure, sickness and health. Throughout the time allotted to us we battle with balance and, at times, that battle can become quite fierce. We can go through weeks, months, even years of positivity before we run into a … Continue reading The Battle With Balance →