Why do you get up in the morning? Why do you do what you do each day? Is what you’re doing making a difference that means something to you? Is there a purpose to your choices and actions? When you stop to ask yourself these questions do you like the answers? Let’s be honest, most of the time you’re so busy doing the doing you don’t have time to sit and ponder on such things. Read more…
They say that Christmas is about giving, but what about receiving? I did a search on the internet and found a list of articles about why Christmas should only be about giving, and not about receiving. That any giving you do must be unconditional, you must give with no expectation of receiving something in return. Don’t get me wrong, I completely agree with unconditional giving. But I also believe you need to be open to Read more…
Routine – a sequence of actions regularly followed. When I started my Three Rs blogs, exploring ‘routine’ had been the inspiration. Two-thirds of the way through, ‘routine’ had stifled my thinking. One word – two effects. Routine is boring I had wanted to talk about routine because it is often seen as fixed, unchanging, boring. Some people dread things being routine, claiming it stifles creativity and freedom. But I wondered, what if the opposite is Read more…
Why Ritual? Ritual is an important part of human life, often related to significant life events. Ritual is also a hidden victim of the current pandemic. In my previous post I explained how life has its own natural rhythms, the first of the Three Rs. Now I’m going to dig a little deeper into the second R, ritual. Whilst ritual is often taken to mean religious ceremony, it actually refers to a [proper] order of Read more…
‘The Three Rs’ first appeared in the 1800’s as the basic requirements in education – reading, writing, and arithmetic, but has since been adopted by various other organisations (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle being one of the better known examples). Keeping with this alliterative theme, I’ve been thinking a lot recently of the importance of: Rhythm, Ritual, and Routine Let’s begin with Rhythm Now I’m not referring to rhythm in the musical sense (and as a reminder Read more…
Back in the days when I worked in the travel industry, there were a few places which captured my imagination and I Ionged to visit them (and still do for the most part). One of them was Bali, which is also known as the Island of the Gods, a tropical paradise. I finally made it to Bali in 2009 on honeymoon, and it didn’t disappoint – the clear blue waters, lush green foliage, waterfalls, beautiful Read more…
That was the question which stopped me in my tracks following my cousin’s cancer diagnosis. That was the question which made me leave my corporate career…twice. It is the question I now know has been simmering around in the back of my mind, and was behind the way I was feeling about my 49th birthday in December. I didn’t realise it at the time, I just knew I was dreading the implication of entering my Read more…
Winter is here ushering in the end of the year, in fact the end of the decade, and perhaps this realisation brings with it a sense of urgency, that next year needs to be different, that next year you need to get the balance right. But this is not the time to make New Year Resolutions. Perhaps you’ve come up with a list of things you want to change in the year ahead, starting on Read more…
So here we are again, looking at how understanding and living your Values helps you live the life you really want to live. In my last post, I explained my Independence value, and how it shows up in my choices. Today I’ll take you through my other four key values and the part they play. My hopes through doing this are: Your values ‘come alive’ for you, and you understand why it’s so important to Read more…
What gets you out of bed in the morning? No, I’m not referring to your alarm clock, or a boot in the backside from your beloved, or even a wet nose on your face from the dog. Answer – your values. What do you need in your day to day life for it to have meaning for you? For you to feel ‘settled’ rather than having a sense that something’s missing? What would you stand Read more…