Are you someone who worries about the future and spends time fretting about the past? Most of us can relate to this state of mind and we all know it gets us nowhere. For some of us, this way of thinking becomes entrenched and consumes the majority of our thought-life, meaning we can never enjoy the moment. I know because I used to live this way myself.
Continue readingStrength and vulnerability are NOT mutually exclusive…
Continue readingLet me tell you about a client of mine who I worked with several years ago… James* was a straight-A student who couldn’t get out of bed or do any studying. He was also taking painkillers by the handful, drinking every day and had stopped eating. Having been predicted a first class degree in his first and second years at university, he now risked being thrown off his course.
Continue readingI’ve been thinking about the strategies we employ to deal with our feelings and how so many of these strategies backfire.
Continue readingConfidence is one of the greatest gifts we can give to our children, especially in this era of constant peer comparison on social media. But, how on earth do you instill self-belief into your child? Aside from the basics of love, nurture, support and clear boundaries it’s my conviction that the more I allow my daughters to do things independently of me the more confidence they gain. This can be in the small things…
Continue readingSet with enthusiasm and all good intentions, resolutions are meant to improve our lives. The problem, as we all know, is that they are usually ‘broken’ by the end of January, leaving us feeling dejected, despondent and cross with ourselves. I was caught in this trap for many, many years until one Christmas I thought I’d set goals for the coming year instead of make resolutions, the focus being on things I could achieve over…
Continue readingOn Sunday, my seven-year-old daughter, Eva, decided to, “test whether what mummy says about things being dangerous is true or not,” by putting her hand on top of the wood burner. It had been on for an hour and she badly burnt her hand. In hindsight, I could write about how interesting it is to me that my first reaction was anger, “What did you do that for?” followed quickly by fear and compassion for…
Continue readingA client asked me yesterday about strategy – how to create one and how to stick to one – and my answer was twofold: 1. Know what your purpose is in life (i.e. be intentional in all you do) and… 2. Start with the end in mind
Continue readingI’ve written about gratitude before but it’s worth returning to, as it’s so very, very powerful. If you are feeling low or frustrated or heartbroken then focussing on the small positive things in your life will give you a boost, take you momentarily away from your negative thoughts and give you a new perspective on your situation.
Continue readingI’ve been realising increasingly that happiness or being ‘sorted’ is not about how my life looks from the outside but how I choose to respond to whatever happens. If I respond in fear or frustration I am likely to make a situation worse (or certainly feel worse about it) but, if I respond from a place of acceptance and calm I will likely retain my sense of balance and I then stand a far better…
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