If you’re unhappily single, Valentine’s Day can be one of the toughest times of the year. Even if you are otherwise content with your relationship status, or lack of, having your nose rubbed in everyone else’s romantic bliss can be unsettling. The reality is that most people would like more love in their lives. Last week, we talked about how to get more love in your relationship, but where do you start if you’re currently single?
Everything is Always Alright in the End
February 10th, 2010
One of my favourite quotes is from the Dalai Lama, “Everything is always alright in the end. If it is not alright, then it is not the end.”
No matter how bad things seem, it is never forever, it always gets better. Sometimes you just have to trust the process, and focus on your intended outcome, and remember that the rough patch will pass.
Need More Love in Your Relationship?
February 6th, 2010
It’s that time of the year when we are bombarded with the notion of love and romance as we lead up to Valentine’s Day. If you are in a relationship it may seem like you are one of the lucky ones? But are you getting what you want and need from your relationship? The reality is that many people would like more love in their lives, and it’s not just the single ones. The good news is that, if you want it, it’s possible, it just may require some effort and some courage.
Is Your Fabulous Lifestyle Getting in the Way of Your Fantastic Life?
January 20th, 2010
There is actually a big difference between having a great lifestyle and a great life – but the two can easily become confused.
“Lifestyle” refers to things we buy to decorate our lives. Through our lifestyle choices we can buy an identity through brands. We can define how other people perceive us, so it can be a way of gaining acceptance and approval from them. A common term for this is “keeping up with the Joneses”. We want to control what people think of us and it can be tempting to do this through making sure we have the right “things” in order to be regarded in a certain way.
Your “life” on the other hand, is what you lead when you know what is important to you and you let that control your behaviour. Your life is made up of your choices and actions. Through our “life” we can create our own self esteem and pride through being true to our selves.
How to Achieve those Big Goals this Year!
January 15th, 2010
Have you set yourself some really big goals this year? Something you really want to achieve, but have no idea how yet? Is there a danger it might end up going in the “too-hard” basket and ending up back on the New Year’s resolution list again next year?
Enjoy Your Relatives and Survive the Family Dynamics
December 18th, 2009
Even the most loving of families can be stressful with they get together in a confined space.
A common issue of family dynamics is feeling like a child again in your parents’ home. It can be really frustrating to be treated like a kid again when you’re a successful, independent adult with your own life. No matter how old you are, you will always be your parent’s daughter / son. I have even heard people in their fifties and sixties talk about this same challenge. You have several choices here, and it really depends how severe the issue actually is.
Remaining Calm Despite the Conspiracy
December 10th, 2009
It’s that time of the year when things get busy: everyone is trying to get things finished before the end of the year, there are social functions, school functions and general Christmas festivities to fit in, plus there’s the shopping and general preparations for what is arguably the most prominent event on our annual calendar – Christmas. So when things go wrong at this time of year, it can easily be the straw that breaks the camel’s back and send a normally sane person into a complete meltdown.
Know Your Worth – What’s Your True Value?
December 8th, 2009
I was reminded the other day of a story I was told a few years ago. It was about a speaker who pulled a crisp, fresh $100 note out of his pocket and offered it to his audience. “who would like this $100 note?” he asked. Of course nearly everyone was keen to accept it with hands waving madly in the air. “What about this $100 note?” he asked offering a more worn, dirtier looking note, instead. Still the same people responded, happy to accept the money. Then he took the worn, dirty note, screwed it up in a ball and stood on it, squashing it into the ground. When he picked it up, the $100 was barely recognisable but still he offered it to the crowd and still he was met with the same enthusiastic response. No matter what he did to that piece of paper, it still held it’s same true value, it was still worth $100.
Dangerous Brainwashing
October 29th, 2009
Personally I’ve never been a big fan of organised religion myself, but up until now I’ve very much been of the view of ‘each to their own’, and quietly respectful of other people’s viewpoints and beliefs. Religion and spirituality is one of those topics that no-one can ever really have all the answers to. No-one really knows the absolute truth for sure. As a friend of mine once said, “you find out everything when you die, but it’s not worth dying just to find out.”
Starship, St Johns Ambulance and a Fantastic Primary School
September 15th, 2009
Having moved north from the Mainland five years ago, I’ve struggled a bit to find a sense of belonging living here in central Auckland, a place to put down some roots and feel a sense of home and community. However I found this recently, when my six year old daughter came a cropper in the school playground and smashed her elbow. Samantha’s always been a bit of a dare devil stuntwoman. I swear she was a monkey in a former life, so it was only really a matter of time before she pushed the boundaries too far and learned what her physical limits are. Even so, no parent likes getting a call from school saying “can you get here immediately to accompany your child in the ambulance”, and if you’re in the middle of a business meeting and you have deadlines looming that suddenly can’t be met, it all adds to the stress.
