Can We Unlearn Being Adult?
Can we unlearn being adult and rediscover a sense of novelty and awe? Childhood experience can be vivid, but that fades as we get older.
DIY Mental Health – Real Value for Us All
A core idea driving this blog is that we reclaim our psychological and spiritual wellbeing. To do this we normalise much of what has been seen as ‘mental health issues’, accepting that unhappiness and its derivatives are part of life, and relearn the tolerance and skills that will help us through them. This is a big subject, and one which affects us all. There is much we can do for ourselves.
Shame and the Guilt Trap
"Guilt is a largely redundant emotion". There, I've said it, and I don't feel to bad about it actually. If it turns out I've done something wrong I can always apologise and make amends, in the meantime I'm letting guilt go, I can always worry about it later.
How to Have a Harmonious Life
The trouble with aspirations is that they can seem out of reach. But that's the way they should be isn't it? If they were attainable, we'd either have them, or we'd know that we've almost got them. They wouldn't be aspirations, they'd be something else. Aspirations can act like a guiding star, they tell us which way to go, where to direct our efforts. They are also abstract; things like happiness, wealth, wellbeing... and harmony. Aspirations shape our thought and actions, so they are about how we think and act,...
Unhealthy Guilty Feelings Are Useless
One way to reduce guilty feelings is to discuss them, but it has to be with the right person. And once is enough; go on about it and you'll simply wind up with two people feeling bad.
We Are All Experts In Something
Experts are everywhere which is handy when you need one. The trouble is, it can tend to erode your confidence and lead you to underestimate your own abilities.
Compassionate Listening
Listening – here called compassionate listening – is the primary requirement in conflict resolution. It's also the platform for building stronger relationships and mutual understanding. I wish it was taught in more schools.
A Little Mid-Course Correction?
From time to time it is useful to stop and take your bearings. They say that life is a journey, if so it pays to stop from time to time and reflect on where we are, where we are headed, and is where we are headed a place we want to go to? I call this mid-course correction. You can do it in life, in a project, in a relationship, and even in a conversation.
Why Does the Cat Always Get It?
We tend to stuck in our ways with our thinking. This restricts our viewpoint and limits our possibilities. Next time you are in a queue, or waiting somewhere with nothing to do, try this.
