Sitting at my desk wondering why everything gets dusty almost as soon as its been cleaned, I hear a mother talking with her child on their way to school. I miss the first part of the exchange but the response from the woman to her son is clear. “You’re just like me, you like to stay indoors”. I … [Read more...] about Are You Anxious Or Introvert?
Self Acceptance
How I Learned To Appreciate My Mother
My mother died on November 5th 2007, quite suddenly after an illness of less than 24 hours. Apart from the shock which followed I was already in the midst of a particularly difficult phase of life. On top of that, after she'd gone, I came to realise that the relationship which I had always … [Read more...] about How I Learned To Appreciate My Mother
Why High Self Esteem Might Be Damaging
Last weekend there was a great article in the Guardian entitled “The great self esteem con” in which writer Will Storr tells the story of Californian politician John Vasconcellos and his misguided and deceitful attempt to improve society through raising levels of self esteem. The idea of self … [Read more...] about Why High Self Esteem Might Be Damaging
There are no answers
In the paper last Sunday there was an advert on the back of a supplement detailing a number of workshops, one of which caught my eye, “How To Launch And Run A Successful Food Business”. It made me laugh and I wondered if page one of the syllabus might say “Have a good idea, be passionate about it … [Read more...] about There are no answers
How To Be Grown Up
My son had his last day at school this week and, as if rewound back through the years at pace, I was transported to his first. Nervous at being left, often tearful, and unwilling to grasp the concept of this brutal wrenching away from his mother being a thing of permanency for the next fourteen … [Read more...] about How To Be Grown Up