“Don’t be pushed around by the fears in your mind. Be led by the dreams in your heart” (Roy T Bennett) According to psychology research (Lisa Fritscher: Very Well Mind), fear is a primal emotion that involves a universal biochemical response and a high individual emotional response. Fear is helpful when it alerts us to…
“Our ultimate freedom is the right and the power to decide how anybody or anything outside ourselves will affect us” (Dr Steven R Covey) When confronted by significant differences of opinion with others, aggressive communication, or manipulative forms of behaviour, particularly from those in more senior positions, many employees are overwhelmed and overcome – they…
“When we look upon this earth, the opportunities take shape within the problems” (Nelson A Rockefeller) Adversity is a part of all our lives. At times, adversity seems to break the spirit of some. More often, however, adversity brings out the true spirit and character within people and leads them to make the noblest of…
“Plenty of people miss their share of happiness, not because they never found it, but because they didn’t stop to enjoy it” (William Feather) The term ‘balance’ does not imply that we spend equal time with family, equal time with work, equal time with friends, and so on. It means rather that we find in…
“I have immortal longings in me” (William Shakespeare) Trying to find meaning in our crazy and confused world seems to be a never-ending quest – the current chaos globally working its way into our lives. Decision-making brings new levels of uncertainty. Setting goals or fulfilling dreams seems far-fetched or at least so distant that you…
“Almost all conflict is a result of violated expectations” (Blaine Lee, The Power Principle) To avoid relational frustrations and mistrust, expectations between people need to be clarified. This is true at home as well as in business or dealings within other organisations. “Clean up your room and the bathroom before going out” sounds pretty straightforward…
“I believe that every right implies a responsibility, every opportunity, an obligation, every possession, a duty” (Nelson Rockefeller) I am sure that you have heard the words ‘that’s not my responsibility’ from people on countless occasions. Other forms of the same expression include “that is not my role”, “that’s not in my employment contract” or…
“Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it” (Helen Keller) Many of life’s difficulties are short-term and swiftly come to an end as we get re-employed, or sort out an issue with a friend, or resolve an argument or recover from some illness. Other forms of adversity,…
“There are more things to do than we ever shall get done; there are more books to read than we can ever look at; there are more avenues to enjoyment than we ever shall find time to travel. Life appeals to us from innumerable directions, crying, ‘Attend to me here!’ In consequence, we litter up…
“Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did” (Newt Gingrich) Failure and fatigue are characteristic of the lives of everyone. Life is not “plain sailing” – yes, there are successes and great moments of joy, satisfaction, and happiness, but these are often fleeting, temporary,…
“One of the problems is that I internalise everything. I can’t express anger; I grow a tumour instead” (Woody Allen) The greatest test of any relationship is what happens when someone lets you down – broken promises, missed deadlines, poor behaviour, less than average performance, negligence, bad attitudes, etc. These disappointments initially may engender surprise,…
“She stood in the storm and when the wind did not blow her away, she adjusted her sails” (Elizabeth Edwards) Music is filled with themes…and variations on themes. Most importantly, the variation on the theme still carries the theme. There may have been creative adjustment of some kind, but the basic melody continues to emerge…
