Month: February 2015

Empower your strengths and capitalise on happiness

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Research proves that people who know their character strengths live happier, more satisfied lives because knowing ourselves – what we’re good at, what energises and motivates us, and what our life values are – gives us the ability to lead more engaging and meaningful lives, true to our individual personalities. Strengths come in all forms and the great news is, we all have them! Whether it’s persistence, humour, gratitude, drive, commitment, loyalty, love or courage – if you’ve never thought about what your strengths are and how you can adapt your life to utilise them in a more powerful and effective way, now is the time. The VIA survey is a popular and free tool to help assess your best strengths, it can be found here – http://www.viacharacter.org/survey/account/register And if you still need persuading, here are five ways knowing our character strengths can help our personal development and emotional intelligence – An increased self-awareness allows us to build stronger, more effective relationships Acceptance of who we are improves our self esteem Allow us to set more tailored and attainable goals …

Poetry Friday

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And a youth said, “Speak to us of Friendship.”; Your friend is your needs answered. He is your field which you sow with love and reap with thanksgiving. And he is your board and your fireside. For you come to him with your hunger, and you seek him for peace. When your friend speaks his mind you fear not the “nay” in your own mind, nor do you withhold the “ay.” And when he is silent your heart ceases not to listen to his heart; For without words, in friendship, all thoughts, all desires, all expectations are born and shared, with joy that is unacclaimed. When you part from your friend, you grieve not; For that which you love most in him may be clearer in his absence, as the mountain to the climber is clearer from the plain. And let there be no purpose in friendship save the deepening of the spirit. For love that seeks aught but the disclosure of its own mystery is not love but a net cast forth: and only …

9 tips to help manage your time online

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Generation Y (also known as the millennials) are estimated to pick up their phones 150 times a day, checking emails, whatsapp, social media and logging into a million and one different user apps from Tinder, to Clue, Wunderlist to Framatic. No wonder this highly distracting online world can leave us feeling lost and overwhelmed, inadequate and insecure. For these very reasons, it’s more important than ever before to take control of our digital dependency and be more selective with the time we spend online. Streamline the beneficial stuff and start to quit the useless distractions. Here are nine easy tips to help you become more mindful and take a healthier approach to your online habits – Use a blocking tool such as Anti-Social or StayFocusd to improve your productivity by locking your computer away from social media sites for a certain amount of time, time of day or day of the week. You’ll be amazed at how much more you get done when you can focus without distraction. Get into the habit of putting your phone down at 9pm and not checking it again until …

Poetry Friday

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IF you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you, If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too; If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies, Or being hated, don’t give way to hating, And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise: If you can dream – and not make dreams your master; If you can think – and not make thoughts your aim; If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster And treat those two impostors just the same; If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken, And stoop and build ‘em up with worn-out tools: If you can make one heap of all your winnings And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss, And lose, and start again at your beginnings And never …

Lessons for Lovers

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Kahlil Gibran was a Lebanese poet, philosopher and artist. His greatest work The Prophet is a collection of prose-poetry essays. The essays cover many topics such as giving, love, friendship and self-knowledge. The following excerpt on Marriage (which I think in this modern age can be applied to anyone in a serious, committed relationship) struck me as particularly potent. You were born together, and together you shall be forevermore. You shall be together when the white wings of death scatter your days. Ay, you shall be together even in the silent memory of God. But let there be spaces in your togetherness, And let the winds of the heavens dance between you. Love one another, but make not a bond of love: Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls. Fill each other’s cup but drink not from one cup. Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone, Even as the …