When I first started to share some of my personal stories, a part of me wondered if it was a little self-indulgent, that I might be perceived as a bit of a show-off or self-centred. Even though I always made sure that I made a wider point that would hopefully inspire my audience, the nagging voice remained. However, the more I allowed myself to be real and vulnerable, the better the response I … [Read more...] about There’s no such thing as an ordinary life
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Why is it so important to tell stories?
Human beings are hard-wired for narrative - it’s how our brains work, how we make sense of the world and our lives. Seventy per cent of what we learn is through stories - so if you want to connect with other people, the most effective way is to tell a story. In some fundamental sense we need stories. As an individual but particularly as a business owner, one of the most powerful ways of making … [Read more...] about Why is it so important to tell stories?
Going into overwhelm and out the other side
To bury or drown under a huge mass. To defeat completely. To crush. To overpower. To engulf. To surge over and submerge. These are just a few of the dictionary definitions of the word overwhelm. For me, going into overwhelm is not only a state of mind - it’s an emotional, physical, spiritual state as well. When it happens, which it did to me last week, it feels as if I can’t move forward, can’t … [Read more...] about Going into overwhelm and out the other side
What is the gift of cynicism?
I’m currently reading Debbie Ford’s excellent book The Dark Side of the Light Chasers, which examines those parts of our psyche that we reject and bury in our subconscious. She shows that it is possible to acknowledge and accept what we judge as our “weaknesses” - and that these qualities conceal hidden gifts and strengths. I had an opportunity to meet one of these buried parts the other day … [Read more...] about What is the gift of cynicism?
Integrate this: let everyday joy be unconfined
Having flogged myself by sticking to a post-a-day regimen for the first few months of 2012, this year I’m adopting a kinder, less-is-more attitude to blogging in the hope of cultivating a Bowie-esque mystique. Well, that’s my excuse, anyway. However, now we have had the first new moon of the year, I am feeling a little more focused. This is where 2013 begins - a year that seems less burdened by … [Read more...] about Integrate this: let everyday joy be unconfined
Story of the Day #4: Suddenly One Summer
It is the summer of 1976 - one of the hottest I have ever known. I am 19 years old, and personal secretary to a genial grey-haired transport specialist who is counting the days to retirement. I have been doing this job since I left school at 18. It’s comfortable and undemanding, with a reasonable salary. I have no cause to imagine that my career will not continue along this predictable … [Read more...] about Story of the Day #4: Suddenly One Summer