It's a simple question: what have you done that few other people have? That was the first sentence in a blog I read last week by one of my favourite American bloggers, an original thinker and non-conformist called Chris Guillebeau. It’s a great hook, so I read on. He noted that, in answer to the question, you might start to list your accomplishments or achievements – but they belong on a … [Read more...] about Moments from a life less ordinary
journalism
Why we’re suffering from truth decay
One of my back teeth started aching this week. I’m wondering if it’s a reaction to the rapid decaying of truth that’s impacting politics and culture today, both in the UK and the US. I was aware of the term post-truth (Oxford Dictionaries’ Word of the Year in 2016), but hadn’t heard of truth decay until Obama started mentioning it in the interviews he’s been doing recently to publicise his new … [Read more...] about Why we’re suffering from truth decay
The thrill of appearing outside yourself
There’s no getting away from the fact that I was a shy child. All through my school years my reports praised my conscientiousness and good standard of work but repeatedly criticised me for not speaking up. A typical comment was: “Beverley is a quiet girl who would benefit from participating more in class discussions.” My teachers didn’t seem to consider my shyness might be a factor in this, or … [Read more...] about The thrill of appearing outside yourself