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Steve Wickham - EzineArticles.com Expert Author   RSS

Steve Wickham is a registered safety practitioner (BSc, MSIA, RSP (Australia)) and a qualified, unordained Christian minister (GradDipBib&Min). His passion in vocation is facilitation and coaching; encouraging people to soar to a higher value of their potential. His specific key passion is exploring work/life balance issues and re-creating value for living, toward the discovery of the spiritual person within each of us. As an advocate for a fair, right and just life, he has ... [More]

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  • The Fullness and Splendor of God From Isaiah 40
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] How would we begin to describe the works and character of God to a stranger to our planet--an alien from another planet? One big, deep breath would breathe anticipation into the very thought of launching a great task like that.


  • The Plays of Rejection That Don't Sit So Well
    [Relationships:Conflict] The truth is rejection is all around us. Not only that, we also tend to become quite hurt when we're rejected, excepting a veritable few. We reject people easily and without much thought, yet when we're rejected we feel rejection's sting very keenly; even for a moment or a day or two.


  • Healing the Inevitable Ills - Dealing With the Hurts of Life
    [Self-Improvement:Grief-Loss] The issue of dealing effectively with the inevitable hurts of life is simply than most of us think. Follow the stories of three examples which illustrate for us how we heal ourselves...


  • What in the World is Love, Anyway?
    [Relationships:Love] Set a task: discuss love. No instruments of help, no reference material whatsoever. Can the average man describe love, 1 Corinthians 13 style, and get it almost just about right? Love, for starters, is a broad and abstract concept enshrined at its most fundamental as the selfless act.


  • Progress - The Unstoppable Human Drive
    [Self-Improvement:Goal-Setting] Little Wesley, a child at kindergarten, sits down on the mat to explore a puzzle he discovered days beforehand. As soon as he arrived he went straight for this particular puzzle.


  • Stress and Not Taking 'No' For an Answer
    [Self-Improvement:Stress-Management] "Life is only as hard as we make it for ourselves, and only secondarily as hard as others and circumstances make it for us." I wrote this quote in the context of a hugely chaotic workload, a modicum of relational distress and the associated confounding emotions. No one can say this is some cliche-think when it's presented in such a harshly wrapped mess. It's dirty, alive and real.


  • The Story of a Leader's Deceit and the Catastrophic Consequences
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] This is a story... There was once a great leader of one of the most powerful nations on earth. This person commanded the respect of all who knew him and all who knew of him--he not only had the position but he had earned their respect through his many successful, beguiling conquests.


  • Struggling Well - A Transcendent, Godly State
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] I've heard it said now several times that the truly mature person knows how to struggle well, endemically without complaint or compromise. The person who struggles consistently well is wise, reliable and adult-like in demeanour.


  • Not Judging People - The Greater Test of Character Attribution
    [Relationships:Conflict] We are the sum of our parts, of the attitudes and behaviours we present. We not only need to be wary in gauging a whole person from the little glimpses we see...


  • What Do I Really Want From My Relationship With You?
    [Relationships] I present myself in a form suitable to the relationship I wish to achieve with you. - Luigi Pirandello. Some quotes I read and I go, 'Hmm, not so much,' whilst others smack me right between the eyes.


  • The Deserted City of the Aching Soul
    [Self-Improvement:Grief-Loss] Calamity and ruin hit the heart in an instant as the soul is carried off into exile. For these sharp hours of the initiation it seems we're strangely numb yet we hardly want it as real and as stark as it is right now. A time of release does come--hold out hope for it.


  • Only Ever For the Greater Good
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] Wisdom, true wisdom--in sovereign or leadership roles, is about discernment driven by a heart for advocacy. And this is a feature of the best, most inspiring leadership--guidance, headship and control that can be at first, trusted, and secondly modelled upon.


  • The View Back - When I've Forgiven Myself
    [Self-Improvement:Personal-Growth] This is an open letter to myself. Looking back upon a sore and sorry experience of hurting another, and of therefore hurting myself, I'm pleased to say I've learned something utterly sincere about my nature--something that I treasure now; something very "me." I did this wrong thing, and yet still there was room for recovery. That's grace--bliss-filled, united-in-joy, wholly-satisfying grace.


  • Beating Annoyances the Easy Way
    [Self-Improvement] Road-worker on a lollipop. The drive to work is normally such a pleasure; now this! Or, let's take the time when you're being hassled by one of your children for something, say at the shops. How do we effectively and appropriately deal with these common annoyances so they don't throw us into a hissy fit at the least expected, most damaging moment?


  • Forgiving Myself When I've Let You Down
    [Self-Improvement:Personal-Growth] This is an open letter to the person I've let down. Looking back now I can say that I didn't mean to do what I did, however badly it looked or intended it seems. I know that I've seriously jeopardized the trust you would ordinarily have of me. I know that what I did hurts you, even now, and I regret my action.


  • Why We Should Fall in Love With the Creative
    [Self-Improvement:Creativity] The creative process is like a banquet. We graze and pick, consuming from the selection as we go; almost as if in response to our inexplicable interests as they wax and wane, in season or out...


  • Do Not Pass Go, Do Not Collect $200
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] The title may be a play on the Hasbro/Parker Brothers game, MonopolyTM, but it's etched in truth as a life-aligning paradigm for true, sustainable success. Here's the rub: God cannot raise a person up (in the correct, sustainable way of things) unless that person is first...


  • The Common Message to the Seven Churches in Revelation
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. Whoever conquers will not be harmed by the second death. -Revelation 2:11 (NRSV).


  • The Only 2 Reasons to Accept That Meeting Invite
    [Business] The perennial annoyance for anyone in the world of work is 'the meeting,' and particularly those pointless ones that drag on. Any good manager of their time knows that meetings tend to suck up time in two dangerous ways. We lose the linear time we invest, and we eventually have to get onto the work that flows into our inboxes by virtue of our absence.


  • Thank You, Lord, For My Own Private Gethsemane
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Biblical metaphors are present in life all the time. When people question the relevancy of the Bible we can respectfully be quite dumbfounded when we consider the very real-to-life biblical accounts.


  • We're One - But We're Not the Same
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Philosophy] There is a fact of life that we're all too apt at overlooking much to our confused and ignorant consternation, individually and collectively. It is the principle of our oneness--our innate interdependence.


  • Answering a World Full of Cynicism and Sarcasm
    [News-and-Society:Religion] Cynicism and sarcasm, though they feel cool, are a trick of thinking. The dominant thought when we engage in them is we think we're smarter than others, smarter even than God. It's the chief blight on humankind that we're like this. It's so entrapping--a curse over our being.


  • A Short Truth of Human Nature
    [Self-Improvement:Personal-Growth] What does this quote mean in relation to our human nature: "When you are offended at any [person's] fault, turn to yourself and study your own failings. Then you will forget your anger." -Epictetus.


  • Oh, My, What Pretty Fingernails You Have!
    [Self-Improvement:Success] Life is the power of positive thinking I don't care what anybody says. Call it 'optimism' or 'faith' or 'confidence' or anything else; it just simply works from the inside out. What becomes of a person in this continual mindset is a wonderful, miraculous, full-of-growth-and-potential work of art - a human specimen to behold.


  • If at First You Don't Succeed - Well, You Know the Drill
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] The problem for me - and I suspect, for you too - is "the roadblock." This is the will to power, commonly WILLPOWER. Many people I know see me as having tremendous willpower, but I know better.


  • The Greatest Thing You Ever Saw
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Right on the cusp of the present, yet weirdly not, ascending to the reaches of known reality, I peered down; everything I ever did right there before me, beyond emotion, flooded with uncontainable meaning, it was the greatest, most momentous thing I ever saw...


  • The Mundane and the Magnificent
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] My wife and I have been both bemused and perplexed to a small extent at the presence of this distinctive bird around our home of late. He's a seasonal chap who tweets quite a distinctive high-pitched repetitive tune; a 'routine' that's just as likely to commence at 10 P.M. as it is any other time.


  • What to Do If You're Going Through Hell
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] If we're truly going through a personal hell we must keep going, in faith, for the faith... faithfully. And this takes courage and wisdom and poise and patience and trust--faith. It's faith that holds up hope as if it were the centre pole of the marquee tent of our soul.


  • Psalm 103 - A Premier Psalm of Mercy and Grace
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Fear is a principle of constancy in life. Life would not be life without it. This psalm has a similar pedigree to that of Psalm 119, both from theological and evangelistical viewpoints. It's full of meaning for life.


  • The Elegant Tradable - Joy and Folly of Compromise
    [Business:Negotiation] At worst, the elegant tradable is actually a trick in the business of negotiation. At best, it's a bonus for a purchase or some sort of other deal. We must watch for it.


  • Those Church Hurts - Just Don't Blame Jesus!
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Love cannot hurt. Neither can grace. But hurt people hurt people--whether these are inept ministers or the hurt people themselves.


  • What's Wrong With Failure?
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] I know of a young person right now who's dealing with repetitive failure in one area of their life. This person has endured humiliation upon humiliation and now doesn't even expect to succeed; yet still they try their best. What's their secret?


  • Reaching For the Higher Standard of KINDNESS
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Random Acts of Kindness. A new world craze? The value of kindness speaks every language and to every nationality under the sun. It is a human universality. Let's explore the higher standard of KINDNESS.


  • The Land of My Dreaming (And Yours)
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] The Indigenous peoples of Australia, the traditional aborigines, have a spiritual and historical legacy in what's termed "the Dreaming." This has relevance not only to indigenous people...


  • Making My Day!
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] I'll hound you for the rest of your life if you'll let me. Yes, that's right. This irrepressible message will find its way into your mind and heart if it has anything to do with me. When I've found the good news, why would I not share it?


  • Cherishing Those Powerful Small Moments
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] We forget far too easily at times how important the 'smaller' moments are in life. Amazingly, and we hardly even think about them, and the fact that the smallest moment has equally the largest potential...


  • Towards Best Practice Leadership - Legal Compliance, Influence & Behaviour
    [Business:Workplace-Safety] A sparkling and poignant IFAP Breakfast Presentation by Greg Smith, Freehills Consultant - Employee Relations, stimulated those attending to nurture the four management obligations of legal compliance and to continually align aspirational ventures of safety documentation with the foreseeable realities for where they're to be applied, converting paper to practice. Mr. Smith, a lawyer, ex-army officer, and former Principal Advisor, Safety, for Woodside, has been party to various safety boards of enquiry, and spoke from the viewpoint of the prosecution cross-examining managers and executives under trial at inquest or inquiry.


  • God's Light Show
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] The wonder and the awe. Ripples of thunder tearing through the sky. The gently increasing patter of rain... large drops. The smell of electricity. The rumble and the expanse fill the environment, louder and louder as it looms, brooding over existent creation.


  • Psalm 50 - Straight-Talking God Addresses the Court
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] People throwing lit cigarette butts out of their car windows: it's not only a fire hazard and littering combined, it's an abuse of God's green earth. Yet, do we challenge them? Not usually...


  • Hope For the Image-Bound
    [Self-Improvement:Self-Esteem] Going shopping is an interesting activity if you're a social gazer. The life on show at a major shopping mall can be a sight for sore eyes. There are many things to see, including varying groups of people obviously tied to a certain image--an image that holds their identity firmly in place; at least for that foreseeable season of their lives.


  • The Most Radical - "Impossible" Love
    [News-and-Society:Religion] The story of the first conversation between the Reverend Wade Watts and Johnny Lee Clary is a the beginning of a journey to love. Real love. Hell-bending love...


  • Restoring Balance Using the Consciously Competent Mind in Momentary Self-Reflection Mode
    [Self-Improvement:Mind-Development] How do we restore our own balances? And how do we self-regulate ourselves in order to reconcile this struggling out-of-balance issue we're plagued with? The mind is the tool to help...


  • A Trophy of His Grace, I Am - We Are
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] The Christian can and should be able to say, 'Look at what his hands have done in me.' For what God's hands have done, nobody can dispute, the displayed body and mind are forever testimony of God's grace and truth. This can be seen in at least two rapidly divergent ways--ways which are so diametrically opposed, yet ways which cannon forth God's abundant grace over the life beheld.


  • The Lost (Life-Giving) Art of Jettisoning Thought
    [Self-Improvement:Organizing] Jettisoning thought is a term I've coined for something I've engaged in when I've been floundering in my thoughts and plans in the eventful times of my life. It's the process of allowing thought to seep out onto another medium, like a list, for instance...


  • Patience at the Moment of Willful, Uncontrolled Anger
    [Self-Improvement:Anger-Management] Can you recall a time when you went absolutely spare and came later to regret your actions entirely? You probably also had to pay some pretty big penance as some way of reconciling things back the way they were; yet, they never really return 'as they were,' do they?


  • Why Do We Persevere During Tough Times?
    [Self-Improvement:Inspirational] Many of us have had harrowing times in life where we've questioned whether we could go on emotionally or not. I recall a vision of my life back in November 2003 where I had the choice, yet again, to rise up in faith or fall for demise...


  • Riding the Virtue Pelaton
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Philosophy] The Tour de France cycling race features a phenomenon where the cyclists cling tightly together in a pack called a "pelaton." Likewise, the character traits of virtue cling together producing a cool picture of morally sound living.


  • Our Real Reason For Kindness
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] All parents have had a distinct delight thrust upon them; the gift of an object, a creation really, that one of their children has made for them at school. It's a swan that looks a little like a duck that sort of resembles a platypus.


  • How's the Exodus Playing Out in Your Life?
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] "If the exodus was God's idea of redemption, the jubilee was God's idea of restoration." At some point in every Christian's life they must surely ask themselves, 'Am I really doing all of what God requires of me?' I know I certainly have; many times.


  • Don't Dream It's Over - Spirituality of Love
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Most songs have a depth of spiritual meaning and truth. Crowded House's, "Don't Dream It's Over" (1986) is no exception.


  • Hormones - The Making (and Breaking) Of Us
    [Health-and-Fitness:Mood-Disorders] Hormones have the power to make us or break us, notwithstanding our moods and propensities for disorders and exhilarations. Hormones don't just help us party or cause our bad moods, they also facilitate biochemically--apart from those processes of the nervous system--all bodily processes via the endocrine system.


  • The Justice Inbuilt in Injustice
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Philosophy] Justice is balance. Moves towards injustice, whatever comes, are always rectified by the universal laws in place that have worked since before the dawn of time. Justice reigns.


  • The Meaning to Life - It's All in the Helping
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] The dripping tap which I noticed when I was on the toilet recently reminded me of something God's always doing: he reminds us. For instance, he's always reminding us through our experience of the very many personal blessings there are in simply helping.


  • Groaning Earth - She Limps Through the Early Twenty-First Century
    [News-and-Society] "It's the end of the world as we know it" -- the song by rock band REM is characterized by a flurry of non-sensical words which summarize a pattern we recognise today. She, and her human and economical systems, are breaking down and are in serious need of repair. All the while the bureaucrats of the world offer the same tired and ineffective rhetoric because they fail to acknowledge the truth and embrace it with the courage it requires from them -- they don't have it; courage and truth.


  • The Freedom of Truth - Facing Our Denial
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] You get little in life if you invest little. Make truth a more important commodity that your own comfort. Face your denial. It will set you free!


  • Psalm 145 - The Beginning of the End of Praise
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] As in a rapturous fireworks display, Psalms 145 - 150 end the corpus of the book of Psalms with a glittering, awestruck crescendo. And "praise" is the chrysanthemum-mark of this penultimate firework.


  • The Reason Our Thinking Gets Us Into Problems & What to Do About It
    [Self-Improvement] The angry person sees an angry, snarling world before him or her just as much as the wise elderly man or lady (from their years of grinding wisdom) sees a world that's not that dissimilar from what they experienced back in their deep, dim past. Why is this?


  • Life's Short - Run Far, Run Sparsely
    [Self-Improvement:Time-Management] How is it in life that we get so many days, on average over 25,000 of them, yet the odds tell us we'll wonder where they all went at the butt end of it all? Life's a sharp paradox...


  • Can Men Multitask? Tips For Men
    [Self-Improvement:Time-Management] Many women will of course scoff at the very thought of a man multitasking as it's apparently impossible. But, I'm not so sure.


  • The Gift of Curiosity and the Desire to See Spiritually
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] It pays to be inquisitive in life; curious to the core. And there are so many very endearing advantages in our healthy curiosity. We become other-focused and begin to desire more of this holistic spiritual sight.


  • A Solemn, God-Fearing Prayer - Congruence
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] The very thought of steering people deliberately off course is enough to give any right-thinking person of influence shudders of immediate panic, a rampant sweating of the brow. Such is the physiological response to a repugnant thought intuiting abhorrence.


  • The Art and Practice of "Streaming" Thought
    [Self-Improvement:Creativity] The creative mind is a marvellous thing. It blows my mind regarding the extent of naturally occurring thought we can get into, as we nurture the burgeoning sprouting action of free, artistic creation. It's vivacious, plundering and altogether exponential in colour, volume and style.


  • Dealing With Spiritual Attack - Are You Susceptible?
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Here's a topic that sparks sharp divergences in any room. It splits the masses down the middle as some swear by it whilst others shoot it down as some snake-oil concoction of spiritualised denial.


  • A Light to the Nations! Of God's Wisdom and Understanding
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Who, as a people, can even come close to the people of God? This is no idiotically proud statement. It is a statement of truth, simply because the people of God run passionately after the character of God...


  • One Single Thought Guaranteed to Improve Your Life
    [Self-Improvement] This one simple thing will give our lives more and more context; meaningfulness will build and build and joy will be the result, apart from a bunch of other spin-off virtues. We'll become more patient and our priorities and relationships will begin to make more sense and will inevitably become easier to manage.


  • Again, Living For (and In) The Moment
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Do you ever get tired of the rhetoric for 'living in the moment' and seizing the day, a la carpe diem? Whether we like it or not, the cliche reflects truth--we constantly face a barrage of reasons to live for the moment. So, where do we look now? Let's skip back a few centuries.


  • The Performer's Awe - Michael Jackson's "This Is It"
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] I must say I've been gripped by 'MJ power.' As I marvelled at simply being present for 'the second performance' I saw straight away what it was like for the principal artists selected for this gig.


  • The Higher Mind - Alignment Creates a Higher Joy
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] The person of the higher mind has learned to integrate both mind and body, spiritually. They've negated the overweening grip the body has over the mind; the mind is therefore able to (finally) influence the body. This naturally helps to create a higher joy.


  • Tackling, Conquering and Accepting Our Learning Disabilities
    [Self-Improvement:Personal-Growth] Whenever we mismanage our diets, mishandle our relationships, get impatient on the roads, allow ourselves precious little rest, or get stingy with our money (and a myriad of other "sins"), we fall yet again for the learning disability. Now, there's some personal application using the same principle... believe it or not, we're also intrinsically prone to the learning disability from an intrapersonal viewpoint.


  • Being Simply "Who I Am"
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] I had a vision from God just recently (and the message behind it is an old one) where he said through the situation before me, that I must back myself and trust in no comparison except by Christ. This is the vision of "Who I Am," or certainly who I'm to become (without allusion to some Messiah complex!).


  • 2 Questions to Re-Centralize Your Relationship
    [Relationships:Enhancement] Quite simply, the issues of life cloud our closest relationships. We simply have to become disciplined at this process of re-centralizing until we perfect it. These two questions hone in on EXPECTATIONS and NEEDS.


  • The Why's and Where-For's of Religion
    [News-and-Society:Religion] Wise people say we should never discuss politics or religion at a festive event, and usually for good reason. There are many, many conundrums to life and the aspect of religion is one of them. So, when all's boiled down, what's the point of religion?


  • Psalm 55 - When God Gets Our Attention
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] I love it how I can read a passage of Scripture and immediately have an image of my past or a possible future thrust there as a plate to devour before my willing eyes. God not only gets our attention in these ways...


  • Honesty - In Recovery, the Only Hope
    [Self-Improvement:Addictions] It may be a tired and worn cliche but it is nevertheless one of the most powerful truths. Honesty is the best policy--always.


  • The Romance of Motivation and Influence
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] What is it that wins or otherwise engages the hearts and minds? I profiled in an earlier article the principle of DIPI: things that get our attention because they're dangerous, important, pleasurable and interesting.


  • Church Discipline - Excluding the Wanton Sinner (For a Time)
    [News-and-Society:Religion] Call it 'tough love' if we will. Notwithstanding, it is love appropriate for the time.


  • THIS IS IT - The Literal Michael Jackson Curtain Call Expose
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] This is hallowed turf we stand on. Michael Jackson should not be dead. On June 25, 2009 the world, and certainly Michael's millions of fans, came to feel his pain, cataclysmically, yet for the last time. The journey of his astoundingly enigmatic life ended; a person of unusually deep emotion reconciled, finally.


  • The Wonder and Health of an Enquiring Mind
    [Self-Improvement:Mind-Development] Almost all of life starts and finishes in the mind. We'll think this a little odd but the creative mind has the tidal wave power for us to break like a tsunami over our mental, emotional and spiritual futures and it perhaps leaves us never having to face that torrent of hopeless sadness again. (I say "never" very conditionally.) The enquiring mind is set out of a paradigm for moment-by-moment, default learning.


  • Passing and Failing the Identity Test
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] As I reflected with a friend recently over a coffee we both mused about the respective people in our midst's who've undergone extensive identity crises - notwithstanding ourselves! I'd indeed met this friend in the grip of my own crisis years back, and my friend had dealt with theirs too.


  • When "Angry" is Not "Mad"
    [Self-Improvement:Anger-Management] How often do we see people lose their tempers and end up ruining a career, committing a crime or damage their families in the process? It appears, too often. It appears the secret to managing anger is learning.


  • The Anatomy of the Soul - The Old Testament Book of Job
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Not one person could ever correctly say that the Bible is all sunny day reading, describing the journey with God as a wonderland of prettiness. Most of the Old Testament (OT) is grossly stark in its approach. Job, in fact, is a compendium of the emotions... an entire anatomy of the soul!


  • It's Dark Just Now - Finding Our Way Home
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Finding our way home is a spiritual concept at its heart. Like a fuel-laden passenger jet inbound with a critical operational problem, in turbulence, sleet, mist and rain, banking and searching for the appropriate runway--we too are seeking our way.


  • Happiness Can But Come - Commensurate With Effort
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] "Happiness comes of the capacity to feel deeply, to enjoy simply, to think freely, to risk life, to be needed." -Storm Jameson. Let's break this quote down...


  • Boxing Day's Coming - The Hope of Nicer Things to Come
    [Home-and-Family:Holidays] And we mustn't forget hope. Hope buoys our faith and keeps our lives afloat. If we tend to be the ones scooping pails of lapping water out of our boats of faith from time to time, we'll recognise just how important this 'little thing' of hope is.


  • To Tell Or Be Told - THAT is the Question
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] From the team members' viewpoint, do they tell or be told? Do we [as leaders] facilitate or instruct? Do we [as leaders] coach or lead? What are the cultural dynamics and rules?


  • Waiting to Be "Discovered?"
    [Self-Improvement:Success] Ever been to an event where a famous person gave a talk and afterwards you felt a funny sort of envious admiration for them? It's a bittersweet sort of emotion, which leads us to identify something about ourselves - it is this...


  • A World of Blessing - Yes, For You!
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] I see a vision of you, of me... an image of infinite potential; one tantamount to dreaming, but a vision issued in resplendent truth and light--a blazing reality; something beyond compare. There's lots of blessing ahead for you; you'll love life and live it full of hope. You just wait and see.


  • Facilitating Change - Engaging the Hearts and Minds
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] It's an unending, perplexing struggle to which humanity has no real answer in the practical sense; only a plethora of theory that is occasionally found--by experience--to be in truth i.e. in this world, backed in science. This struggle has ensured that there have been whole professions and entire scholarly demographics' constructed as a means of answering this eternal dilemma--the struggle with the human condition as it meets the world--a world that chews us up and spits us out as quickly as it looks at us.


  • Way to Power, Love, and Self-Discipline - Fan Your Spiritual Flame!
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Want to get off the emotional and spiritual seesaw and establish the balance? Come on down!


  • Alcohol and Other Drugs (A&OD) At Work - Myths and Realities
    [Business:Workplace-Safety] Alcohol and cannabis use has declined; as has general illicit drug use in the community, according to the latest research. But this same research indicates individual usages in tighter demographics of society are on the increase. Some other surprising revelations were made by Professor Steve Allsop, Director of the National Drug Research Institute (Australia) at the Perth Work Safe Forum 2009.


  • Embracing the Terrible, Delicious, Ambiguous Unknown
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] An everyday situation... Effective surrender is a key outcome of faith; a preponderance of acceptance. I was in the hands of others and just had to submit to the system before me.


  • The Power of the Second-Hand Compliment - Kindness Personified
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] A long time ago, a colleague of mine related with me a story about his wife and one of her friends. Apparently they'd been comparing their lives and making small talk about what their preferences were regarding their respective husbands and what housework they encouraged them to do.


  • Above All Things - The Summum Bonum - The Supreme Good
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] I'm recalling just now some of the many saving graces that have acted throughout my life, particularly for the 2003/04 period, when life was unusually dark for me. Henry Drummond's 19th Century The Greatest Thing in the World essay proved one of those saving graces--a tall cedar in the spiritual resurrection of a broken man...


  • Managing Stress is Like (Playing) A Game of Chess
    [Self-Improvement:Stress-Management] You arrive at a train station and have literally five minutes before your train leaves, but you have a problem; you're busting 'to go.' You have the option right there before you. And this is how stress is by and large. It's never more simple than boiling it down to the moment... it's risk management for the self.


  • To Compromise Or Not to Compromise - That is the Question
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] At times I just don't know what to do. Confused by a range of both known and unknown stimuli, perhaps an overly burdened mind, indecision reigns-but not for as long as it used to.


  • The Unspoken Language - Love
    [Relationships:Love] Life has so many ironies and paradoxes. Think of this one: love. We tell someone that we love them. Cool; that got their attention.


  • Feeling Empty? - Faith Says, "Stay Put" - She'll Fix You
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Emptiness is a golden reminder that we are his; it tells us to seek rest in him - and there is no lovelier place in existence. The vision of the soul cast down before the entirely grace - filled throne is a sight to behold.


  • When There's Not Enough Room in This Town For the Both of Us!
    [Relationships:Conflict] It's funny that conflict is such a 'necessary' part of life when it need not be. Conflict for the large part could be jettisoned provided we have mature attitudes toward issues of conflict, adequate self-awareness and self-management...


  • The One Key Reason Why it Pays to Embrace Our Troubles
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] It is an indelible fact of life and we know it implicitly - but how many of us are doing something about it? This 'fact of life' is in fact, troubles, struggles, uncertainties and any other bad name we'd want to choose.


  • When the Promised Angel Finally Arrives
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] "There are times in life when we're left stranded and are seemingly all alone, and as the wolves begin to pick at the carcass of our given situation, we're suddenly scooped up from their midst..." And this is certainly my experience. At the darkest time in my life, with lots of godly people about me, I was still so vulnerable. It appears as a distant memory, but it's ever so real as I reflect, even now.


  • When Our Expectations Fly All the Way Home
    [Self-Improvement:Success] I'm often surprised (after the event) at how easily I get internally frustrated in little life situations. I might have several things to do at once, and then I get an innocently enough positioned query from someone who's doing nothing wrong in interrupting me; yet I'm at times so innately tempted to blow them off.


  • Creation's Report Card - "Very Good!"
    [News-and-Society:Religion] Science meets faith and things get hot! It just so happens that a lot of people with science-based PhD's have joined ranks and are now collectively fighting for truth and the challenging of silly worldviews... enter Creation Evangelism.


  • Nurturing the Entrepreneur in You - Building Things and Celebrating the Work it Takes
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] It almost seems fractional, but we're all rather entrepreneurial. I asked my wife very casually, 'What's your definition of who's an entrepreneur?' and she said, seemingly without a nanosecond's thought, 'Have an idea and run with it.' There's a lot involved, sure...


  • The Right of Spiritual "Quiet Enjoyment"
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] The principle of "quiet enjoyment" is well known in Real Estate law terms. Just how does this philosophy mark spirituality in a way to improve it; toward better cross-denominational outcomes?


  • The Benefits and My Experience With Blogging & Article Writing
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing-Articles] Without some sense of reflection we become mere shells of the people we could be (our potential) in this busy life. Personally, this is the biggest benefit of Blogging.


  • "Here She Comes" - L'amore Miss Sarajevo! Hope in Hopelessness
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Music] Rarely are we ever so touched as when we listen to something that so effuses raw, unadulterated, spine-tingling love-the purest and the loveliest kind-the kind from heaven itself! And listening to operatic tenor, Luciano Pavarotti (d. 2007), sing his part in the U2/Passengers song, Miss Sarajevo, I contend I'm brought to the brink of wonder-filled tears.


  • Living Unaffected in a World of Many Double Standards
    [Self-Improvement:Empowerment] "Designed by the enemy to trip us up or by God to test and therefore refine us, double standards prove circumstances are fickle; certainly nothing to be offended about." Have you ever noticed that doing the very same thing in slightly varying situations or with different people brings entirely different results? Or perhaps you note the matters of heart in our world today are a little difficult to predict. Either way, double standards show us that our world is a complicated place to live and work in--at times, a perplexing place.


  • 5 Ways to Really Tell If You're Called As a Prophet!
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] There are so many myths about, relating to "prophesying." Many are apparently called as a type of divine visionary: "prophet"--as the times accord, we're held to see and espouse truth...


  • When It's Just Bliss to Be "On Song"
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] We don't feel this all the time by any stretch of the imagination, or even often, but at times we feel we're zinging along in life--all things well, all activities going productively; all relationships going swimmingly! And then, for a time, life goes pear-shaped... but just not now.


  • Life's Most Important and Enduring Lesson - Stop Wasting Time!
    [Self-Improvement:Time-Management] Most of us treat life like it's either some sort of passing fad, a game without consequence, or we loath every passing day... do you ever think about life from the end-of-life perspective? It might change your concept of life now...


  • Is a Safety Practitioner Also a Prophet?
    [Business:Workplace-Safety] Entering a gym you're confronted with an image of people using exercise equipment, yet on each side (within metres) are workers using ladders to access the gym's roof-space. You notice instantly that this picture, two separate pictures actually, are diametrically opposed in purpose, yet they co-exist. It's a picture that doesn't fit. It looks awkward and confused.


  • When Will the End of the World Come? What Will it Be Like?
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Most sane people will ask at least once in their life, 'What's it like after death?' In other words, what will it feel like? It's a very reasonable question because if we know consciousness and a state-of-being now, we can't really picture a time of non-consciousness or non-being...


  • "This is Who I Am" - Vanessa Amorosi - Spiritual Overtones
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Music] Vocally, she is Australia's Beyonce. Vanessa Amorosi's single, "This Is Who I Am" (2009), debuted at No.1 on the Australian Singles Charts and when we combine the pungently truth-filled lyrics with the determined, pumping, resilient sound we know why.


  • Voices Carry Far - Actions Too - Room For Second Thought
    [Relationships:Communication] On a recent walk by a rail line I heard the ending of a phone conversation, and as I looked instinctively to my left I was amazed to find the person behind the voice at least forty meters away. How does sound carry so far?


  • 3 Ways to Unmask Depression
    [Health-and-Fitness:Depression] The three contributors/attributors of depression are chemical imbalance (body), emotional baggage (soul), and spiritual attack (spirit). If there are three sites of causation for the onset of depression there must logically be three good ways to recover from it; the best recoveries attend to all three areas - at times, simultaneously.


  • Important Facts About Depression
    [Health-and-Fitness:Depression] Is mental illness a sign of spiritual weakness? Can pastors ever become depressed or mentally ill? Do Christians ever really become depressed? These are all reasonable questions.


  • 3 Causes of Depression
    [Health-and-Fitness:Depression] There's actually a big, albeit subtle, difference between someone who's simply 'down' or 'discouraged' and someone who's depressed. The depressed person is 'stuck' in their thinking and often can't shut off their mind and therefore they can't concentrate. This causes them to do things abnormally like under-eat or overeat, sleep more or sleep less etc.


  • Grace Alive - Judgment and Fury No More - Jesus "Stands in the Gap," Even Now!
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Who stands in the gap for us so we can stand in the gap for others? He came here and lived a human life; when he left he left his Presence via the Holy Spirit... come and KNOW him...


  • "Three On, One Off" - The FIFO Promises, Challenges and Realities
    [Home-and-Family] Safety incidents, particularly fatalities, capture both the attention and imagination of almost everyone--well, at least they should. Capital Pit mine is an expose of a boom and bust culture, thrusting pressure on the tonnages and production quotas, all the while risking 'the big one' in the midst of that sort of environment. And the big one does occur in this situation, and it's not like they haven't been warned!


  • Heating Up the Platform - A Life at "Lift Off!"
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] Who's ever truly lived and hasn't undergone some sort of radical transformation, from deep within to life expressed outwardly, and radically different, personally speaking? I'm open to other thought on the matter, but I venture to say that no one who's ever lived and lived well has ever done it without entering, and passing through, a cauldron of calamity, on the way to life that 'looks' so much different compared with that which we might've first imagined.


  • Unmasking the Charlatan - Baby Steps to Authenticity
    [Self-Improvement:Success] Each of us has faced the 'charlatan challenge,' fully masked and personally repugnant. What remains of the challenge? Is it to be conquered, or has it been?


  • Nexus of Friendship - The Divine Private Investigation
    [Relationships:Friendship] I have a particular friendship where a mate and I meet and muse gladly over life, and perhaps over mostly the tragedies and ironies of the journey. We laugh, and we talk about times we cried...


  • The "Closing Speed" Factor - Trusting It
    [Self-Improvement:Success] Do you get freaked out just before you need to really perform? Learn to trust your closing speed.


  • Killing the Hobbyhorse
    [Relationships:Communication] Hobbyhorses are passions that are contorted out of control. We become a one track record and people who know us studiously avoid those subjects that 'get us going.'


  • Pinnacles of Humility - Testing "The Saint"
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] I'm learning a lot about life from those who find me (or what I do) offensive, and again equally, from those who do things that I might be tempted to find offensive. In fact, it could be argued, relationally-speaking, that this is the only way we truly learn to conform our characters more into the likeness of a Christ we've pledged to follow.


  • Reconciling the "Demons of Past" Unto New Life
    [Self-Improvement:Empowerment] Too many people are weighed down in the deep recesses of the subconscious mind by their pasts. It's only with a forthright and tenacious conviction that we can even begin to reconcile these demons.


  • Waves of Regret, Waves of Joy - Jesus, Judas and U2
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] What is this thing called "Grace?" How does this process of heavenly salvation re-engineer everything we ever knew or thought? And why us?


  • Parenting - Reality Check Number 1
    [Home-and-Family:Parenting] Parenting's something that brings us all down to earth. And thankfully so. We get a glimpse of what it's truly like to be the engineer, responsible for life itself.


  • Hope in a Mixed Up World
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Music] It's a battle and a tortoise-paced race of endurance if we're reflective and honest. Yet, there are many who face the indignity of running that sadistic race much too short. Sophie Ellis-Bextor's hit, "Mixed Up World," is a breath of clean, honest air as it wrangles with the realities that hit us by day, together with the faith struggles by night.


  • The Priorities of Christian Love
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] I recently heard a well-meaning pastor mention that to experience the true Christian life, and its fundamental blessings, we had to place God first, others second, and ourselves third. I think this theory of love is inherently flawed, and biblically so.


  • Divine Revelation - A Catalyst For Wonder-Filled Thinking
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] It happens over the unguarded moment. In the path of a storm front--the micro cataclysmic 'noise' of life on earth--comes a gem within the asteroid rubble, unrefined but true. As it's pummelled and jostled out of the chaos of the temporal mind, it comes to rest as a conscious thought--a seed planted right where it might be fertilised and watered. Will the idea now grow to maturity?


  • What You Think of Me is Absolutely None of My Business
    [Relationships:Conflict] IT MIGHT sound rather obvious, but we can't affect the thinking of other people. In fact, you might even say...


  • The Secret Life of Us - Where Has it Gone?
    [News-and-Society:Pure-Opinion] A SIXTEEN YEAR OLD girl is tragically killed in a traffic accident and some of the family learn the heartbreaking news even before authorities notify them--it was posted on Facebook. And if not Facebook, it'll be a mobile text, a tweet or some other 'almost instant' medium these days. How much more impersonal could it get than for a mother or father to learn of their daughter's death over Facebook?


  • Dropping the "G" Bomb
    [News-and-Society:Religion] There's one thing from a Christian's perspective that hurts a great deal in relation to the world and how it often treats God. It's the seemingly standard exclamation of, 'Oh, my god!'... a.k.a. "OMG," or the "G" bomb.


  • When a Child Dreams - With Passion of the Unknown
    [Home-and-Family:Parenting] Destiny acquiesces to the want of the human heart. We're designers of our tomorrows as surely as we live and breathe today.


  • Bullying in the Workplace and Elsewhere
    [Business:Workplace-Communication] You're on the road driving to where you need to get to and suddenly there's someone in a hurry behind you. They begin hassling and tailgating you... yep, it's bullying alright!


  • 25 Ways of Spiritual and Worldly Wisdom
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] I set out to write about '101 Ways of Wisdom,' and at 23 I gave up, thinking that surely 25 would suffice. Here they are (in the order they came to me in):


  • What Holds Us Back?
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] If we were to totally and absolutely strip away all the human limits and holding conventions of the heart and mind; if we could just see--for even one moment--the possibility that lay before us, and begin to grasp the infiniteness... what a world we could in fact see!


  • On Eternal "Probation" - Toward a Life of Real Freedom
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] It's with a sense of trepidation that some of us live life. We understand the meaning and the end. It's nothing to be innately scared of. Judgment...


  • Plain Visions of God - The Unattainable, Indescribable and Irrefutable
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] The journey commenced one innocent autumn day, about mid-morning, beneath the meek basking brilliance of a wattle tree beside the creek just outside of town. Little was there thought of this young, burgeoning life; a life like any other--no more, no less--a simple reminder of what occurs one day, suddenly, under the sun's passage of progress.


  • Rejected in the Ministry - "But, We Came to Help?"
    [News-and-Society:Religion] "WHAT am I doing here?" might be the felt sentiment, as we feel abandoned--if not by people around us--certainly by God. Most people entering any sort of ministry (i.e. a venture for helping people) are flatly caught out at the lack of support they felt they otherwise might receive from certain quarters, during certain 'seasons'. At times, those who are even at closest quarters can reinforce the supposed absence of God in the mix of a call we received from him. Then we begin to doubt this "call" ever happened.


  • When "Gentleness" is the Clear, Winsome Winner - No Hope of Being Offended
    [Self-Improvement:Stress-Management] Nothing going right--all things going haywire. No sense. No meaning. No hope! Despair in a word. Just HOW does "gentleness" reach down to the spirit in these cases?


  • Resisting the Problem of Taking Things Too Personally
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] I was recently criticised for taking personally the late-submitted, possibly almost forgotten, plans for an important project--I felt it was a lack of regard for my area and a lack of foresight generally. Not only was I inconvenienced, but the lack of planning meant risks would need to be taken in the execution of the project that otherwise needn't have been.


  • The Very Nature of Grief and Adjustment
    [Self-Improvement:Grief-Loss] Many people have grieved significantly. I say many because up until 2003 I hadn't. A broken marriage saw to that. Just how do people grieve and adjust?


  • Leadership Driving Culture - Human Synergistics' Circumplex - 3 Dichotomies at the Edges of Reason
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] These edges of reason are at the positions of the Perfectionistic/Achievement, Affiliative/Approval, and Avoidance/Oppositional styles--as each meets the other. Each of these dichotomies looks somewhat the same on face value. However, there are some subtle though revealing differences that further highlight clever distinctions we make in delivering leadership to impact culture.


  • Why Your Life Doesn't Seem to Work and What to Do About It
    [Self-Improvement] How do we reconcile a life like this... a life that appears to work at times perhaps, or a life that appears only vaguely to resemble what we were born for? Most, if not all, of us will ask, 'Why isn't my life working out?'


  • Mother Nature, Father Time - Meditations of the Eternal
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] It's probably a moot point but it doesn't get much more profound in "life terms" than nature, a.k.a. earth, and time, a.k.a. eternity. Both concepts wind through the windswept passage of history and the future as object and subject respectively. They're almost probably an all-inclusive take on known reality.


  • In Every Home, the Walls Are Thin - What Our Families Say About Us
    [Home-and-Family] The home we rent is your average house but its walls are characteristically thin. If there's a confidential chat to be had it has to be basically whispered; arguments, on the other hand, are audible spectacles for the whole neighbourhood to enjoy (not)! We love our home but this is one of the continual drawbacks, especially for a boisterous person like me.


  • The Mental Prison That Threatens to Destroy
    [Self-Improvement:Positive-Attitude] I used to live in a world of occasional mental torture. Sure, it would ebb and flow and I didn't always feel troubled, but the black dog of misery would haunt me and I'd get trapped in a flurry of fear with looped negative and destructive thought patterns saturating my mind and these would inform, and influence, the feelings of my heart--then I'd act in accord with my negative, often erroneous thoughts and feelings. Negative self-talk has a lot to answer for!


  • Why Aren't Guys More Spontaneous? 4 Tips to Improve Spontaneity
    [Relationships:Enhancement] It hit me only recently during an interaction with my wife that us guys are a tad less spontaneous than our partners would prefer much of the time. Why is this? And, what can we do about it?


  • Feeling Used and Abused? Reconciling the "Thankless Life"
    [Relationships:Love] There's no use denying it. We all feel it from time to time, in this situation and that. When we're used or abused, taken for granted, or do things 'for love' and there's never ever really enough kudos for what we deserve. And the fact is we're all party to this life-part of drudgery.


  • So, You're (Thinking Of) Having an Affair Are You?
    [Relationships:Affairs] 'Come on, let's clear the air and get it over and done with.' Like most men in this man's position he's entertained the fantasy and he'd just love to... but then he's got the abhorrent thought in mind of being actively unfaithful to his wife.


  • What is God Like? (Part 2)
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] In a previous article I wrote on the greatness and goodness of God--two of four clear features which partially answer the question, "What is God Like?" But what about his immanence and transcendence, and the Trinity?


  • Cherry Red Or "Midnight Blue"? - Lou Gramm - Its Meaning
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Music] Midnight Blue is about making good on love. It's about waiting and remaining and being there for that person we've committed to...


  • A New Dawn - A New Creation, Today!
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] The title of this article is a fact for anyone who believes in Jesus Christ. No matter what happened yesterday, today is new and holds no threats unless we let it...


  • The "Lazarus Phenomenon" and Desire For the Living
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Whether we're spiritual or not the idea of near-death experience shakes our reality. We're awakened even for a moment to the very possibilities that are, for any human being, utterly intriguing--yet a place that scares the living daylights out of us. None of us sanely wants to die.


  • Nurturing Your Love (The Power of Life)
    [Relationships:Love] It seems a long time back now that I learned one of the most valuable lessons I think I'll ever learn: the value of nurturing our love for others/for our spouse/our children etc--even (especially even) those who reject us. It's something I learned off the back of a Chuck Swindoll sermon.


  • "Believers" and True Believers - What Separates Them?
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Going for a walk with my wife recently on a lovely spring day it was easy to notice the amount of people out and about, each one a uniquely special person. It is always interesting to observe people from afar. Different walks, different talks, colours, accents, energies, rhythms.


  • And First Place Goes To Courage
    [Self-Improvement:Inspirational] Could it be that of all virtue - those aspects of merit and traits of the saints - depends upon courage first? It does appear so.


  • Negotiating Our Potential Disasters - Playing Shuffleboard on a Burning Deck OR Congruence
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] When the world plunged into the Global Financial Crisis (a.k.a. the GFC) it revealed in those failed financial corporations a cultural disconnect of gargantuan proportions. Once thought to be courageous leaders, the CEOs of these companies quickly became villains in the eye of Governments and the public, having been caught playing shuffleboard on a burning deck..


  • Proactive Listening - Being "Inside" the Other Person
    [Relationships:Communication] A television current affairs presenter interviews a real life victim of circumstance--a profound story. We can tell the presenter is deeply empathetic as she digs into the shape of the story. It is an amazing story, and that helps for interest value, but aren't all our stories amazing? They can be once we're "inside" the person we're listening to.


  • 7 Reasons Why the World Struggles With Inauthentic Christians - Written by a Christian
    [News-and-Society:Religion] A decade ago, a majority of U.S. 16-29 year olds were favorably disposed towards Christianity. Today it's only 16% (3% towards evangelical Christians). Why? This article explores seven reasons.


  • You're Kidding Yourself, Right? - A Secret Not Many Know About
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] This should strike a chord with everyone, for none of us can help being slightly detached from ourselves - It's an unfortunate by-product of being human. We do have senses, a mind, and the emotions after all. It appears we ourselves get in our own way - We're barriers to the best views of the world available.


  • Faith "Privatized," Packaged and "Cooked to Go!"
    [News-and-Society:Religion] It's actually old news that people in our now-Globalised world will have their faith sprinkled with salt and seasoned to taste - That occurred sometime about twenty or thirty years ago now. Forget sin and Christ crucified for our saving, faith suddenly needed to be "good to go," something that applied and fitted appropriately to one's exact self-molded needs.


  • Accept One Another - The "Powered" Life
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Rejection and acceptance are polar opposites. They make diametrically and supremely powerful life outcomes and destinies a reality for every single person. Rejection and acceptance experiences set us on the path to failure and hopelessness or success and confidence. This is probably the most profound concept known to humankind, beyond total God.


  • Critical Communications - Neutral Outcomes Are Much Better Than Nothing
    [Relationships:Communication] Imagine you're having an interaction with either your spouse or one of your children. The topic being discussed--the issue at hand--is one that you feel as a partner or as a parent is vitally important; something you don't want to "get wrong."


  • In "Nothingness" - That Elusiveness of Joy and Happiness
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] Joy and happiness seems to be everything. Yet to get to this place we have to realise some things. One of them is that most of desire, when it's analysed introspectively, is an evading of a deeper truth.


  • Like Two Ships Passing in the Night
    [Relationships:Divorce] The first time I heard this phrase it rocked my world in a resonatingly painful way. Yet, it was only very recently that I was reminded of it--from the relative distance.


  • To Live, Learn and Share - Simply For the Awed Thrill of It
    [Self-Improvement:Inspirational] Kenneth Phillips said on his Facebook status, paraphrasing Musicians and Authors, "We teach what we need to learn! Do what is healing to your spirit and others will be healed in return."


  • Go on Beyond, Truly - Dare to Dream
    [Self-Improvement:Inspirational] I live in a world of words and meaning. I think words and I dream words. I dream whole posts and articles and stories...


  • 3 Styles of Leadership, Parenting, Personhood - Only 1 That Works
    [Home-and-Family:Parenting] This is something that not only works relating to leadership; it works in all facets of life where there's a reliance on relationships working and good rapport toward peace and equity outcomes. That probably covers the vast majority of situations we could find ourselves in, from buying milk at the corner delicatessen to heading up a major corporation.


  • In Temptation, Go Higher
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] It was Oswald Chambers who said, "The golden rule in temptation is-Go higher." He says that both God and Satan do take us higher; the difference?


  • Nurturing Your Passions Passionately!
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] Water evaporates... and so do skills and passions. Nurture this vital part of your personal identity and true fulfillment beckons!


  • The System Ideal of Perfect Change
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] Two twenty five year old women want desperately to give up smoking. They've both smoked for about ten years. They decide individually to follow roughly the same strategy in quitting. They'll screw up their cigarette packets, quitting cold turkey, use nicotine patches, chew nicotine gum, and get a buddy. So, which one has the best chance of quitting? We don't know yet.


  • Sex, Lies, Affairs, Identity Crisis - Then What?
    [Relationships:Affairs] Recently I discussed the issues of marital cheating and break-ups which then lead to the inevitable identity crisis in the mate who's cheated (and perhaps in both partners). Now I want to discuss the fallout decision for the unfaithful person, and the two-choice theory that either sets them back on the right path or further plunges their souls into a self-condemned darkness.


  • The Hypocrisy of Christianity - Pastors - Setting the Record Straight
    [News-and-Society:Religion] My previous post warrants a sequel to even the ledger, particularly concerning pastors. If they are not always instrumental in bringing people over the line to faith, they certainly are regarding disciplining people in the faith.


  • Swimming - In Life, Hope and Love
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] In life we swim in many things, including thought. Exploring the complexity further and we find life, hope and love.


  • Psalm 23 - I Shall Not Be in Want
    [News-and-Society:Religion] Life is irreconcilable at times. We cannot fathom it; it's beyond us and our very small understanding. And we find ourselves either hopelessly frustrated or pensively resigned to it all.


  • The Losses Which Overwhelm Us - They Threaten But Do Not Conquer
    [Self-Improvement:Grief-Loss] Death, broken relationships, goodbyes and conflicts. And list goes on. At the beginning of any one New Year we're invariably so blind to the losses that will come against us in the ensuing days.


  • Two Key Attributes of the Advisor or Counsel
    [Business:Negotiation] In the film "The Taking of Pelham 1-2-3" (2009) there's a scene where the Mayor's counsel briefs the Mayor hastily on a press conference he's required to make a statement at. This scene shows us two simple attributes required of any good advisor.


  • 5 Pillars of Leaders' Thinking
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] An innate call and passion for the industry they work in and the people they work with. It's an effervescent, welling up of self-sustaining and inspirational drive that impels these leaders forward. Their thinking, informed from this desire of their hearts, is clear, pungent and focused.


  • The Journey to Surrender - In Reality, Success (Finally!)
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Surrender doesn't sound so cool. It certainly doesn't read like "success," "popularity," or "prosperity" does it? Be ready to be surprised!


  • "This Life Lives" (Viva La Vida) - What the Coldplay Song Really Means
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Music] Windswept with biblical images of sovereignty, Coldplay's Viva La Vida (2008) is an expression of the final rationalisation to life according to original design--a longing realised in the returned cling to the emblazoned bosom of God--the antithesis of a 'fallen Adam' as perhaps represented in Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling painting. So, what does that mean?


  • Least Known Biblical Book - Obadiah - "Justice and the End"
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] With a sense of boredom I wondered what to do. A whisper in my soul suggested 'go to the farthest corner of the Bible-see what you see.' I obediently selected Obadiah...


  • Do Not Worry About What to Say Or How to Say It
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] As I was thinking recently on the court process of prosecution cross examination, meditating on being in the situation of the witness, I couldn't help think what the Bible might say on the matter. I was quickly thrust into the closest Bible I had... ah, found it! Exactly what I was looking for.


  • Tomorrow's a New Day! A Truly New Dawn
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] What a difference a day (or a night) makes. I can recall many a time weighed down with my woes only to pour them out sincerely to God, where amazingly he'd 'fix' them by morning. The soul would awaken in an entirely different state.


  • "Walk a Mile in My Shoes" - How That is For Us
    [Relationships] 'If only you could be me and I you, even for one hour,' the song goes. Before I went off abusing, criticising and accusing you, I'd be walking a mile in your shoes. I'd see and hear and smell and think and feel your world, not mine...


  • Affecting Organisational Culture
    [Business:Human-Resources] One of the most fascinating ideas in incident investigation is defining the aspects of organisational culture that contributed to the failure. These are the collective practices of the group that preceded the event; the conditions, practices and inactions that were accepted or allowed, even promoted-including, especially, the things that went wrong.


  • The Facebook Fraternity - A World Toward Unity
    [News-and-Society:Pure-Opinion] What do a former professional wrestler, the Ku Klux Klan and Christian evangelism have in common? One person actually: Johnny Lee Clary. He's a crusader of a different kind now. Facebook, too, is helping to create a world of unity--in transparency.


  • Trust and Respect - Stands All the Tests of Time-in-Memoriam
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] The Queen of Sheba went with a force to test the king--said to be the wisest person who ever live--Solomon. She'd heard so many potentially inflated reports. Would he work out to be who people said he was? Where do we stand in the credibility stakes?


  • Safety Prosecutions and Coronial Inquests (Mock Court) - Sub-Contractor Management
    [Business:Workplace-Safety] "Do you feel guilty?" said the Prosecuting counsel to the senior project manager during cross examination. The death of a contractor occurred six months previous at a construction site he was working at...


  • Living As If it Were the Last Hour of Our Lives
    [Self-Improvement:Personal-Growth] Life seems unreal most of the time. It threatens to take us and we threaten to take it--both of these, of course, rarely happen. Why? A decision to truly live right now is a mere heartbeat away!


  • Knowing What Your Goals Are BEFORE Launching
    [Self-Improvement:Goal-Setting] One the enduring sadness's of my life as I reflect back is the thought of arriving in the Mornington Peninsula in the deep south of Victoria so far from my family one cold, wet, dark and lonely night. It had taken close to a day to get there. It was July 2002 and I'd only recently taken this 'travelling' job and I was learning very quickly that leaving family behind five thousand kilometres away was not really my caper...


  • The Annoyance of Good Example
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] Mark Twain once said, "Few things are harder to put up with than the annoyance of a good example," and though it seems quite an odd statement on the surface, it's so very true when we take a closer look. We often hate being caught out by someone else's stoic example when we could've done the very same thing, in fact, we might've even thought so. Ah, the itch of regret!


  • "Consider it Pure Joy" Unto Fulfillment (And Perfection) Of Faith
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Shudder at the thought! Whenever a well-read Bible-believing Christian reads those words... "Consider it pure joy," they know exactly where it came from and where the rest of it's headed. It is, of course, the initial charge from that 'right strawy epistle' (Luther's words, not mine) of James. Most people will find it absurd to connect joy with trials. Yet James's letter shows us how.


  • Hold the Line - Love Isn't Always on Time
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] The sentiment in the chorus of Toto's "Hold the Line" (1978) is so rich to real life it chills us, yet we hardly ever reflect upon it. It's a song about faith and waiting for the promised blessing.


  • True and Living Happiness Comes Not From Without But From Within
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] Happiness does not come from without ourselves--other people and other things can never make us happy. This is a very simple fact that will either plague us in our denial of it or it will drive us to exploit it. And never the twain shall meet!


  • When Time Calls For Us to Not Be Moved
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] We, it seems, have traveled this journey of hesitant, stumbling life for a reason. All our doubts, troubles, mistakes and denials--all of which we've both been scolded by but also learned from--are set there for a reason. It is now the time to put all of that behind us in an unsullied charge--an assault--on life.


  • Self-Improvement - Just Pick One Angle and Get on With It
    [Self-Improvement] It seems there are so many good things to do in this life--where do we start? And if we're a disciple--of Jesus I mean--that's going to be the pulsing nerve centre of thought, is it not? 'What is God's will for my life right now?' could be the sentiment.


  • The Hypocrisy of Christianity - And the Real Thing
    [News-and-Society:Religion] The sweet and slender irony is Jesus condemned the religious leaders of his day for the same thing that many of our leaders in the church are downright guilty of and blind about in our day. It smacks of hypocrisy - and worse, a dangerously blind hypocrisy - blind guides indeed.


  • Room For Complaint - No Way!
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] This is a humbling reality for anyone. We all complain and bitterly at times. I write this in the mood of complaint yet I know it's good therapy for me to get a grip on reality whenever I feel like this. There are so many worse off but that's only the tip of the iceberg.


  • Church Members' Meetings and "The Devil's Playground"
    [Business:Change-Management] The article traces the history of members' meetings which were once "the Devil's playground." Due to astute leadership and competent chairpersonship that is now in the blissful past.


  • Sex, Lies, Affairs and Break-Ups - Why They're Not Worth It
    [Relationships:Conflict] This is a topic that's bound to inspire some quite emotive views. It seems the issues involved in people's romantic lives at times get so twisted it's basically normal now to hear of people cheating on their partners (could that ever be 'normal'?) and people breaking up with each other.


  • Four Priorities of First Aid
    [Home-Improvement:Security] We never know when we'll need to save someone's life. I've just completed my tenth first aid course (or there abouts) and things keep changing and improving regarding casualty management. Having once served in emergency response teams, but now no longer, my skills don't quite have to be honed as they used to be, but what a vital life skill first aid is. A Senior First Aid course should be a prerequisite for all parents and other authority-figures in life.


  • One Dead Day - The End of One Life, the Beginning of Another
    [Self-Improvement] Imagine waking up one morning, on any given day, and realising you're now merely spirit--you have no physical body left at your personal disposal; that is, you somehow died during your sleep. Everything feels quite normal but somehow everything has changed...


  • Self-Improvement Goals - Why a "Dedication to Truth" is So Important
    [Self-Improvement] One of the commonest things known to humankind is the broken resolve. The plain truth regarding our self-improvement goals is we're defeated or victorious at the level of the mind. The will is the all-important device acting for the heart as we progress toward achieving our goals. Yet, it's the heart (generating moral drive) that informs the will.


  • The Rock Solid Foundation of Faith
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Sooner or later there comes a torrent in life. It may tarry but it surely comes. From a tough day (or series of them) to the loss of a loved one to constant disappointment of unrealised or broken dreams to physical incapacity... sooner or later the torrent will sweep through... be prepared with FAITH.


  • The Ethics of the Psalms
    [News-and-Society:Religion] The ancient poetry of the biblical psalms tells us much about many things from ritual to cultist practice to cries of lament and praise, but its approach to ethics is often left out to a higher focus on even a single, smaller book like Deuteronomy. When we commence a study of ethics in the psalms we can't really help starting at the very first psalm which contrasts very cogently the austere consequences for righteousness and wickedness. But that's just the start.


  • Seeing With the Eyes of Faith - Going "With" the Grain, Not Against It
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Harmony is about flow. As a learner driver must demonstrate he or she can move with the flow of traffic, using initiative, so should we learn to flow with life using the skill of discretion and spiritual discernment. This is often harder than it seems and often it's hard for seasons of life before it becomes easier once again. How easy is it to rub people up the wrong way, for instance? If we're not careful, it's ultra-easy...


  • Happy Father's Day! - Father's Role to "Accept Their Children"
    [Home-and-Family:Fatherhood] Father's Day is a concept that brings with it an enormity of different responses from joy and wanting to 'be with dad,' to a wanting to forget about the whole thing as it brings up painful memories. But what does it mean to be a father?


  • A Good Place to Find Yourself In - "Enjoying What You Have to Do"
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] Most people wonder how to have a fulfilling, satisfying life. They might dream about, and chase, the elusive life of riches or relative fame, always potentially missing what is right under their noses.


  • Harmony - Life Design and Recognition
    [Self-Improvement:Personal-Growth] "Harmony cannot be recognised unless there is disharmony." Temporary chaos, likewise, reminds us of the order necessary for, and accorded to, life.


  • I May Be "Blind" But I've Got a Cute Earring!
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Spiritual blindness is a far more heinous ailment (and far more common) than that of physical blindness. Yet it's entirely curable.


  • Marked For Success Through the Power of Love
    [Relationships:Love] It's funny the habits we get into... when meeting a long lost friend for breakfast recently I arrived at his house and we took my car. I did what I normally do, not having a car with central locking, I opened his door for him (like I do for my wife). It wasn't until we returned to the car from our breakfast--me repeating the opening of the door gesture--that he gently and humorously informed me that it wasn't necessary that I do that from now on... we laughed aloud!


  • Psalm 81 - From Stubborn of Heart to Blessed of God
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] The school-yard bully is given chance upon chance to redeem himself, then one day he pulls a blade on a fellow student. Things clearly have gone way too far now...


  • The Fickleness of Life and Theological Reflection
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Have you ever noticed life's got a sort of fickleness about it? Have you ever wondered why or what's the source of this fickleness? It's like one day we're popular and the flavour of the month (or day) and then...


  • Psalm 97 - The LORD Reigns! Let the Earth Rejoice
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] When planning to get married we inevitably have the fun task of choosing readings and special things to personalise our ceremonies--it's perhaps the coolest thing to do in the lead up to one of the three most important days of life. Getting my then 12 year old daughter to read Psalm 97 at our wedding was a huge thrill for me; besides Zoe reading it, the psalm propounds the kingship of God over the whole earth. Whether the atheist or non-believer likes it or not, the facts related in this psalm cannot be disputed.


  • Failure is Gold!
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] Marcos Ambrose is the hero of every Australian following motor sport in the American NASCAR Championship. It came as startling news to see him lose the lead on the final corner of a Nationwide Series race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal. He was naturally devastated having run until then an impeccable race. It illustrates an important life lesson--it's not over until it's actually over.


  • Changing Habits - In Discipline, Watch Yourself
    [Self-Improvement:Techniques] I've noticed that every time I make a resolution to change and improve something in my life my success is dependent to a large degree on my personal vigilance to stay on track. I must watch myself so I don't give into the littlest of temptations. The moment I'm unaware, the wheels are likely to fall off. I'm sure you relate.


  • Not Getting in the Way of Progress
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] "The silence that accepts merit as the most natural thing in the world is the highest applause" -Ralph Waldo Emerson. This saying simply means this: those treasured most by the industrious people of the world are those who'll applaud their actions most by simply helping or stepping out of the way...


  • Courage - Individualisation and Transcendence
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Courage is the self-affirmation of being in spite of the fact of non-being. It is the act of the individual self in taking the anxiety of non-being upon itself by affirming itself either as part of an embracing whole or in its individual selfhood...


  • Leadership and Falsehood - Where the Twain Ain't Meeting
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] There is a strong moral context and dimension to true leadership; a context that weighs the greater good at all times and it's swayed never by personal gain--in fact, personal gain is rejected point blank. It is an abhorrent absurdity for the genuine leader...


  • Two Extremes - Learned Helplessness and Resilience - You Choose
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] Defensive reactions are generally linked with 'learned helplessness.' I think everyone would agree that this is not the best way to live. And that is the key. We all get a CHOICE as to how we want to live our lives.


  • Self-Empowerment & Autonomy - Two Important Qualities Engendering it - Trust & Reliability
    [Self-Improvement:Empowerment] Thinking about managing people and autonomy: if the person in question can be trusted and is reliable let's let THEM define their own style of management. The trick for the manager is discerning how to manage individual employees and teams according to this premise.


  • Why Teenagers Don't Think Like We Do & What We Can Do About It
    [Home-and-Family:Parenting] Most people will think it rather obvious to acknowledge the highly-conspicuous difference between adults and teens. But the fact is many parents do not cater very well for these differences...


  • Rising to the Level of Incompetence - A Trap Easily Avoided
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] Everyone it seems remembers that 'good boss,' the one they not only esteemed and respected, but the one they actually learned many enduring lessons from. This sort of leader tends to loosen people up...


  • "Be Prepared," Scout's Honour
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] You're trapped and immobile on a hillside some place resembling a jungle and it's starting to get cool. You knew you should have bought that personal EPIRB; it would make all the difference now...


  • To Twitter Or Not to Twitter? That is the Question
    [Internet-and-Businesses-Online:Social-Networking] One thing I've noticed about Twitter is the amount of salacious people who choose to follow me before I get the chance to block them. I'm so glad I get email notifications as some are plain XXX-rated and I'm sure these are designed simply to seduce and trap people to pornography addiction.


  • C'mon, God, Get on With It! - Psalm 13 - The Presence and "Absence" of God
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] For anyone (and this means everyone) who has ever had to wait for something good to happen in their lives, Psalm 13 resonates. It's personally relevant as we personally shake our fists at a seemingly impersonal God, who seems 'AWOL,' in protest for the state of our lives.


  • My "Flesh" Challenge (And Yours)
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Most recently during an organisation change at my workplace two colleagues of similar status received promotions and I didn't (the three of us are mentored by our General Manager). You could expect there'd be some level of internal complaint from myself alluding to, 'why not me?' I'd like to say there wasn't, but I'd be lying if I did. I think anyone in the same situation would feel the same sense of disappointment.


  • Authenticity and Truth - Letting People Come (Or Not)
    [Self-Improvement:Personal-Growth] People surround us in life whether we like that fact or not. There are some situations where we want people and some where we don't want people. In those situations we do desire people we should let them come to us, never forcing the pace, or we might, by our actions scare them off. We see here that an unnatural forcing of the pace manufactures a set of circumstances that most people find unpalatable.


  • Addressing Mental Fatigue and Exhaustion
    [Self-Improvement] Mental fatigue and exhaustion is a real problem in this day where people are increasingly drawing from themselves reserves they don't have. There is a limit to our 'energies'... wisdom calls...


  • Creed's "With Arms Wide Open" Message of Hope
    [Home-and-Family:Parenting] It's an exhilarated anthem for the newly expectant mother and father. The father just hears the news and takes a day or five to get used to it. He's suddenly found in a 'place'-a heart place-where he's met with bliss.


  • The Gospel Story - We Do Not Make This "Story" Up
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Are Jesus and the gospel story true? And what makes it so? Peter's Mount of Transfiguration account (and our own) is worth considering.


  • Taking a Good Look at Our Family
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Picture for a moment driving home from a family occasion with a full complement of the immediate family onboard. No one's aware that I, the driver, father and husband, is observing from the eternal workspace... and what do I see?


  • 5 Ways to Get Safety Right
    [Business:Workplace-Safety] Blood on the floor. A grimace... a scream. It gets everyone's attention and it generates all sorts of emotion and response as a result at all levels and extremes. There are five ways to get safety right.


  • Remembering to Pray, "Lord, Have Mercy"
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] There are times when we're shaken mentally awake to suddenly realise in our ignorance how far we've really drifted. These are times when we've forgotten the echo of eternity in our own souls.


  • The Gorgeous Power in the Moment of Pain
    [Health-and-Fitness:Pain-Management] Pain grips everyone. From the pain involved in the physical illness or injury to the pain of the emotional kind that brings on depression to everything in between, this sensation gets our attention and distracts us from all else.


  • Que Sera Sera - Whatever Will Be, Will Be
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Music] The old Doris Day song from the 1956 movie, "The Man Who Knew Too Much," is etched with life meaning for true success... The song has three quite simple and tight cascading verses forming a woven inclusio around the chorus:


  • The Greatness and Goodness of God
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] It's not until we open up a quality theological textbook that we realise how vast God, and the subject of God, really is. This is certainly as far as words are capable of describing, beyond sunsets and blackholes.


  • When My Attitude Just Stinks
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] These times are times that you sense are spiritually foreboding and perhaps there's a precursor before it, however inexplicable. Nothing quite makes sense.


  • Power in Memoriam - Recalling God's Blessings
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] The moment I realised that my now 14 year old daughter was born by Caesarean Section having the umbilical cord wrapped 5 times around her neck was a moment I simply had to thank God. Why had she not died in that moment or in those preceding?


  • Using the Power of W-I-I-F-M
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] Conformance to external motivators opposed to our own values engenders the principle of disempowerment--not a good thing in anyone's true view. Who'd choose to be disempowered? W.I.I.F.M. and using it right creates both peace and the right motivation.


  • Spiritual Amnesia - It'll Bite Us Every Time!
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Flossing my teeth is something I often forget to do. It seems when I remember, 'Gee, I must floss,' it's often been a fortnight since I did. It seems when we try to form a new habit we forget easily why we're doing it... a solution is provided herein.


  • God Believes in Me Even When I Don't
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] It is hard to reconcile to a life that sometimes just doesn't seem to fit or work. Recently as I lamented my ongoing misfortune and lack of resources to deal with the situations that lay before me and I wondered, I truly did, whether God was playing this big joke on me. You know the thing where bad things happen in threes... well three was some time back!


  • Omnia Vincit Amor - Love Conquers All
    [Relationships:Love] Love, as a constant response force, is an indelible universal law. We know this just as well by those who don't use it as by those who do. Love conquers all.


  • Enchanted by Eternity - "Duration" Entraps Us
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] God is inscrutable. He makes us in ways to question our existence and our destiny.


  • Kingdom Builders of a Different Treacherous Kind
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] We see them in secular life quite often. The person, perhaps in a leadership position, who's filling his or her own boots to the detriment of the cause they're apparently (or supposedly) fighting for. This is the base hypocrite; the liar... the person living a lie of a life for an altogether temporary, and therefore, pathetic gain.


  • Mental Attitude Makes the Winner - England 2009 Ashes Win!
    [Recreation-and-Sports:Cricket] You have to hand it to England; they've outplayed us in more critical test moments than we've outplayed them. Every cricket-loving Australian hates most to lose to England, and that is surely correct in the reverse. It's a bitter moment.


  • As For Me and My House
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] The rest of the sentence is, of course, "we will serve the LORD" -Joshua 24:15. However, we have this unbending propensity to wander from the safety of God into the destruction of our destinies warrant from our clinging desires...


  • Being "Expressive" - From a Gloriously Thought-Enriched Mind
    [Self-Improvement:Personal-Growth] A vision for you and me... Imagine being so coherent and aligned in thought and action; so simplistic, yet so effective. Imagine the mind being a fertile playground where the richness of thought arises from a deep congruous well and forms speech and action through a fountain-as on a warm sunny day-to an unsuspecting, yet admiring, world...


  • The Wisest Question - "What Do I Not Yet Understand?"
    [Self-Improvement:Techniques] It's an easy enough question to answer, isn't it, but not many of us do. Not many of us often enough ask this crucial life-success question and we suffer in ignorance for it.


  • Psalm 141 - A Little With God is Better Than a Lot Without Him
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Better are the acute pains of truth in life than walking the easy way. In keeping with Psalm 37:16 and Proverbs 15:16 and 16:8, best is little with God than lots without him!


  • Life's Tough, So What! Go On To Greater Heights Beyond the Pain of Your Circumstances
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] You're in a tough season of life; there are stresses upon you and many demands. Life's not even fair the majority of the time. In the mix of the mess of life we can laugh humbly at the sheer enormity of it all, finding a way where nothing can deter us. Yes, this can be achieved!


  • Thinking in Pictures - To Achieve Goals
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] There are certain aspects of the autistic personality that are endearing. These are potentially vital for us in learning how to selectively 'screen out' distractions so we can achieve our goals.


  • A Snappy Interesting Presentation That Leaves Them Wanting More - Elegant Simplicity!
    [Business:Presentation] At a recent conference I attended it became clear to me that some presenters hit the mark quickly and stayed on it, finishing with a crescendo, whilst others meandered around their topics in an aimless way successfully disengaging the baited audience. On reflection, it seemed to me that the key to the success of each good presentation was the presenter had explored deeply, from the receiver's viewpoint, and boiled down the vastness in the information they were presenting to a single salient message, or at most a few powerful points. And they stuck with them, embellishing them, but within the realm of simplicity.


  • "If Today Was Your Last Day" - Nickelback
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Music] In steely gravely tones, "If Today Was Your Last Day" really hits the reality spot. It preaches a message that desperately needs to be heard in today's quite false "plastic" life of material temptation and riches, video games and virtual friendships-the postmodern romance.


  • Practise Forms Talent and Reality Informs Character
    [Self-Improvement:Personal-Growth] Taking a look at the quote: "A talent is formed in stillness, a character in the world's torrent" -Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. The polymath, Goethe, is recognised for many works and had an amazing array of influence during his lifetime (1749-1832).


  • The Human Spirit Operating in Lack - Psalm 23
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Psalm 23 says that God provides in our times of want. But how do we contend with times of acute boredom, or worse, an emptiness of spirit?


  • Knives in the Back - A Way of Life?
    [Relationships:Conflict] The proverbial knife in the back does occur, more than we like, and I'm grateful to know that ignorance, whilst blissful, is not the best state. What can we do about it; that knife in the back?


  • Failure to Learn - The BP Texas Refinery Disaster
    [Business:Workplace-Safety] BP suffered from an all-too-common "learning disability" which was the fundamental and underlying cause of the Texas City Refinery disaster on 23 March, 2005 which killed 15 and seriously injured two hundred, according to Professor of Sociology, Andrew Hopkins, of Australian National University. Direct costs incurred by BP well exceeded $3 billion as $2 billion and $1 billion respectively went on compensation for the victims families and the subsequent recovery and overhaul of the Texas City site and Refinery. Reputational and share price costs are probably immeasurable.


  • Why Do We Do the Things We Do?
    [Self-Improvement:Personal-Growth] What makes me consider and decide what I do? These are poignant life questions that can only help us realise our actual values so we don't waste our short lives.


  • A Parent's #1 Fear
    [Home-and-Family:Parenting] This is really a no-brainer, yet parents don't think in these terms in a front-of-mind sort of way; yet, we're supremely and eternally aware in a subconscious way regarding what can happen to our kids. The parents' number one fear is a maiming or fatal illness or injury to their children.


  • The Pinnacle of Relational Life
    [Relationships] The intrapersonal relationship is vital to the interpersonal relationship. Find the keys to authenticity in relationships through interdependence, not independence.


  • One Great Prayer of Strengthened Love
    [News-and-Society:Religion] Paul beseeches God on behalf of the Ephesians, in radical love. He pleads that the Ephesians might come to truly know Christ, and his "strengthened love which surpasses all knowledge."


  • Some Things Are True Whether You Believe Them Or Not
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] In the 1998 film, "City of Angels," starring Meg Ryan and Nicolas Cage, there are many afterlife issues presented. There is only one way to heaven with God.


  • What Motivates Your Delegation?
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] All good managers are good delegaters, yes? Not necessarily. There's a fundamental pre-requisite motive behind the good delegater. They carry with it a certain diligence that supports the person who's actually been given the task or work to do...


  • In Fear There's No Defence - Get Strength Instead
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Isaiah 30:15 says, "In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength," and in this we find the elixir of Christianity.


  • Troubled by Confusion? The Trick Is "Just Start!"
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] Confusing systems don't just reside in the working environment--we have them at home too. Every couple has their systems 'of work' that help them operate the family in a way that's palatable to all. Problems can be fixed very easily...


  • Handling Life's Little Surprises With Aplomb!
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] A "helicoptor" metaphor: We never really know when we'll be affected by 'dirty air' or turbulence. We can only hope that our responses to the situations of life will be acceptable and appropriate.


  • Sometimes Goodbye is a Second Chance
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] The song by Shinedown, Second Chance, is all about goodbyes and the life afterwards. It recognises very transparently the tension involved in trying to please a parent and gain their approval for the things we choose to do in life.


  • Evading 5 Common Follies
    [Self-Improvement] According to respected Seventeenth Century sage, Balthasar Gracian, there are five examples of the types of folly (the extreme other end of wisdom) we're best to avoid, for they're eternally common, meaning these have the uncanny ability to trip up every generation. There are five key traps of life that ensnare every generation... it need not be the case in your personal situation.


  • You, God, Lifted Me Out of the Depths - Psalm 30
    [Self-Improvement:Grief-Loss] I recall not wanting to wake up, just wanting to sleep. Every time I woke up the pain started again. This heart-wrenching pain was so raw and so acute it shot pangs of anxiety through me within the mix of chronic sleep deprivation and grief-induced depression.


  • Achieving God's Will Via Two Roles - Facilitating & Sifting
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] I see it that any proper Christian, serious about fully engaging in their committed journey of discipleship ought to do these two things, one positive, the other negative. Both are equally important and powerful for God.


  • The Ten Commandments in Proverbs 1:8-33
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Some time ago I noticed something that seemed almost all-encompassing in Proverbs 1 and later I determined it was a loose linkage with the Old Covenant, recalling the giving of the Law in Exodus 20. Here's how I think it fits in the context of the introduction to Proverbs:


  • Faith's a Winner! The Faith of 'Inaction'
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Faith is the only true and real way to really live. We see right here why it is impossible to truly please God without even the faintest vestibules of faith; mustard seed faith.


  • Less is More With God
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Whenever I'm despondent about not getting the recognition I feel I deserve in life I like to be reminded that less is actually more with God. Think about it. Most of our lives we're thinking of success in the wrong terms... the more glory goes to God, the more peace we experience.


  • How Do YOU See Yourself? And, is it True?
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] This is about the most personally thought-provoking question anyone can ask: "How do I see myself?" How we see ourselves dictates how we approach life...


  • When It's Simply Me and You - My "Audience of One"
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Life is like this when all's boiled down. When the fancy frills of life, the transitory things, are all stripped away, it's just me and him. That's the way of eternity, now and to come!


  • Psalm 114 - Testimony of Presence & Deliverance
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Universally a hymn, this psalm is quite unlike the vast majority of psalms which speak about personal or communal lament, grief, joy, thanksgiving and praise. But it is incredibly fluent and graphically resplendent in situating for today's reader the glorious works of the LORD God in history.


  • Cooperating With Life - Going "With" Not Against the Flow
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] Blending into the woodwork in a compliant sort of way doesn't have to be about submission at any cost. It is simply choosing the hill we'll die on wisely. We can't win, or even influence, every battle. Choosing our battles wisely, now that's got to make sense...


  • Are You Missing Peace & Contentment in Life?
    [Self-Improvement:Stress-Management] It seems a reasonable enough question, doesn't it? Are you experiencing peace or does your life resemble chaos, or perhaps even chaotic order?


  • How Many Buses (Trains and Planes) Have You Ran For?
    [Self-Improvement:Stress-Management] There's a common thread to travel and that is people being late for their ride or flight. Watch next time you're in a terminal of your choice and there's guaranteed to be plenty of people scurrying about trying their hardest to 1) not miss their intended trip, and 2) be as stressed as they possibly can.


  • Joy With a Seriously Reflective Twist! Psalm 95
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Psalm 95 is wedged in amongst a special group of psalms which laud the LORD God for his great works and nature. It starts out joyously, celebrating God for just some of these great attributes; but in its ending there's a sharp and somber (and very important) reminder.


  • Making the Seemingly Impossible, Possible
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] Have you worked out yet that life actually starts when things get hard? Pressure brings us opportunities to succeed or fail. Everything else is but the blowing of wind in the overall scheme of things... come, enjoy the journey to life!


  • Four Approaches to Conflict, Only One to Forgiveness
    [Relationships:Conflict] As a consequence of a chemical spill, the substance sinks to the bottom, floats on the surface, evaporates into the air or dilutes in the water. Conflict works in the same ways, but only ONE of these leads to FORGIVENESS...


  • How to Successfully Sear the Conscience of Your Child
    [Home-and-Family:Parenting] The title of this article is actually quite a facetious dig. It's aimed at each of us parents who inadvertently sets our children up to fail in life (i.e. fall short) by not allowing them to suffer the indignity of the natural consequences of their actions...


  • Family Doesn't Stand a Chance - Or Does It?
    [News-and-Society:Religion] There are so many things that can and do come against the modern family. Modern life has a way of competing for the interest of husband, wife, sibling and child. Temptation meets the carnal nature of each one of us in some way or other at any given moment, and all we can do is "contend for the faith" (and our families) if we're cognizant of it.


  • Re-Discovering the "Extinct" Muscle - The Diaphragm
    [Self-Improvement:Stress-Management] This muscle, crucial to the proper operation of our respiratory systems, is ironically becoming a less and less used organ. Stress and a lack of mobility to exercise are the main causes of its shelving. There's a simple way to get back on track.


  • The Stuff of Dreams - Psalm 126
    [News-and-Society:Religion] Those who sowed in tears eventually reaped with shouts of joy (v. 5) as they realised materially what had been sacrificed in advance spiritually. These people risked security for purpose because they knew they were nothing without their God.


  • Who is Like You, O Lord?
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Who is like God? The creator of the heavens and the earth, the spiritual and the material, and of all life, is sovereign over all things. He is creator in past, present and future tenses. If we could not place our full confidence in him, what or who could we place our confidence in?


  • Safety - Who Wants It?
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] I have noticed that those who're most interested in their physical safety are also those most likely to take an interest in their spiritual safety. I wonder, truly, whether there is a correlation. And the consequences for both are potentially catastrophic.


  • Money Or God? "In the End" it (Money) Doesn't Even Matter (Inspired by Linkin Park)
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Mortgages and material possessions are acquired at break-neck speed for some people. And then there's the midlife heart attack or stroke (or some other health condition) to look forward to. Why do people not account for death?


  • Homeostatic Equilibrium - It's a Tricky Job Being Human!
    [Self-Improvement:Stress-Management] It sounds like a big phrase doesn't it, 'Homeostatic Equilibrium.' It's a fancy term that describes what most of us are trying to do every day of our lives. You can do this (i.e. achieve balance) successfully.


  • Horrid Bliss - Life's a Bittersweet Symphony
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] A lovely day out... a ride, a walk, write some more, play some music. Far too many good choices. Indeed, spoilt with choice. And so there I was in a rut of my own bliss.


  • Simply, "Let it Go" To Achieve Happiness & Peace Again
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] Life always operates under this premise: If we blame others and hold things against them we'll never achieve happiness and peace. If we let it go, whatever is impinging us, taking responsibility for our emotions, we'll know happiness and peace, and life will be wonderful again.


  • The Disciplines of the Spirit
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] As we struggle in our sin and are shackled to the bad habits we've tried to become released from, there are two great defenses. These weapons come on us in power when we call upon them and invest in them.


  • The "Helper" Gene - Counselling & Christianity
    [Self-Improvement] The "helper" gene consists of six things according to Carl Rogers: empathy, warmth, genuineness, concreteness, immediacy and confrontation (to tackle the issues that are otherwise avoided). All Christians are called to enact their "helper" gene, as the profession of counselling loans back this trait.


  • Breathing From the Heart & the "Offensive" Email
    [Relationships:Conflict] Arriving back at your desk after lunch you're met with an inflammatory email. You read it and instantly your blood begins to boil. You loosen your collar and your breathing shallows. A plethora of thought rushes through your mind: how to respond? When push comes to shove how do you respond?


  • Alcohol & Drunkenness in Proverbs & Other Wisdom Literature
    [Self-Improvement:Addictions] I found some proverbs in chapters 23 and 31 of that great book. There is also a snippet of value in Ecclesiastes. Realistically, however, Psalms and Song of Songs also are littered with allusions to drinking and drunkenness, but it is never seen as virtuous.


  • The Ambidextrous Organisation
    [Business] "The Roman god Janus had two sets of eyes--one pair focusing on what lay behind, the other on what lay ahead." This very characteristic is what makes business, sporting, church and aid organisations supremely successful. Organisations can succeed by being contextually ambiextrous.


  • God Speaks to Job Out of a Storm
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] When God speaks we listen. (Or at least when he speaks in salient terms we do.) In two distinct ways in the same day I was pointed to Job 34:7. I'm always looking for when God's talking to me.


  • Selective Caring - Everyone's Moral to Some Point Or Other
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] I got a pretty average glimpse recently of something which got me thinking. An electrical tradesman's utility with the 'Dial-Before-You-Dig' sticker on the tray. I got to thinking that he'd, of all people, be a 'Dial-Before-You-Dig' activist.


  • The Present Outside the Present
    [Home-and-Family:Parenting] Those of us who've had small children will know the incredible but unforeseeable value of the refrigerator carton. Kids can make all sorts of things from robots to puppet theatres out of these cardboard structures.


  • Beware - Marriages Don't Come With Instructions
    [Relationships:Marriage] Marriage is a Pandora's Box, a Tower of Babel--to use a biblical expression. It was never designed to be the panacea of personal satisfaction. But they can still be LOTS of fun.


  • Three Ways to Really Blow Your Diet
    [Health-and-Fitness:Weight-Loss] If we do these three things consistently we'll never have to diet again and we'll lose weight and look great (eventually). Not only that, we'll feel great almost immediately, and we'll actually start to truly live the better life right now!


  • "Imitation of Life" - REM - Dreamy, Endearing, Nostalgic
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Music] Anyone who's ever fallen in love with 80s rock music loves R.E.M. The song Imitation of Life off the 2001 album Reveal is quite a remarkable, enduring song which beckons further investigation. It has a personal message for us also.


  • The Cherishable, Transcendent "Upclimbing" Will - That "Will" Will Reward You
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] We view a specimen ascribed beauty or beastliness and it's so largely the will that controls us--pruning with invisible secateurs, even as we decide. The will controls our destiny.


  • What Am I Learning From My Children?
    [Home-and-Family:Parenting] It seems like a reasonable enough question, doesn't it? I guess some might disagree, thinking that it's only children that learn from adults, but I don't think that's true at all. We learn (or should learn) from our children all the time.


  • Disciplines of Abstinence - Spiritual Freedom For the Macro Child in Us
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] These disciplines both require and hone the biblical virtue of Prudence. These are the perfect complement to a life where we have trouble with the vices but we really don't have any problem mustering the motivation to invest positively in the 'engaged' spiritual life.


  • Neo Versus the Architect in "The Matrix - Reloaded"
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] Every scene in The Matrix trilogy is breathtaking, but this particular one at the end of the second movie says a lot about us as human beings and the range of emotions we're capable of. Recall that Neo has a rendezvous with The Architect of the Matrix; a seemingly futile interlude, where the hope of the world is about to be destroyed, if we believe the Architect.


  • Restoring The Faith - Getting Things Back on Track & Onto Even Higher Ground
    [Relationships:Conflict] Think of a time when you'd lost confidence in one another, either in marriage, a business relationship or any other relationship for that matter. It's a time when trust is at an all time low. The relationship can not only be restored, but renewed!


  • A Fresh Chance, Each Day - You Can Achieve Anything
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] Think about it. Every day we wake, perhaps from the effects of the previous day's problems... hung over, dry mouth, headache, a bloated distended belly, reeking of stale cigarette smoke, sluggish from lack of exercise, irritable. We must hate it. There must be a better way of living, surely.


  • Disciplines of Engagement - Creating Zest in the Spiritual Life
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] These disciplines both require and hone the biblical virtue of Diligence. They're the perfect accompaniment to a life where we have the vices under control but we're ordinarily not really as motivated as we should be to invest positively in the 'engaged' spiritual life.


  • "What Am I Missing Here?" - A Sound Question For Anyone to Ask
    [Relationships:Conflict] I'd like a dollar for every time I've suddenly caught on to my folly or mistakes just about the time others have. I'd have enough to buy a nice small car I think! And I think having the awareness to ask the above question at the right time can save us all a lot of embarrassment.


  • Proverbs 31 - Not Just About "The So-called Perfect Woman"
    [Relationships:Marriage] Wow, what a killer marriage! (As profiled in Proverbs 31.) But, is this set of images too hard to live up to? Again, it's about aspiration, not perfection. It's about spiritual progress, not spiritual perfection.


  • The Personal Touch Still Fits the Bill
    [Health-and-Fitness] Personal coaching in the workplace is taking a different angle these days. Not only are the executive coaches helping managers with leadership skills, life coaches are becoming a key part of the answer for employers in breaking through the Western health-crisis pandemic. More and more employers are hence seeing better safety and social outcomes, and productivity gains, come from healthier workers as a result.


  • Catastrophes Are Not Always What They Promise
    [News-and-Society:Environmental] "No fish story: Chemical spill in river will benefit salmon ... The recovery of the Cheakamus River may be more rapid and vigorous than anyone imagined when a catastrophic chemical spill wiped out fish in the Squamish-area stream in 2005," said the report. And such is life in this crazy world.


  • Choices, Maturity and Wisdom For Parenting - Proverbs 29
    [Home-and-Family:Parenting] Choice in children too young to handle it strangles our grip on wisdom for them. It hinders the natural developmental progression from restraint (early years) to freedom (later years).


  • No Excuses to Not Love (An Incontrovertible Christian Command)
    [News-and-Society:Religion] Does not the Christian, most of all, understand that love transcends all boundaries? Why is it that we'd insist on not working with Hindu's, Buddhists or Muslims? Why wouldn't we choose to speak our love in a language that transcends words?


  • Insatiables, Mysteries, Intolerables, Small Wonders, Dignitaries - Proverbs 30
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Five sets of fours describe richly the observations and images of life according to a self-confessed sceptic; a confused person awed by all the wonders on earth, both good and evil. And we have a very personal account here, only a chapter's jump from another such excursus; the book of Ecclesiastes.


  • The Wisest Question - "Do I Have Permission to Do This?"
    [Relationships] Permission is a form of respect for the order of things. It's a reverent understanding of all things in balance and the interrelationship of things and people. It also understands the limitations of choice...


  • The "Form Slump" - That Awful Character Test We All Must Go Through
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] Once we're truly accomplished at the skill or activity or relationship, the dynamics can change somehow, or our confidence somehow droops. Skill-wise this is known as the "form slump." How do we get through this tough time?


  • Curt Politeness - Missing the Mark the Cheeky Way (Avoiding It)
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] "Do not take payment in politeness," says the sage, Balthasar Gracian. And it's something we do quite without thought a lot of the time... allowing someone's cheeky, endearing smile to win us over to their way, especially if we think 'their way' is disagreeable. Those who engage in curt politeness seek to get away with murder, covering their tracks with hardly a cost but deceit. "All's good," apparently!


  • "We Didn't Start the Fire" - God Did & We Blew It
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] There are times when I'm mindlessly listening to the radio in the car and suddenly my mind's engaged--thrust into gear more like--to the message of a particular song. And Billy Joel's We Didn't Start the Fire (1989) sparked my imagination recently.


  • 'Knowing Me, Knowing You' & Other Highlights From Proverbs 27
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Getting to know some people is never easy, especially if they respond as closed books to our overtures at niceties or friendship. Not like friends and most family we don't get many chances to make an impression on these people.


  • The Great Time Grab
    [Self-Improvement:Time-Management] I'm sure we're all guilty of it; the great time grab where we pinch time from one area of life to spend it on another. One of my favorites is putting off my working clothes ironing for more of what I love to do, writing. But there's a limit to how much time we can grab.


  • Benefits of Justice and "Keeping the Law" in Proverbs 28
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] The just in life both give and get the courage of justice, yet the rampantly unjust hide away and are only known to either the abused or neglected, the equally unjust, or the Law. Continuing the theme of sovereignty, Proverbs 28 seeks to embellish the theme of justice and of keeping the law.


  • Fun-Light Leadership - Wins Support Hands Down
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] In every human mind there's a "subset of mirror neurons" which is adept at feeling alive and awakened at the concept of being led by a fun-filled, 'light' manager. A workplace where good-natured humour is an everyday feature, and there's little or no risk of criticism and condemnation, is a workplace people strive all their lives to find.


  • Contending With the Foolish & the Wise Compassionate Response (Proverbs 26)
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] I once did a DISC personality profiling assessment and one of the comments made about my type was that 'I didn't suffer fools gladly.' I know now what I didn't know then; that was a blight on my character. The person who cannot stomach fools will inevitably become one by virtue of their arrogance of response. Contending well with a fool takes wisdom.


  • Faith is Paradoxical - It Doesn't Seem to Make Sense
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Faith is the ability to cast into the question the things we think we know, in favour of open consideration of matters, in the search of truth. It plainly doesn't make sense to let go of something that looks as if it needs to be held tight. Such is the tension of faith it requires us to do so.


  • Beyonce's "Halo" - Lost in the Grip of Love
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Music] She's hard as nails and impenetrable... apparently... but, wait, she's fallen for him, this guy with the halo, halo, halo. One of the best songs going around is Beyonce's Halo. The rich vocal tones and tremendous range are delicious to the ear, and the lyrics speak equally deliciously of captivation to love, romance, and that sweet time of falling quite sincerely for the only heart on earth... or as it seems in that moment. We've all been there, I suspect.


  • The Way to Wisdom & Faith So You'll Fail Not (Proverbs 24)
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] Like honey, Wisdom is sweet to the taste and full of goodness, and that is where our hope is--in the good. And we can't take the good for granted; for our hope can be cut off the instant we stray from the path of wisdom.


  • Stalking Happens Within the Christian Community Too
    [News-and-Society:Religion] Being stalked is no fun. It takes the person feeling victimised in this way through a range of emotions, and they're all negative, and all based in fear, which is something any proper Christian person is keenly aware of--to negate or avoid promoting it in others, and certainly from ourselves as the source.


  • Signs of True Christian Conversion & the Power of God
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] True salvation inevitably brings with it some level of true repentance toward a transformed mind, goals, and manifest behaviours. We not only think differently, we start to act differently too, as we seek to live in a more morally-accountable way.


  • Hezekiah's Diligence is Our Reward (Proverbs 25)
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] As Proverbs 25 continues the breakaway from the Sayings of the Wise, and begins a specialisation all its own (Kings, finery of character, and dignity to name a few) we get a glimpse of the end of the corpus. It's at this point, of course, where the Greek Septuagint (LXX) version of the Scriptures goes a little haywire in the order of the proverbs, compared with what's documented for us in today's Bibles.


  • "The Words I Would Say" - Sidewalk Prophets
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Music] What do you say to the person you care about from half a world away, when they're hurting; when life's a travesty in the making... when all hope seems gone? There are so many parents and brothers and sisters and friends in this situation every day... so what advice truly cuts it?


  • Making Up Your Own Mind
    [Self-Improvement:Self-Esteem] Far from telling you what to do, I can let you in on a powerful truth that can transform your life and your self-esteem. Try this and I guarantee you'll be amazed by the results of your own pre-programmed auto-suggestion. I've done it and it's brought me most of the time to the brink of a self-fulfilled prophesy.


  • The Spiritual Experience
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] When we're at our dearth we're most vulnerable to the Spiritual experience. That is my experience. God (whom I believe is the source of all wonder-filled and good spiritual experience) specialises in gifting the low of heart. It's the compassion of God which occasionally reaches out when we're at screeching depth.


  • "Sayings of the Wise" in Proverbs 23
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] "Do not's," "listen to's," and the effects of drunkenness dominate the Sayings of the Wise in Proverbs 23. These clear themes speak boldly to us in ways to reap life and avoid the path of death.


  • Stress and 'Thinking' Versus 'Feeling' Types
    [Self-Improvement:Stress-Management] Some people take their work problems home whereas others tend to take their home problems to work; I'm in the latter group. What about you? I'd also like to share a theory with you which relates this situation with the 'thinking/feeling' types on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI).


  • Living Courageously With Losses, Rejection & Grief
    [Self-Improvement:Grief-Loss] Life hurts because we can't help loving. And this comes from opening ourselves up to all manner of people and situations. It's plainly unavoidable. We simply cannot live any sort of effective life without committing ourselves to loving.


  • Disciplining Children & Other Wisdom Themes From Proverbs 22
    [Home-and-Family:Parenting] It's interesting isn't it, the divergently different methods over history pertaining to parenting practice. Well, Proverbs has a particular slant on how to bring kids up, and it's very effective, but it requires a very wise, focused parenting style with an eye on the longer term development of the child.


  • Truly, God's in Control - Over All of Us (Proverbs 21)
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] If we think we're not controlled by God, take another careful look. And if we're against God, Proverbs tells us not to bother... no wisdom, insight or plans get the better of him (v. 30); it's no good waking early against a Being who never sleeps or slumbers!


  • Living For the Moment
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] One sage says, Live for the Moment: "Our acts and thoughts and all must be determined by circumstances... Do not live by certain fixed rules, except those that relate to the cardinal virtues. Nor let your will subscribe fixed conditions, for you may have to drink the water to-morrow which you cast away to-day.


  • Psalm 35 - "May They Rot in the Pit"
    [Self-Improvement:Anger-Management] Vengeance is not something that we generally associate with in the Bible, after all, Christians are meant to be a 'rather nice lot,' aren't they? King David and others turn the table on this notion in some of the psalms of lament, and Psalm 35 is arguably the pick of them in this regard.


  • Respect For the Authorities in Proverbs 20
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] There's often a massive difference between our desired and perceived destinies and the actual outcomes in our lives. Somehow things happen mysteriously enough in life which leaves us thinking we're not the only ones in control.


  • Everyday Miracles - 1,000 Opportunities Each Day
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Jesus, of course, was in the divine business of miracles. The sceptic might say, 'Did they really happen?' Well, here's proof that his miracles work every day.


  • Missing Your Kids
    [Kids-and-Teens] One of ongoing tragedies of the separated family is there are periods of separation between one holiday period and the next. Depending on the arrangement, time and distance can play havoc with the relationships that most normal families (perhaps) take for granted.


  • Proverbs 19 in Parenting
    [Home-and-Family:Parenting] Parenting in practice can be a tricky business. Proverbs can help.


  • The Courage of Loving
    [Relationships:Love] It will take a great deal of courage to deal with the inevitable disappointments loving will bring. It's putting ourselves out there for want of something beyond our own needs and desires. Love is very plainly selfless.


  • Why Do People Take OSH Risks?
    [Business:Workplace-Safety] Accidents happen invariably because people take risks. These risks either directly or indirectly cause the accident, along with other conditions present, setting up a domino effect. But, it isn't just foreseeable OHS risks which are taken. Many of the risks taken have an indirect effect on the accident-but set up the environment for the accident all the same.


  • Enjoying the Unenjoyable Moments in Life
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] There are so many situations in our lives when we begrudgingly 'endure' the moments. If we added up all these types of unpleasant moments they'd count for a considerable portion of our whole life.


  • Driven by Guilt Or Shame? Break Away to Freedom - Begin Now!
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] WE ALL take after our parents (or a parent) in one part or other, in some shape or form. Chances are we either share a legacy around over-achievement or substance abuse (and don't read illegal substances into that).


  • Motives - Where Do They Come From (and Lead Us)?
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] What we consistently sow thought-wise we reap. Is there, then, a connection between the tongue and the reapings of life?


  • Psalm 67 - Pentecostal "Praise" Psalm For Everyone
    [News-and-Society:Religion] It is a distant promise of the Bible--the consummation of all things in the holy name of God. This day when God brings all things truly under him in every sense, the realisation of the actuality of heaven, is what all genuine Christians seek. And this is part of the promise I find in Psalm 67--the all-inclusive missionary's psalm.


  • Anything For a Bit of Peace and Quiet (Proverbs 17)
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] Pity the parent of a fool according to Proverbs 17:21, 25. They have no peace. Even though they have plenty of parties and feasting at the family home there's always plenty of conflict to go with it (v. 1) and that's not a good cocktail.


  • Can You Keep a Secret?
    [Self-Improvement:Personal-Growth] Every time we tell a secret commitment, even to our most treasured loved one, we've uncapped the seal of potency - the cat's out of the bag. Do yourself a favour. Don't do it! Action has magic about it.


  • It's God That Answers (From Proverbs 16)
    [News-and-Society:Religion] Such peace in this fact. It's not me, but God who's got the final say, and not simply for me, a Christian; it applies for everyone. Let me explain.


  • Love Equals Risk - On Risking to Live a Full Life
    [Relationships:Love] Far too many of us live 'safe' lives, riskless and dour. If part of that might be enshrined in wisdom, equally another part is enshrined in fear that risks taken might threaten our little but large worlds; that which we cherish as part of life--as it exists for us today.


  • God - The Only True, But Jealous Defender
    [News-and-Society:Religion] If you believe in God and have known of his blessings and have seen his miracles, be warned--don't backslide. The nature of faith for 'the faithful' is it's an all-or-nothing affair.


  • True Pro-Activeness - By Thought, Not Feeling
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] How do we contribute to our own problems? Surely the key to our success and overall happiness is derived from within ourselves and our own thinking. It patently has little or nothing to do with others at all.


  • Test Cricket's Life Lesson - Master the "War of Attrition"
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] I've loved cricket since I was a boy. Recalling the Centenary Test in 1977, the first one I can really remember, I can still sense the fascination and allure of the battle, Australia versus England. My hero of the time, Dennis Lillee, took 11 wickets and spearheaded a famous win.


  • Proverbs 14 - Be Wary of the Way to Gehenna - Avoid It
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] The Merriam-Webster dictionary has Gehenna defined as, "a place or state of misery."[1] Those who're spiritual might otherwise align it with the concept or 'place' of hell. It is no good place to be.


  • A Dying Man's Wish - "Investigate the Faith"
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Recently I scared myself to think of the possibility that I might have cancer. I considered it daily for a week or more. I made it real for me. I would title my final epitaph to my family 'Investigate the Faith.'


  • 'Sifters & Testers' - The Disciplined Leadership Role
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] We can't always afford rampant compassion when we're in sifting, testing roles. Part of the deal in life at times is we must test people's hearts--the seat of the intentions.


  • The Difference Between 'Forgiveness' & 'Acceptance'
    [Relationships:Conflict] Would it surprise you to find out that many times you've forgiven people may not have significantly changed the fact that they and you are still not entirely at peace with each other? The difference between one-sided forgiveness (acceptance) and felt-forgiveness which facilitates restoration is marked.


  • Disregard Discipline & Despise Yourself (Proverbs 15)
    [Self-Improvement] There is a trio of proverbs that speak to the power of life and death. For whoever hears these words and understands them and more appropriately heeds them, they will reap life.


  • Walk With the Wise - According to Proverbs 13
    [Kids-and-Teens] We always want our kids hanging out with 'good' kids who respect adults, teachers and the law. Our prayer is always that they'll walk now, and always, with the wise.


  • Prudence - The Unconventional Way to Popularity
    [Relationships] Proverbs 12 positions the acquisition of wisdom (prudence) in favourable terms that speaks to all people. Wisdom is the unconventional right way to real lasting popularity.


  • Guarding Our Words Promotes Wisdom (Proverbs 10)
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] How do we come to a landing on a theme for Proverbs 10? It's the first of the true, pithy Proverbs where very much is said in very few words.


  • It's Not the Approach - It's the Landing That Counts
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] It's not too late for God to make all the difference in our lives, even now. Expectant in faith, patient in hope, faithful in love--like God, we never ultimately give up, no, not ever!


  • To (Strongly) Want What God Wants
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] This is our actual mission in life. To want what God wants and to do so in an unconditional way, as much as possible, being courageously cognizant of same must be the pinnacle of human achievement.


  • Only One Can Calm the Storm Inside Our Souls
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] Not that I'm that competitive but my God beats yours hands down! Come with me; read about him and his character for healing and hope.


  • What Yahweh Detests & "The Tree of Life" (Proverbs 11)
    [News-and-Society:Religion] Two things God detests: dishonest scales and perverse hearts. The Tree of Life is significant to Proverbs 11 because it finishes in this vein.


  • "The More Things Change, the More Things Stay the Same" - Another Better View
    [Self-Improvement:Personal-Growth] In Boardrooms throughout the world tough decisions are made every day. How do we adapt to change in a vibrant way so we can say, 'The more things change the more adaptable we are?'


  • Forgiveness Clarified
    [Relationships:Love] Forgiveness is a process requiring agreement between two parties. It involves the offender and the offended equally.


  • Further Benefits of Moral Wisdom
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] The NIV title of Proverbs 3 is a little unimaginative, but it proves the point. The moral, spiritual and practical paybacks of securing wisdom are endless. It is simply the best way. And we don't look far for reason. Most of these chapter 3 verses state reason enough.


  • Proverbs 7 - "Love Wisdom Like a Sister"
    [Relationships:Affairs] No other chapter of Proverbs harps on about the 'loose woman' and not falling for her flattery and deceit like Proverbs 7 does. Only the opening four verses (of 27) and verse 24 do not discuss her; they instead dose the son up with an urgent call to Wisdom.


  • Do You Like a Good Conflict?
    [Relationships:Conflict] It's a strange notion isn't it? To ask if you like a good conflict, that is. At times they can really clear the air.


  • The Leadership Moment
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] Martin Luther King had it and so did Winston Churchill and William Wilberforce. President Barack Obama has it currently. It's the Leadership Moment.


  • Wisdom Saves Us From the Wicked and the Adulteress
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Wisdom is the answer to self-leadership, Emotional Intelligence etc. It always has been and it will always be.


  • Deceived in a Second - The Power of Sex
    [News-and-Society:Pure-Opinion] A 49 year old man catches glances of an 18 year old store assistant three times a week as he completes his shopping after work. Where does it go from there?


  • Life's Not Fair - Acknowledging the Fact Makes All the Difference
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] "Seven-month old twins dead," boomed the headlines, mystery surrounding the circumstances of their deaths. We instantly feel for the parents, the family, those involved in the investigation, and finally the poor infants. A tragedy from every perspective.


  • Proverbs 6 - More on How We're Tricked Into an Affair
    [Relationships:Affairs] Apart from timely reminders on acting quickly to get ourselves out of trouble and more warnings against folly (laziness, greed, deceit etc), Proverbs 6 returns to vivid images of adultery, teaching the young man (or woman) the dangers to avoid. So what are the lessons in brief?


  • The Pharisaical Christian's Stumbling Block
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Christianity gets a bad rap for many reasons, but one particular reason plays right into Satan's hands. He loves it when a Christian discredits Christ.


  • Nothing Compares to You, Wisdom (Proverbs 8)
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] What's the most valuable thing to you? What is it that keeps you awake at night, worried? What determines your priorities? I bet the answer to these questions is not 'seeking wisdom.' Yet it's what Proverbs says is the most important task of life; the gaining of real biblically spiritual, moral wisdom.


  • Your Workday - How Many Hours is a Good Day Worth?
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] How many productive working hours did you get yesterday? My time and motion study revealed a big surprise for me.


  • Wisdom Or Folly? You Choose
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] At different junctures throughout we're asked to consider and then decide regarding wisdom. For the Christian reader.


  • The True Start to Life - Don't "Live" and Miss It
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] What is the very essence of life? What is the purpose and meaning of our existence? Why do we find ourselves in these bodies, in these circumstances, and in this place we find ourselves in... and why this family? And, why humanity? Why God?


  • Be Bold - Be Prepared to Leap to Your Success
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] It's a simple fact that we face much opposition at home. It doesn't make sense in some respects, but where there is most resistance to us growing successful in life, it's at home - not simply the 'family home' but around the people we know.


  • Sex Talk - Keeping Your "Waters" to Yourself
    [Relationships:Affairs] Affairs occur all the time and for all sorts of reasons. But it is sure to be our biggest mistake.


  • The Kingdom Perspective - The 'Comfy,' Lost Christian
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Heavenly parental guidance recommended: this post contains explicit criticism of comfortable, lost Christians and church. Readers are asked to read this in the Presence of the Holy Spirit. A good friend of mine was hurt by the Church, not once, but serially. We've all heard similar stories; pastors, members and church boards full of pride and blinded by legalism, traipsing all over their congregations in all their self-righteous glory; it doesn't happen that often, but it does happen. Christians and churches can lose their way as good as anyone or any organisation.


  • Gran Torino - Mentor As Worthy Sacrifice
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] Rarely do we actually experience real genuine sacrifice of note. The motion picture Gran Torino, produced and directed by Eastwood, however, presents a rousing story rooted in the sacrifice of one man's life for another younger man. It's a story caged in belief of character.


  • Youth Speak Out at Rock Eisteddfod 2009 - "Everything is Okay," Really?
    [Home-and-Family:Parenting] What do war, social climbing, the world financial crisis, depression, Fascist oppression, choices in life, and genetically modified foods all have in common? They are the collective concerns of the most current generation of youth; not so much drugs, sex, or Swine Flu...


  • Helen Keller's Threefold Theology of Thanks
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Keller, like the prophets and historians of old, lauds the God of deliverance in history. He has consistently delivered up the oppressed; those who've turned back to him.


  • Switch Your Thinking Toward an Abundant Life
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] I have a water bottle that advertises three companies' alliance in saving energy and natural resources. It has a slogan plastered over it: "Switch your thinking! A small change can make a big difference." This has profound meaning...


  • The Length of a Lifetime
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] We live at times in ways as if we were going to live forever; at least some of our plans are pitched in the eternal. As we plan, we deceive ourselves into not thinking and not considering our fragile existence...


  • Parents' Greatest Gift to Their Children
    [Home-and-Family:Parenting] Almost every single parent, I'm sure, wants their child(ren) given the best start to life. I say almost because there are relatively few exceptions. We want to improve hope for our kids, and give them a better future than even we had... so, what is the GREATEST gift we can bestow as parents?


  • When Protege Overtakes Mentor
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] The key for the successor in any walk of life is the factor of obedience; David was steadfastly obedient. This is a Christian take on mentorship...


  • Dogged by Recurrent Thoughts? Challenge That Thinking!
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] Lately I've been dogged by these recurrent thoughts. I'm sure you can relate. In this particular instance, I've been concerned--like many at my workplace--about the impact of proposed change to the organisation structure, the functions of roles affected, and alignment with new objectives.


  • Running Off Course?
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] You're driving in traffic one day following the car in front like you do and next thing the most bizarre thing happens. That car in front starts gently veering from the roadway, and enters the emergency stopping lane without correcting... it even continues, further and further away from you.


  • When Terror Reigns - And Then - The Righteous Succeed
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] The world knows it's in trouble when a dictator looms large on a national scene. The most recent public demonstration of this has been in Zimbabwe, but genocide anywhere is a good indication...


  • How Big is Your Territory? Too Small? Too Big?
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] We have all been given certain responsibilities and it's strangely bizarre that some of us resent these. We'd seemingly want more or less responsibility if we had the freedom to design it so...


  • Believe in Yourself! Stay Positive & Build on It
    [Self-Improvement:Positive-Attitude] Most of us live in a cocoon of fear. If it's not one thing we're afraid of it's another. What with financial stresses, employment uncertainties, relationships at work, problems with children, their schools etc it's one merry-go-round of anxiety after another. We could be forgiven for thinking this is the only way.


  • My Reality is Not Your Reality
    [News-and-Society:Pure-Opinion] We naturally seek evidence in life that backs our worldview and our biases will never really cater for the person who has a polar opposite worldview. More is the pity. There is a better way. There's nothing quite like an even, fair-minded worldview...


  • Thinking & Acting on Manual - To Avoid Accidents & Failures
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] Every time we have a mishap, almost without exception, it is due to some sort of lapse, error, mistake, calculated risk or violation. If we were children, we could almost certainly be characterised as either childish (unintentional motivation) or foolish (intentional motivation) in these situations.


  • Simply Making the Right Choices
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] It's interesting to note that in the general sense there's a godly order to this world. This order is suggested in the Wisdom literature, and certainly that contained within the Bible. Secular life is not that different from the spiritual--there's a cause and effect nature that goes on, particularly in response to the acts of people.


  • If Only Others Could Find What You've Found
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] This above was a statement read out on one of my favourite radio stations, a Christian radio station. But, this statement is very personally relevant for we all have things we feel passionate about...


  • 'Value Adding' Time - Toward Real & Lasting Peace
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] There's a key task we all have in life. It is to ensure our time is maximised by doing as many worthwhile value adding things as we can in the time we get...


  • Transitions & Change Management - Getting it Right
    [Self-Improvement] Change catches us all by surprise at times. When we least expect it, it comes gallantly from left field and our unsuspecting hearts and minds are trapped in a profusion of chaotic feelings and thoughts--we're all at sea.


  • Against the Idolatry We All Get Into
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Worship the Creator or you will worship the created thing. If we take the approach of the psalmist, however, we will be truly saved, one pure and perfect moment after another. And it's the closest thing to reality; the earth has nothing on God...


  • 5 Principles of High Performing Teams
    [Business:Team-Building] There's a bond of maturity that envelopes the high performing team, both individually and collectively. Acceptance runs rife and rejection, itself, is rejected.


  • How to Fix a Weak Will
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] Planning, knowledge of our personal purpose and vision, resolve, present awareness, and God's help... these all go toward assisting us become more strong-willed for our health. Having only had six hours sleep and yet unable to remain asleep, but tired, is a problem.


  • Faith Makes All the Difference!
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] It doesn't seem to make sense, faith. It involves the abject denial, at times, of the 'seen' reality but in a way that's entirely healthy. Faith uses the technique of denial to courageously go on past the inevitable lies given us in this world, onto the true revelation. It is wisdom, power, courage and a bunch of other things all rolled into one.


  • Truly Saved? Two Sides to Sanctification
    [News-and-Society:Religion] Something happens to the newly 'saved' person via the indwelling, enlivened, and enabled Holy Spirit--the Spirit that was always there--but dormant--foregoing the acceptance of God on the psyche of the person housing the Spirit. The Spirit kick-starts real spiritual growth for the very first time.


  • Achieving Thank-Filled Hope - Christian Perspective
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Anyone - and this is the truth and wisdom of universal law - can draw strength and health and hope from, and upon, the endurance of suffering. Hope is drawn from thankfulness and vice versa...


  • The Kingdom Perspective - Righteousness, Peace & Joy
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Abiding to righteousness is the key to right relationship with God. Peace is the outcome in right relationships with people. Joy is the outcome experienced within when we have the two former things, and the fulfillment of knowing our purpose in life...


  • Looking Into the Interior of Things
    [Self-Improvement:Personal-Growth] Rarely today do we meet with real timeless practical wisdom of the ages. This is why I love the sage, Balthasar Gracian, and why I so love to pull his wizardry apart piece by piece to put it back together.


  • Where We Go Wrong in Life
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] There's a pattern to life that works everywhere and with all people. It's where the objective meets the subjective, and where people often go from the right path to the wrong.


  • The Case For Survival
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] "It is not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory" -W. Edward Deming. This is quite a damning statement that flies in the face of the blissfully ignorant and the stubbornly arrogant. This immediately has two dimensions for me: the physical and the spiritual...


  • 500 Minutes From Freshness!
    [Health-and-Fitness:Sleep-Snoring] Do you know an infamously grumpy person? Anyone come to mind? Believe it or not, after possibly many years of tiredness, grumpiness and intolerance, as well as a vast array of other hellish symptoms, all can be made right again after a series of 500 minute investments... of sleep!


  • Failure - The Very Platform For Success (If You Wish it So)
    [Self-Improvement:Success] We've all had them, not just me... days which start slowly and haphazardly and never really recover. On one of these recent days I reflected on what had gone wrong and I was even more surprised as to how much abject failure lay strewn over my memorised landscape.


  • The Illusive Joy of Happiness
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] There is something raw and simple about this concept (discussed) that is all too often lost on us. We seek happiness (fulfillment) in the most awkward, complex and unnecessary ways. The moment we lighten our grip on happiness is ironically the time it can and does occur...


  • Four Levels of Obedience in Children (and Adults)
    [Home-and-Family:Parenting] Doing the right thing gets easier with practise. And this is good, because we're dragged kicking and screaming into this world it seems and it's the parent's job to mould an attitude of obedient initiative in their children.


  • Called to Adulthood - From Childlike Faith
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] What is the meaning of this life--at least as far as our lives are concerned? Surely you must've pondered this question every once in a while? I ask myself most days it seems... what am I here for? What is my purpose, today?


  • Reasons - Why Some Cannot Believe & Why We Have To
    [News-and-Society:Religion] For every one person who is a passionate believer of God, following hard after the things he says for them to do, there are seemingly ten or more people who think nothing of God except to blaspheme his holy name. And there's a reason for this unbelief.


  • Hey, Wait a Minute! Don't Judge Too Soon
    [News-and-Society:Religion] If we're given to quick judgment let us also ask, 'What vital fact am I missing here?' It's no good being a purveyor of justice if we occasionally peddle injustice. God's a wonder in surprising us about our own ignorance. He's always prepared to gently remind us if we'll listen.


  • Youth's Tenacity - A Winner For All Leaders
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] Leadership and moral living are inseparable. Do not the youth provide us with a great moral compass for the evil of today, with their clear, uninhibited, unspoilt view of things?


  • Cyber-Space Ministry - A Method For Present & Future
    [News-and-Society:Religion] I found reassurance recently when I read one of our most respected and time-honoured pastors give his blessing to those, like I, who minister in the ether. Those of us engaged in speaking about God using internet tools like blogs, Facebook and Twitter etc can safely look to our elders who've preceded us in this work...


  • The Reason to Be Thrilled About Life
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] We never know what good (or bad) news is just around the corner, and all we can do is smile as it (whatever "it" is) comes our way. It is in the giving up of self that we find true revelation...


  • Emotionally Loaded Interactions - Resisting Verbal Combat
    [Relationships:Conflict] As we negotiate the terrain of conversation, moving and anticipating hazards as we go, we problem-solve on the hop, always prepared for the worst, and in so doing, prepared to implement the tripartite respect model... You're at work in a meeting and your ground is being shaken. You've just been verbally assaulted. Both you and your assailant have reputations tarnished by what's been said. The room is silent and there are people close to tears, notwithstanding yourself.


  • Second Glance, Second Chance
    [Self-Improvement:Personal-Growth] Look a while longer and what do you see? Should we always trust, or be able to trust, our initial judgments of things? Pulling out onto the roadway recently and I didn't just see what I saw out of my rear view mirror, I saw a vision of a second chance...


  • The Reluctant Legalist - Every Christian
    [News-and-Society:Religion] Every minister of God walks this particular tightrope, though some might aggressively disagree. Our human nature, apart from God I mean, dictate that from time to time we cross the line, plummeting in the sins of judgment, prejudice and wrongful discrimination, however subtle.


  • Love and Discipline - From the Road Less Traveled
    [Book-Reviews:Spirituality-Religion] Attention all. It is only when we 'attend' to our most important relationships that we demonstrate our love, for love is not a noun, it is a verb. And this requires discipline...


  • California Dreaming & The Mysticism of Song
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Music] My favourite radio station played this classic 1965 song recently, California Dreaming, and it had me reminiscing about a time I wasn't even alive. The Mamas & the Papas rose to #89 with it on the Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Songs of All Time... what do memories like this mean?


  • "I Was Wrong" - Paradoxically, the Sentence of Leadership Transformation
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] I attended a meeting recently where my personal dominion (yes, we all have one) was distinctly under threat, and I reacted accordingly, though upon reflection, inappropriately. The following day I then set out to make amends. In not so many words I thanked the chair of this meeting and made a concession. What I was really saying is, "I was wrong."


  • Good Works' Seven Motifs
    [News-and-Society:Religion] Real Christianity is about good works; that being works driven from a genuine 'justified' faith, or good faith as foundational for the works of love. Now good works can be defined according to seven motifs: provision, relief, inclusion, forbearance, growth, stewardship, and grace.


  • To Be 80 Or 90 and Die Climbing!
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] I love the timeless wisdom of J. Oswald Sanders. His chapter on Spiritual Mountaineering is a great motivation for longevity of life: to be consistent in our youth; to not become frustrated in our middle life; and finally, to be triumphant in old age... ah, to be a victorious octogenarian or nonagenarian!


  • Psalm 119 - A Theological Monster
    [News-and-Society:Religion] There are few chapters of the Bible that effectively shrink-wrap gospel messages both tightly yet comprehensively. Psalm 119 is one the rare ones. Of course, it could be said that its 176 verses gives it a 'lengthy advantage' over the rest, but I don't buy that for one minute.


  • Not So Lucky? - Messages of Death and of Life Too
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Death and life perspectives are not often tackled in the spiritual sense; death is simply not a very attractive thing to talk about... especially when life is so full of the living...One of the more unfortunate parts of my job, certainly in this technological age we live in, is I get many gory photographs and videos sent to me via email from interested people showing people either seriously injured, or worse, caught in the moment of their deaths.


  • 4 Constructive Personal Leadership Styles
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] Having a feel for your organisational culture, if you're a CEO or company director, is a great aid in augmenting higher performance outcomes, but these tools also have personal and situational applications too. Taking the Human Synergistics organisational culture measurement tool, we can customise the twelve styles to make them relevant personally.


  • The Salve of Tolerance
    [Self-Improvement:Personal-Growth] Whilst the presence of the incapacitated might reveal something in us that produces fear, fear of not knowing what to say or how to deal with situations, we should know tolerance is the key... One thing I love about my local church fellowship, which is something that I recall characterised Alcoholics Anonymous, is tolerance. It never ceases to amaze me the grace many of my brothers and sisters exercise when approaching others who Rick Warren coined are "Extra Grace Required" or "EGR" people...


  • Leadership is Applied High-Mindedness
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] There's one thing we need if we wish to succeed in the life of leadership; this is something which I'm sure a lot of leaders simply either aren't aware of, or refuse to give way to... it's the humble skill of remaining high-minded for the benefit of others and the goal as a whole. I say 'remaining' high-minded because it's not until we realize our own biases get in the way--in the moment--of our people's creativity and enthusiasm and their expression of same, that we start to see that seeing things from others' viewpoints is the best way to help ourselves. High-mindedness is the only consistent way to this end.


  • The "Bravo Zulu" File - A Job "Well Done"
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] I was going through my "Bravo Zulu" file during some spare time recently and I discovered that now I have over one hundred encouraging messages of feedback and thanks in there. That's overwhelming...


  • What Goes Wrong Usually Does So on the Wettest Days
    [Self-Improvement:Time-Management] Have you ever noticed this phenomenon? Things go badly for the unprepared on the foulest days, weather-wise. A lot of people attribute this to the so-called Murphy's Law which I find in some ways absurd, mainly because it's merely...


  • What Clings Close - Our Character
    [Self-Improvement:Personal-Growth] Closer than any skill, profession or knowledge we acquire or undertake is the character that reveals our intrinsic attitude towards all things. And in the same way, what God brings forth in us via our innate temperaments, we cannot change, but we can tweak the character, because it is morally situated.


  • The Blessing's in the Transition Time
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] We go from one stable (or instable) platform to another in life, like the leaping from-and-onto lily pads, venturing through the ponds of life. This is the journey of our lives. And from one position of personal significance to another there is a separation; these are periods of "transition"... and transition can bring such positive things...


  • Square Peg in a Round Hole? Human Synergistics Explains It
    [Relationships:Conflict] The unfortunate thing for many companies, organisations and even families, however, is there is so much grief caused by people who are 'square pegs' trying to fit into round holes. And the Human Synergistics 'Circumplex' is the ideal way to describe why people often don't fit...


  • Who Said, SEX - When All's Quiet, People Are Probably Listening
    [Relationships:Communication] It was only pointed out to me afresh recently that the subject of "sex" always brings quiet conscientious attention in a crowded church auditorium. To think such apparently spiritual people might be thinking of such apparently carnal things...


  • The Dirt on Wealth & Health
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] Driving down the coast recently, my wife and I marveled at the human-made landscape east of the ocean. Two and three story houses in abundance revealed a medley of colours, styles and features. It quickly made us feel quite poor by comparison, but less stressed also (for our simple life). There sure is no shortage of money in this world!


  • "The Climb" (Miley Cyrus) - What it Means - Life, The Present, Mountains, Real Joy and Faith!
    [Self-Improvement:Inspirational] Songs, like poetry, are often meaningful, yet so many are difficult to fathom. The Climb by Miley Cyrus, is not so difficult to fathom, and is blessed in the beauty of its simplistic yet powerful life message.


  • Diverting Wisdom For Patience
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] Patience is something that we seem to struggle more and more with in this 'instant' day and age. Everything it seems is available instantly and we do not ordinarily have to wait.


  • Why We're Free
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] What is it that sets Christians up in freedom from this world and from the clutches of spiritual condemnation for their sin? I found myself yet again arriving at the answer to this question only recently. It was as fresh as the very first time and I find that truly remarkable...


  • A Dirty Day & the Dark Night
    [Self-Improvement:Grief-Loss] Some days are simply dirty. We get out of bed though we want to climb back in. We put on our working clothes but we hardly want to. We want, on some levels, to do the things we've planned, but we can't wrest from our minds the urge to want to play it safe and divert from them.


  • The Prayer of Intercession
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] I can admit that I'm not much of an intercessor--it's just not a gift or a passion I've been blessed with; that is not to say that I don't do it. But only a little while back I was caused to reflect and I was stunned as to how full of drama life really is--at any given time.


  • The Great Baton Change - Our Death
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Imagine that at the end of your life there is a baton change like in an athletics relay race. During this relay race that is your life, as you thrust the baton into a hand you barely have time to see, you have only a matter of two seconds to yell to this next 'runner' in life a key and critical message to help them on their journey. It's got to be something you've learned during your time living in this world. Something really significant. What would that message be I wonder?


  • The Test of Moral Holiness
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] I have found that people often hate the term "holiness" as if it's referring to someone who's 'holier the thou,' which everyone knows is steeped in the worst hypocrisy. Even Christians hate being tagged as 'holy' because they think how the world thinks of them i.e. 'they think they're above us,' i.e. superior to them. But that's not true moral holiness...


  • Spiritual Commentary on The Matrix - Stopping the Program Smith
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] "The Matrix" trilogy is a masterful compilation of gospel allusions. Good versus evil, and after a titanic struggle, Good triumphs--not because it's good per se, but because it fought in the realism of faith and weakness; something that evil cannot conceive as a formidable, or even 'relevant,' defense...


  • Meaningless Ruminations - Avoid the Snare
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] This is a skill of wisdom in discerning when to engage and when to leave well enough alone, as I'm often surprised how ordinarily intelligent people can be dragged into events and issues with quite scant awareness for what they are... One thing I see a fair bit of in life are the time wasting discussions about things that, in the overall scheme of things, don't amount to much. And also some people seem trapped and destined for lives of worrying about such little things that don't matter. They're victims of reverse discernment i.e. discernment of the wrong things.


  • The Fuller Personality - Embracing All Myers-Briggs Types in Your Personality
    [Self-Improvement:Personal-Growth] Everyone it seems wants it all; but was is it? Having it "all" means many different things to different people. It suddenly dawned on me only recently that the only thing or 'possession' of eternal goodness is the character developed toward a full personality i.e. one that can embrace every person and every situation possible with love, respect and understanding, in a word, unconditionality.


  • Judging Versus Perceiving - In The Workplace And In Life (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator)
    [Relationships:Communication] Ever noticed how some people frustrate us in either their lack of decisiveness or conversely their rigid, unbending sticking to schedule? Or perhaps it's tardiness on a project, or the opposite extreme of anal observance of project deadlines toward completion i.e. 'on time and on budget,' by hook or by crook?


  • The Empowerment (or Trap) Of Expectations
    [Self-Improvement:Empowerment] Ever noticed how given we are to feelings of disappointment, betrayal or depression? It is very human of us of course to feel these things, and it's, well, basically natural. But it doesn't have to be quite so natural. We might be surprised to find out that our EXPECTATIONS of things can either be our best friend or worst enemy. They can empower us or trap us...


  • Reconciliation - Keys to Peace and Restoration
    [Relationships:Conflict] I've been studying and writing about rejection. The key final process of assuaging rejection is 'meeting the people who rejected us and forgiving them.' We do this to our DIRECT benefit, notwithstanding theirs.


  • Having Nothing, Yet Possessing All Things
    [News-and-Society:Religion] "If you accept the fact that ownership on earth is only fleeting and for a time, then you may be ready for eternal possessions in heaven" -Paulinus of Nola. (1) To the Corinthians in his final canonical letter Paul said, "But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: ... as having nothing, and yet possessing all things" - 2 Corinthians 6:4a, 10b (NKJV).


  • Rejection & God
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Josh is the fictitious character in a play and Darren's got the gig. Darren in real life is from quite a well-adjusted family and his overall life circumstances thus far have brought him safely to this moment in his acting career, yet he has to get his mind around Josh's vastly indifferent past, and 'act him' with genuine empathy and passion. Tough task, no doubt.


  • 3 Steps to a Creative Mind
    [Self-Improvement:Creativity] Jason Clarke, it is said, flunked senior high school getting the lowest grades in his school's history. What a failure! Well, he's paid that now, teaching many company heads and countless others how to capture their creativity and solve the world's problems through his 'Minds at Work' venture.


  • Transcendent Hope - The World is Mine And Yours! Ours!
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Hope is beyond joy by virtue of humility and character, and no less, reality--our present reality. A quiet, abiding sense of hope that's a little beyond joy, in fact, closer to a resigned peace. It's there for all of us! Come, explore...


  • Images and Visions of Eternity - Heaven & Hell
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Politics and religion are topics, it's said, which should never be discussed at social gatherings. They bring from within us such divergent views. And people from different perspectives, at times, must fight for their convictions rather than respect the other's viewpoint, which is a much wiser stance.


  • That's the World For You - Avoiding Being "Little Minded"
    [News-and-Society:Pure-Opinion] Listening to mainstream FM radio is often amusing and enlightening, if not a challenge, morally. I heard a talkback discussion on one show regarding 'souveniring' versus 'stealing' on holiday and when the two might meet. A woman ringing in mentioned she goes to Bali every six months... (written mainly to and for Christ-followers).


  • Transparency, Predictability and Consistency in Relationships
    [Business:Human-Resources] Being the sort of person people feel comfortable with is critical in any team, business or ministry role. When we're intentionally transparent, predictable in our reactions to things and consistent in our approach, this is good for everyone, ourselves included.


  • Issues of Sustainability - In Business
    [Business:Ethics] Corporate responsibility (CR) is becoming an increasingly critical matter of concern for large companies across the globe, as the unscrupulous are lambasted in the Press media and sued into oblivion. Business ethics, environment, society and employment are considered now integral parts of the quadruple-bottom-line...


  • The "Christian's" Work Ethic
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] What is the work ethic of the Christian person, and does this set them apart from others in any particular way? In investigating this question, I found my way to Paul's second letter to the church in Thessalonica. There was a situation with this community, and the sharing of duties, that we too find all the time today...


  • Actions Produce Consequences
    [Self-Improvement] The great problem for all of us--and I put myself in this boat--is we rarely consider or heed the potential consequences. We're such great risk takers, when if only we'd listen to our consciences or our experience more, (and take more time) we'd not get ourselves into messes to begin with.


  • Leadership Vs Management Dichotomy
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] It is said that management is doing things right and leadership is doing the right things. So what's more important?


  • You Know Christ, Now Just Live Him
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] And living the Word of God who is Jesus is summarised and known by one trait indicated by the final sentence of the passage above. This is the joy of thankfulness...


  • Hope For Recently Separated Dad's
    [Relationships:Divorce] Every now and then we hear a song that is spoken as if directly from (or to) our own hearts. The song reminds us how in tune we are in the context of eternity--that what we experience, or have experienced, is true.


  • The Skill of the Talented & the Poise to Perform
    [Self-Improvement:Inspirational] Weddings always hold surprises in store. At one recent wedding I attended, guests were treated to an impromptu performance of Michael Buble's, Sway. What transfixed us was the total performance; from the voice, to the timing and rhythm, and overall singing skill of this relative of the groom's.


  • The Femininity Every Real Man Needs
    [Self-Improvement:Personal-Growth] Men can learn a lot about humility, honesty and finally courage by becoming more female. Most of all females are nurturing, and that trait alone sums up something of God that the man lacks and therefore needs.


  • More Than Just a Tinge of Regret
    [Self-Improvement:Grief-Loss] The song If I Could Turn Back Time by Cher is getting to be a bit of a golden oldie now, having been originally released by Geffen in June 1989, but it holds a classic truth that resonates with so many of us. This below, also, could illustrate an entirely regretful situation; the voice of grief:


  • World Masters of Business (1999) - Reflections 10 Years On
    [Business:Management] On my father's 54th birthday I was very privileged to attend the World Masters of Business Conference in Perth. The tenth anniversary of this event comes up in just ten days. Suddenly I've been caused to reflect on this fact, and what I learned back then.


  • Hate in the Bible - In the Psalms at Least
    [News-and-Society:Religion] The uninitiated would never associate 'hate' and the Bible in the same sentence. But true to life, the Bible contains a lot we'd not expect, including stories of gang rape, murder and even incest. I say this not to discredit the Word of God, but to show...


  • Head in the Clouds, Yet Feet on the Ground - The Perfect Balance
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] People are so often criticised for being aloof and having their head in the clouds, plainly not being aware of their environment, or the context around them. Then there's the person who's at the opposite extreme; got their nose in everyone's business. What gives? Applying both makes sense...


  • The 2 Things I Want Most When I've Been Rejected
    [Relationships:Conflict] There are two things that occur to us when we feel rejection's sting. These two things unfortunately compound and confound the feelings within us making the pain even still worse. There is only one way to truly resolve this and grow...


  • Who Do You Fear? And Why?
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] There are a gazillion reasons to feel fear every moment of our lives it seems, not the least of which dealing with people who might seek to harm us. We venture out on the roads and are reminded of aggression, which also ironically is caused by fear, and we are tempted to either shrink or react. But this is not the way life was ever supposed to be...


  • Never Compete - It Only Harms Relationships
    [Relationships] An ugly incident occurred between two ordinary friends and it revolved around a football game. Both favoured opposite teams and the rivalry had been friendly but fierce for several months in the lead up... at the end of the day both friends ignored some key principles required for relational harmony.


  • Fixing a Phobia in 90 Minutes - A Preview
    [Health-and-Fitness:Mental-Health] Popsicle sticks cause phobias! This is amazing yet true. Not unlike snakes, heights, confined spaces and aeroplanes, popsicle sticks too can create the sense of grating disparity and shrinking fear in a small number of people.


  • When it is All Finished, Satisfaction!
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] We've all felt it when we've achieved a 'job well done.' There's that soaking in the moment of satisfaction. The sense of having reached goals is felt. We reflect over our work. If we can see the work in a tangible way, we admire it and possibly think how we might do it better or different next time.


  • Plagued by a Guilty Conscience? What to Do About It
    [Self-Improvement:Techniques] Fran had battled all her relatively long life to satisfy her now-aging mum. It seems that from Fran's early childhood dear old Mum habitually made Fran feel guilty if she didn't do things the way Mum wanted her to. From Fran's choices of what to wear and what to eat, to choices around partners, to leaving home to live interstate...


  • Tension, Stress, Strain and Anguish - All Are Avoidable
    [Self-Improvement:Stress-Management] A common misconception is that it is hard work which generates tension, but work itself is not the real cause. Work, even hard work, when the mind is at rest, is health giving. It produces fatigue but not tension. The fundamental cause of strain is to be found in the mind, not in the body.


  • Depressed by Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (aka DOMS)?
    [Health-and-Fitness:Exercise] Many people become discouraged when they enthusiastically enter a gym only to discover a day later 'the soreness of growth' that comes with the new found vigour for life. It's generally a very temporary thing. And the soreness is generally a positive sign. It can mean our body is reacting well to our workouts...


  • Make Hay While the Sun Shines
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] It's an old cliche but one etched in powerful truth to the procrastinator's vexation. While we find favour we best set our hand to the plough and do the work whilst we have the chance. There is the wisdom of diligence and foresight about it. Good seasons never last forever, and when they do finally come to an end, oh the dismay! (Christian content.)


  • Character Growth Happens in 'Loved' Hardship
    [Self-Improvement:Personal-Growth] In a variation of the Tom Peters quote, "Excellent companies provide two things simultaneously: tough environments and very supportive environments," I believe that good, enduring characters are built on precisely the same phenomenon--a tough, yet not spirit-breaking journey... It just doesn't seem to gel, but when life's running swimmingly, we just don't grow.


  • Our Sole Focus - Without It, A "Slow Fade"
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Leadership in Christian ministry... what sort of leadership example are we providing? If we're not careful our irresponsibly-discharged leadership will be taken from us, and it should be if we can't lead skilfully and faithfully... this article is a warning about gradual, even slight compromise.


  • The Most Afflicted Can Become the Most Blessed
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] The worse that happens, the best can result, eventually. Looking back on matters, it doesn't seem to make much sense, but the right response to difficult problems in life is what makes all the difference; and Psalm 119 concurs. We all have troubles, distresses, tumults, afflictions...


  • Curiosity - Justifies the Search Toward Happiness
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] We search all our lives to find that thing (or more aptly those 'things' i.e. many plural) that will cause us happiness, contentment, riches, peace, good looks, talent, health, long life, success, and an infinite list of other tangibles and intangibles. And we never truly find it. There is a good reason for this... getting our minds around this will set us free...


  • Giving Up What We Can't Keep, to Gain What We Can't Lose
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Martyr Jim Elliot (1927-1956), missionary to the Auca people in Ecuador, often expressed this classic piece of wisdom: "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." I recall a wise older pastor[1] giving it to me five years ago and I always wondered the source. Now I have found it!


  • God Blesses the Needy in Psalm 107
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Like September 11 and the Bali Bombings, the Boxing Day 2004 Tsunami will live on in the memories of this generation for the rest of their lives. It's almost untenable the sheer size of loss in those disasters, but in particular the Tsunami was different in that it was what we might call an 'act of God.'


  • Mirror, Mirror on the Wall
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] "Behaviour is a mirror in which everyone displays his own image" -Goethe. Not that we always see it, but we do tend to wear our hearts on our sleeves, whether we like it or not. Our body language is crucial. This is a critical lesson for any leader...


  • Peer Pressure and Its Affects on Driving Behaviour at Different Ages
    [Automotive] Observation is such a fun activity and we can do it anytime. I find fleeting gazes through my rear vision mirror, when driving, quite a revealing pastime. On one particular occasion recently, a woman of mature years, probably age 40 or so, had been following me for several kilometres and I'd noticed her remarkably safe driving behaviour...


  • A Fit, Thriving Conscience - The "Gymnasium For the Soul"
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] A fit conscience is an eternal guide and protector, enduringly placing us at length from harm's way, making for a bouncy, ordered--and essentially free--soul. The effective leader has a trim, taut and terrific conscience...


  • How God's Audible Voice Spoke to Me One Night
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Some years back when I was all alone praying to God, dictating my prayers and Scriptural passages onto a tape player for use later the following day, something remarkable happened. I heard the audible roar of the LORD (this is genuine)...


  • Thinking With Humility in Meetings With People
    [Self-Improvement:Personal-Growth] Like almost everyone, I get nervous from time to time, particularly in some important meetings, and particularly again when I have to speak. It's the introversion of my very slight extroversion coming out of me... getting over nerves like this is quite easy...


  • The Call Worth Following - Worthy Alone
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] The song by Bachman Turner Overdrive, "Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" (1974), is synonymous for how I feel it means to be a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. In bringing us to radical abundance, and a life filled with the Holy Spirit... as he calls us to a life where we might, through our actions, say 'You ain't seen nothing yet,' to the glory of God...


  • Trust - Relationship Maker or Breaker
    [Relationships:Love] Those who've worked hard at their relationships over the years testify; they do eventually get there and they somehow learn to trust and they make it a tangible, daily skill in their relationships. There's a simple message here that can transform your relationship...


  • The Humbling Exercise That is Parenting
    [Home-and-Family:Parenting] Every now and then I get a true glimpse of how humbling it is to be a parent, especially of growing children approaching adulthood. By this I mean...


  • God Unleashing Devil's Worst Nightmares!
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] A train wreck is perhaps the best way to describe how some lives turn out. In the grip of a myriad of vice, of which alcohol and drugs are prominently just two, there are only two ways a life can go; the continual passage toward carnage and hell, and the next potentially deadly 'rock bottom,' or the equally easy choice of heaven--to be saved by God.


  • The Dark Side of Goal Setting
    [Self-Improvement:Goal-Setting] When we think about it, goal-setting seems fundamental to performance and measurement of that performance in our world--a healthy response to the action we make and take; hardly any part of the world is immune from goals. Not even the ministry or the Vatican is immune, though they might be somewhat less relevant to some, viz, monasterial orders. Goal-setting is, however, ostensibly secular in its philosophy and objective.


  • 3 Ways to Maximise Time
    [Self-Improvement:Time-Management] Stops leaks, assess real priorities, and start planning. These three steps are the 'prescription' for maximising the commodity of time...


  • Who's the Alien?
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Sting's single "Englishman in New York" (1988) was inspired by gay eccentric Quentin Crisp's treatment at the hands of the homophobic Britons. An amazing irony; this man, an abomination to a great many so-called Christians, would have identified with the treatment of Christ perhaps more than a good many Christians. And if anyone would've felt like an alien it would have been Crisp.


  • The Simile of Wisdom, Law & Worship in Psalm 119
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Philosophy] The person who 'delights in the law of the LORD' cannot help meditating on the law with devotion both day and night. They're immersed in it as if the law was an unfathomable ocean and they were addicted to swimming in it...


  • Three Lives of the Common Human Being
    [Self-Improvement:Personal-Growth] To most who read the title of this article, it makes no sense. One life, yes... two lives perhaps if you're a spiritual person, believing in the life hereafter i.e. heaven and hell... but three lives? Stay with me. We all have three very unique parts to our lives...


  • Transcendent Wisdom
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Searching for wisdom of the transcendent kind is a lifelong search well beyond the self's default contains. It is the constant rejection of the seeming 'good life' for a life of faith and trust, and not sight and pat knowledge. It is to be discerned. It is contingent on relationship with the One...


  • "Multiple Intelligences" Theory & Survey For Children
    [Home-and-Family:Parenting] As a parent of a child who might struggle academically (or in any area of life for that matter) the issue of multiple intelligences can bring a great level of relief in that there is finally hope for their future; that even though they mightn't set the academic world on fire, they could very well succeed in some other equally important field. Multiple Intelligences theory proposed by Howard Gardner (1983) can be described "as an idea that maintains [that] there exist many different types of "intelligences" ascribed to human beings.


  • An Explosion of Fact - Breaking Into a Living, Sordid Hell
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] MOMENTS LIKE THESE punctuate life. A young woman confronts a young man--both are cousins of similar age. It occurs in the driveway of the young man's house. He's sporting cuts and bruises from the most recent drunken brawl he's been involved in. She's a law student. Their lives until now have sharply diverged. Now they're about to converge, and like the arcing of two great oppositely-charged poles of electrical current, they're on a collision course...


  • The Golden Rule of Love, Simply Put
    [Relationships:Love] Imagine treating the next person you see exactly as you'd like to be treated. Doesn't sound that hard does it...ironically, however, trying something that makes such sense in theory produces some marked transformations in our, and others', thinking. There, in a moment, is the revelatory transcendent power of God made real, in one simple illustration...


  • Hey Preacher, Are You Talking About Me?
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Without doubt one of the most common things people in church experience is that uncanny sense of deja vu when a pastor or speaker preaches. What does he really know? What is he really saying?


  • The Love Languages Explained Simply
    [Relationships:Love] There's a good chance that if your love is missing the mark in an important relationship (even slightly) you're not 'speaking' the right love language in that relationship... love languages help us give and receive love to supercharge all of our relationships. It's a good thing to get in tune with your important relationships by attending to each of these ways of expressing your love, and receiving love gracefully.


  • Grief - The Commonest Emotion (Part 2 of 2)
    [Self-Improvement:Grief-Loss] Oh, the pain of it all! In that desolate place where we're totally alone we feel certainly as if no one could ever feel like this, surely... but the truth is, we've all felt it or will feel it--its variants, that is.


  • Beat Bad Habits by Engaging "Manual Thinking" Power
    [Self-Improvement:Empowerment] "We can never see past the choices we don't understand." And we never realise we can change anything about us in the blink of an eye... this article is about understanding the cage and formidable construct of the human nature, and how to reconcile that successfully.


  • Irresolvables - Awareness & Acceptance
    [Relationships:Conflict] At times, the work required in the resolution of a problem far exceeds the available resources and time (and consequently often money), and therefore it's not practicable. Simply put, the cost (a combination of resources, time and money) may not be worth the perceived benefit that's sought to be gained.


  • Life's Most Monumental Passage - The Wedding Day
    [Relationships:Wedding] Weddings are inordinately polar occasions. They're illustrative of touch points in life when all is mysteriously awry, but a humble acceptance needs to ensue; calm in the midst of a whirlwind storm. And this is the screeching, indwelling pain--amid the auspicious excitement--of the Bride-to-be on her wedding day. According to biblical tradition and wisdom, she is giving up the rights to herself, her persona.


  • Mignon McLaughlin Quotes of Note (Part 2 of 2)
    [Arts-and-Entertainment] In part one of this series I provided commentary on some of the great many things that this American female journalist (1913-1983) said, promoting happiness and wisdom. Here are some more with my commentary.


  • A "House-Husband's" Day at Home
    [Home-and-Family:Fatherhood] Recently, my wife and I swapped roles for the week--I was at home with my girls on the school holidays and doing the housework... unlike most men, I've long yearned to get more opportunities to be house-husband. Now here was another chance!


  • Putting the 'Care' Back Into "Duty of Care"
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] "Duty" can become pronounced to the detriment of "care." It's recognising that when a leader discharges a duty, the care factor of his or her action is most often at question. There's a real leadership skill in attaining a balance; holding both attributes up, in tension, simultaneously. It's not a 'either/or,' but a 'both/and' situation...


  • The Greatest Altruism
    [Self-Improvement:Inspirational] We see people offer to help out and be kind to each other routinely in life, whether in the workplace, on the roads, at schools etc. It seems it's no big deal and there certainly is very little that separates the Christian from the non-believer in this respect.


  • Around 'N Around We Go - Where We Stop, Nobody Knows
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] Overhearing a phone conversation or two is one of the 'occupational hazards' of working in an open plan office environment. I work in an area of business where there are many processes, systems, forms... officialdom in a word. Officialdom with a smile!


  • Some Advantages of Introversion
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] "All talk, no action." Know anyone like this? Chances are they're an extrovert--and they can't do anything about it apart from fight their natural inclination to bash their gums, and share everything that's on their mind and heart with everyone in earshot. If you're introverted chances are you find this sort of person either tiresome or enviable. Because you're so different, you'll tend to feel for either one of those two extremes.


  • Under the Cover of Darkness
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] One thing that's afforded the godly person is the ability to grow the way of stealth. So long as the mission is a trustworthy one, why would it matter if we achieved some things by virtue of 'the quiet way'?


  • Three Things We All Need, in Recession - Anytime
    [News-and-Society:Pure-Opinion] "Three things go up in recessions: church attendance, bar attendance, and movie attendance. Why those three things? They represent the three things people are looking for: meaning, connection, and relief" -Rick Warren. This article explores these three things...


  • Transcend Yourself! Easily
    [Self-Improvement:Inspirational] It appears to me the key difference between those who truly succeed in life and the also-rans is the personal ability to transcend oneself, and all that might come against the self--and this can only be done in, with, and through, God. True success is hence contingent on our relationship with God.


  • Consequences Motivate
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] From the consequence (not likelihood) comes foresight of real pain, discomfort, inconvenience, and even the fear of death. When we think 'consequences' we imagine vividly what MIGHT occur. We begin to take things more seriously, and more urgent is our outlook.


  • The Balance of (Personal) Power
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] Goals, dreams and the conscious and subconscious minds. Build and gain momentum; don't be swayed by apparitions; stay focused one day at a time...


  • Finding Happiness in Loss and Hopelessness
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] We feel it after holidays... an emptiness we just want to escape from. The good time's over already and we suffer drastically from a lack of hope. Yet, the following day or following week this 'grieving' is mysteriously gone and life's normal again--go figure! All we can know is somehow our minds have adapted back to normality again, fortunately. The hell of hopelessness is gone, for now.


  • Riding the Workload Waves
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] Riding the wave, workload wise, is a faith-building task. Some waves seem enormous, even insurmountable. Learning to smile through these is seeing the waves for what they are--mirages of an unmanageable life...


  • What's the Opposite of Gridlock?
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] We've all experienced the bamboozling and mind-numbing feeling of mental entrapment. Spiritually or emotionally we've cut ourselves off from the Source... happiness is but a choice away!


  • Managing the Minutes and Seconds of Your Life
    [Self-Improvement:Time-Management] Is it perhaps a real skill in life to know how to wisely make best use of each portion of time, the minutes and even the seconds? I think so.


  • Dealing With Incompatible Goals
    [Self-Improvement:Goal-Setting] Chances are if you're stressed, at least part of your problem is due to incompatible goals. Work / life balance is a perennial issue in most of our lives. We can't seem to manage all the important things we need to all the time. There seem to be many conflicting and incompatible goals. Identifying and reflecting upon these incompatible goals can often be a platform for improved life balance, hope and enjoyment.


  • Mignon McLaughlin Happiness Quotes of Note (Part 1 of 2)
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] This American female journalist (1913-1983) and author of the "Neurotic Notebooks" and columns in Cosmopolitan and Vogue really did say and write many good things. Here's a smattering, with my commentary to follow.


  • Reaching Your Goals - Go Through the Middle, Don't Take the Shortcut
    [Self-Improvement:Goal-Setting] Life is actually easy for those who embrace the hard thing. Though at times it gets tough, by and large, these people have a knack for resiliently paying now and living later, and not the reverse... (this article discusses the "better" approach to life.)


  • The Veracity of God's Defense Alone
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] People fight for their rights all the time. It's common to the human nature. If we need evidence of this we'd only have to open our eyes and ears to the News or a current affairs program on the television; we're swamped with 'who's fighting who and who's paying.' The biblical way, we know, is the reverse, however...


  • 3 Forms of Sacrifice - Wrong, Right & Saving
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] I can recall feeling this very feeling before. It's not nice. Yet I know I'll feel it again. It involves sacrifice, but the wrong kind. There are two others that are much better to consider. But, firstly, what is the wrong kind of sacrifice...?


  • That 'Magnificent Obsession' - Nurturing & Holding It
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] This sort of obsession--a magnificent one--is worthy of any life. "There is something infinitely better than making a living: It is making a noble life." We see here an obsession of an unusual kind. Do you know how to nurture it and hold it? Come with me and discover how to protect and preserve it.


  • Are You As Prepared As You Think You Are?
    [Self-Improvement:Organizing] From my experience, we're rarely ever prepared for 'anticipated' major life change at the point at which it happens. We often get surprised. We can think we're prepared prior to it occurring, but then in the thick of it we realise, to our forlorn dismay, the amount of work still remaining ahead of us.


  • Unrepeatable Memories - When We Can Only Reminisce
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] Almost with a tinge of everlasting regret we consider fondly what was. The times have changed, along with the environment, and the people... well, they'll never be the same again either. We can try and replicate it but it will never work... how do we find peace?


  • The Great Pain-Reliever - God Can Be a Little Like Opium
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] I recently watched quite an insightful film called Children of the Silk Road, inspired by the true story of 1937-1944 China, post-Nanking Massacre, where Englishman George Hogg is credited with saving the lives of sixty Chinese orphan boys. The war-torn setting for the movie and the endless carnage introduces the viewer to pain-relief methods of the day; both morphine and opium.


  • Raising Children - Doing Your Own Dirty Work
    [Home-and-Family:Parenting] I find one of the things I'm learning with my own children is others (who might love them less than I do) are often placed in situations to teach them things that perhaps could have or should have come from me. These times are quite humbling in that I feel (as any normal parent would) inadequate for my child; that I hadn't loved them appropriately.


  • Managing Our Emotions - I Lack Courage, Do You?
    [Self-Improvement] As I prepared for a very brief but unpredictable meeting recently, one that promised to be awkward, I sensed within my gut a tension, and within my mind a preoccupation with what might come up and what might be won and lost personally as a result. This is a very normal response given the stimuli--a threatening set of circumstances with the potential to knock us off balance for a few hours or the rest of the day or even longer. We all share the same seemingly autonomic response, and it's based in a primal fear for survival.


  • Psalm 76 - The Awesomeness of God
    [News-and-Society:Religion] When we think of the most powerful and awesome of things on this planet, we're stunned by tsunamis and other natural disasters, rockets and weaponry, technology, and simply the size of things. Yet, the awesomeness of God makes all of this pale into insignificance... and we hardly even notice it!


  • That Good Ole Hidden Failure Strikes Again
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] When we think about it, hidden failures occur everywhere in life, from lapses in our own thinking to major accidents and incidents. There is a litany of these types of mistakes made all through our experience.


  • 25 Words Or Word Pictures of the "ME" I Want to Be
    [Self-Improvement:Inspirational] Dreams are not always about the activity of sleeping through and barely remembering them. I believe we all have dreams of becoming someone we want to be. It's almost like a secret code that our Maker has locked deep within us i.e. for us to find... why not try this rather practical exercise to unlock your dreams?


  • The Lord of All Life - His Life is Ours
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] A short essay on 1 John 1:2 (NRSV)... "This life [the word of life] was revealed, and we have seen it and testify to it, and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us." Before Christ was revealed, the prophets of old only had an idea of salvation, and this required good faith, as it does now, but they had nothing tangible as the Messiah had not yet been revealed.


  • Being All Things to All - At All Times
    [Self-Improvement:Inspirational] The light adaptable spirit is able to blend into his or her environment such that hardly anyone notices, but they at the same time are a balm to wounds, ever ready to apply the right response to the given situation at hand. Being adaptable obviously requires an abundance of humility--the ability to be other-centred, but not to the loss of self. It's a balance of both in such a way that the self is more than willing and able to serve. It sees a need to serve, and responds, out of intrinsic love.


  • Marriage, Warnings, Affairs and Healing
    [Relationships:Marriage] It's almost untenable for a man to say it, but a straying wife has almost always strayed due to either abuse or neglect on the part of the husband; and most often it seems it's because of the latter. And how can this man say it?


  • A Wake Up Call For Mobile Phone and iPod Users in Cars
    [Automotive] Dr. Phil featured a program recently highlighting the issues of "killer texting" using illustratively the worst passenger train disaster in California's history, with twenty five people dying as a result. Only 22 seconds prior to the collision of the two trains, the other a freight train, the engineer of the passenger train sent a text message. How could a person in an operational-critical role such as that undertake such at-risk behaviour, with a payload of passengers at his disposal?


  • The Importance of Relational "Checking"
    [Relationships:Friendship] Helena and Amanda had been friends since high school. They'd done all sorts of things together, from playing in the same netball team to shopping for wedding dresses. So, what was it that changed their relationship so suddenly when Amanda stopped returning Helena's calls? Had Helena done anything wrong to jeopardise her relationship with Amanda?


  • Resisting 21st Century Child-Centred Parenting
    [Home-and-Family:Parenting] The key for all parents who've ventured into permissive parenting is to restore the familial balance, by elevating the marriage relationship (based in love) above all other immediate family relationships. For the single parent, this is difficult. With no partner, how relevant is the above statement?


  • God Meets Us in the Most Banal Ways
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Riding a bicycle is not only good exercise, an excuse to enjoy God's green earth, and good for the environment; it's also a way to be touched by God... let me continue... As I rode one Saturday morning recently, having barely warmed up, I noticed as we occasionally do, a wheelie bin with its contents strewn over the roadway--it was mainly a mix of magazines, junk mail, old cartons, but with some perishable waste. Someone had had some 'fun' messing up someone's day!


  • The Truth Rules, Okay!
    [News-and-Society:Religion] "Great time of year." "The best some might say." These are remarkable statements, in their simplicity, and for the fact they are both etched in truth; the former in spiritual truth, and certainly a truth for some...


  • Change & the "Inclusivity Factor"
    [Business:Change-Management] Anyone involved in the world of managing or directing anything can appreciate how difficult effecting change can be. Think about it. This, in the ordinary events of life, affects all of us. If you're a parent, you deal with change. Families change most. If you're a son or daughter, you've definitely been impacted both positively and negatively by change...


  • Money is TIME - Not Just the Other Way Around
    [Self-Improvement:Time-Management] I marvel at the leisure some people seem to enjoy in life; either by design or pure luck they end up in the privileged position to be able to lead the life of Riley. This, I guess, is a strange form of envy, for I can honestly marvel without being the slightest bit resentful. Time, it seems, is on these persons' side...


  • Justice Must Come
    [News-and-Society:Religion] For the family of the convicted murderer or rapist, there is a cold, hard reality to adjust to. That loved one is now in prison, and may be there for a very long time. It's hard on everyone involved, not the least of whom, the victim(s). There is an irrevocable truth in life that justice must come eventually...


  • By God's Good Grace Alone
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] We will all die one day... having lived. By God's good grace alone we can live forever.


  • A Healthy Level of Independence
    [Relationships:Marriage] One of the things I learned as a single man, when I was thrust into this situation approaching mid-life, was independence. First, I was dependent on others, but slowly out of that time grew a healthy independence...


  • God Picks a Pretty Mean Fight!
    [News-and-Society:Religion] Life is never quite as just as it should be. Sure, things turn out justly a lot of the time, but we can find many examples where justice simply does not play out during the course of our lives. God slowly makes things just, but overall, there is a justice gap in this ordinary world...


  • Commitment - 7 Important Ones
    [Relationships:Commitment] In life there can be no more pressing a goal than to be committed; to life, to values, to change, to repentance, to a person, to our friends and neighbours, and finally, to God. Of course, there are more to consider.


  • Simplicity Plus Power Equals Wonder
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] I've always been enthralled by the simplicity and power of the aeroplane jet engine. Since a small boy I've marveled at aircraft flight, particularly the jets. The sound of the engine, the smell of the burned fuel, the nimbleness of flight, and the pick-up of the jet as it travels along the runway have all caused me to experience wonder...


  • Things Can Change - Lessons From Natasha Richardson
    [Self-Improvement:Grief-Loss] Natasha Richardson's life was a high profile one which ended in tragedy only recently. She is reputed to have said, "things can change," and dramatically so, in response to husband Liam Neeson's motorcycle accident in 1999, which rendered his role of Qui-Gon Jinn in Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace redundant. She faithfully nursed him back to health.


  • The Creative Power of the Subconscious Mind
    [Self-Improvement:Creativity] This message of the delay required for the subconscious mind is one reason to not get too bothered about the tomorrows or the problems of tomorrow. Chances are we'll solve them, or they'll be solved for us. Today's problems we'll laugh about in two months, or even two days in some cases.


  • Valuing and Honoring Our Mentors
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] Recently I was treated to three separate mentoring sessions in three days; each mentor met me for different reasons, but the common goal was around growth, some personally and some professionally. Mentors provide for us sweet memories when we reminisce. We think of difficult times of growth and struggle, and the effort and commitment required. But, we always see it as having been worth it.


  • "Just Being Present," and What That Means - Part 1
    [Self-Improvement:Personal-Growth] We've all heard the term, 'Junk in, junk out,' relating to computers. Well, our minds are the processing unit for what we eventually do in life. We THINK of junky things, and yes, we then DO junky things. The idea of staying in the present fixes that and gets us on the right track.


  • Why Be Pre-Occupied? "Just Being Present" - Part 2
    [Self-Improvement:Personal-Growth] Being in the lion's pit of life is interesting at times, isn't it? This is real tongue-in-cheek stuff. One day or even one afternoon can present so many opportunities to become waylaid with worries, fears and anxieties... enough to last the rest of the day, and into the next, easy! But, this is where control over the mind and our mental processes can come to our rescue.


  • Reflecting and Planning - Power and Poise
    [Self-Improvement:Personal-Growth] There are a great many advantages to good life reflection and planning, as a means of discovering positive (and negative) things to learn from as a platform for the future. Once we get the reflecting/planning bug i.e. once the habit has been nurtured, we can scarcely live without them. At least that's my enjoyable experience.


  • Ephesians Meets the Robinsons - On Marriage
    [Relationships:Marriage] The climax of Meet the Robinsons for me was when Franny approaches Lewis (remembering they are to be wife and husband in the future) and suggests to him that--for his own benefit and theirs mutually--that she's always right, "Even when I'm wrong, I'm right," she exclaims. Lewis' friend Cornelius agrees, saying, "She's right. I would just go with it if I were you..."


  • Courage & Hope 'In the Midst of Battle'
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] Life gets very big on us all of a sudden. We wake up one day as a parent in a family, with a key secular or ministry role (or three!) having to balance a whole bunch of things just to survive. It was a process that got us here, sure, but that seems dim now, and we're just here, surviving by the skin or our proverbial teeth.


  • Familiarity Breeds Contempt - Sad Broken Truth
    [Relationships:Love] I would love to tell the notional young lady who's besotted presently with her prince and vice versa, that the freshness of love withers and wanes with time and what was once dazzling in its mystery becomes, with time, ironically mysterious for its dysfunction. How twisted love really is when placed in human hands!


  • True Worship of God, According to AW Tozer
    [News-and-Society:Religion] There was probably no finer exponent of the right worship and fire of God in the 20th Century than Aiden Wilson Tozer. His posthumously published book, The Worship Driven Life, according to his own tradition and literary legacy, is simply marvelous for teaching a Jesus-believer how to actually worship God aright, in the power of the Holy Spirit; for there are so many snares we're hardly even aware of towards the end of worship.


  • Accepting the Demands Time Places on Us
    [Self-Improvement:Time-Management] This time challenge impacts and affects every single one of us. There's so much good we could do and so little time to do it all in. We have choices, and we must choose; nothing is obligatory, though when we think about it, some choices lead inevitably to others.


  • Struggling With Respectability?
    [Relationships:Conflict] Selwyn Hughes tells of a humiliating, 'ugly' time in his ministry when, after preaching a hugely theological sermon and feeling somewhat proud of himself, his ego was dropped from a rather large height when a trusted confidant assisted God in reinforcing that Jesus didn't say, "Feed my giraffes," but "Feed my sheep."[1] Hughes was suddenly brought into the light to see his ego being the barrier to his ministry. He then set about repenting of this immediately it came to his attention. God forgives in less than an instant when we turn back to him.


  • Life Gets Very Deep And Deeper Still
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Philosophy] Whilst I was emailing an old friend (a friend from the old days) recently, I suddenly recognised how much water had passed under the bridge, so to speak. In the ten intervening years since we last spoke there had been much change in both our lives; it seemed as though I could write a book (or several books) on the changes that had occurred within my own life.


  • How the Bible Can Help When Someone is After You
    [News-and-Society:Religion] Notwithstanding paranoia, the Bible gives us many illustrations of people who were hemmed in by enemies close to them, and how God proved faithful, protecting them. Our approach, Biblically, requires a blend of courage to stand assertively, whilst enough submission to relent before vengeance kicks in within us.


  • Do We Look For Peace in All the Wrong Places?
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] There is a lot of discord around life when you take a good look. We know it implicitly when we struggle to find balance, then when we all of a sudden get a free moment we either waste it in front of the box or we strive onto something else to keep us busy. We don't seem to know how to genuinely relax and achieve peace.


  • The Importance of the "Negro Spiritual"
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Music] I'm not sure if many Christians nowadays understand the enormous heritage of the Negro Spiritual and the trials of that era for the African American people. It is quite possibly one of most telling and historically recent examples of Western oppression and of that peoples' lamentative response in a fundamentally biblical aspect...


  • The Reason You're Fighting
    [Relationships:Conflict] The unfortunate fact of life is we all have to deal with aggression. Whether it's first-hand, second-hand or third-hand we all see it, and none of us are immune to it. Aggression elicits various emotional reactions depending on whether we're the victim or the perpetrator or even an innocent bystander.


  • Is the Grass Really Greener on the Other Side of the Fence?
    [Relationships:Love] I wonder why there are so many extramarital affairs and why there is generally so much discontent in the world. It's the same with job-hopping; a process the financial crisis will surely put paid to. Why are people searching for something better elsewhere? Is it because people grow fond of casting an eye over the fence to catch glimpses of the neighbour's grass that only looks greener, but never is?


  • Being a Good Friend to Everyone - Not Adding to Their Burden
    [Relationships:Communication] I had one of those relationships recently that just doesn't seem to be going right. The trust feature and lightness that I had normally associated as the flux between this other person and I plain wasn't there anymore--it had gone; for a time...


  • That Brilliant Powernap
    [Health-and-Fitness:Sleep-Snoring] After a recent nap myself, zonked for twenty solid minutes by the side of the road, I too sprung up and again realised the tremendous re-vitalising qualities of the powernap. I was alert, awake, fully aware, and fully alive... I was ready to party.


  • Charting Our Sexual Response
    [Relationships:Love] Every woman wants a 'stud' for a partner and husband, someone who not only looks the goods but 'does the goods' too; and in this I mean not out-and-out sex, but the gentler, more sacrificial side of being male which seeks to please the female partner without any strings attached to the deal. Of course, this is very hard for the male. His default cycle of arousal is alien to his partner's; his arousal starts in 10-30 seconds and he can be all over and done with in five minutes flat!


  • Reflections on "Signs" by Michael W Smith
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Music] There are songs that make all the difference in life aren't there. These songs that transform us and bring us to a new reality of ourselves are significant touchstones.


  • Repent, For the Kingdom of God is Near
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] What I write about here makes plain sense, but only to the biblical spiritual person. Some are destined to struggle more in life than others by pure virtue that they refuse to repent; and this includes a lot of so-called Christians who've never truly been filled with the Holy Spirit.


  • On Mongrel Humour Cloaked in the Truth Sarcasm
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Humor] At a recent teeball game I overheard a parent 'encourage' their son to succeed: "Four home runs today, son," they charged. I immediately wondered how on God's green earth was this eleven year old going to do that. Then I realised it was a throwaway line, and perhaps I was taking things too literally.


  • Psalm 45 - The "Winsome" One and "The" Union
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Weddings are generally always momentous occasions with the giving of two single people to each other in making a union that no other person is to separate. This is because it is sealed and blessed by God. After all, our weddings are one of the four most sacred activities we'll ever undertake - together with our births, the birth's of our children, and our death's.


  • Psychology Or (Christian) Spirituality?
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] I've heard more than one Christian pastor or lay theologian say psychology makes perfect sense but only from a spiritual angle, and vice versa, I've seen and heard psychologists asserting and attributing the spiritual realm without God, as if it could be. What's the truth?


  • Embracing the Chaos That IS Life
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] When life becomes all a flurry and we get so much on and especially when there's a whole lot of incongruence, including relationship misfires, we're naturally adept at wanting to escape from it all. It's quite a normal cause-and-effect process. In the moments of panic that ensue we seem to lose total sight of what is really happening--our emotional state blurs over, numbing us, and the effect is invariably negative.


  • The Tragedy of Gossip
    [Relationships] Gossip is tragic for healthy relationships as people stop thinking the best of one another in favour of believing 'choice morsels.' Gossip does something quite subversive to the truth, leaving a swath of destruction in its path.


  • A W Tozer - Tribute to the Man and His Message
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Humanities] One of the great legacies A.W. Tozer left was the following challenge to ministers: "There is today no lack of Bible teachers to set forth correctly the principles of the doctrines of Christ, but too many of these seem satisfied to teach the fundamentals of the faith year after year, strangely unaware that there is in their ministry no manifest Presence, nor anything unusual in their personal lives." Written in 1948, still possibly relevant today.


  • Not Retired But "Re-Tyred" For Grandparenting!
    [Home-and-Family:Grandparenting] Many onetime parents-come-grandparents are getting a new lease on life these days; not retired, but re-tyred, and fit for another one hundred thousand kilometres or so--not of the 'grey nomad' variety--more simply, fitted for service in the 'proactive grandparent' mould...


  • Three Key Steps to 4,500 Years of Wisdom
    [Self-Improvement] There was once a survey taken of fifty ninety-year-olds in an attempt to learn lessons from their lives before they inevitably died. Here are the three key things they as a group said they regretted. They wished they had...


  • One Hour With Russell Crowe - A Stylised Dream
    [Arts-and-Entertainment] At a once-in-a-lifetime feature anthology of a famous Australian's life, my family and I drew a fortunate straw, landing the private gig for the measly sum of $100AUD. We were even more surprised to find Russell Crowe, himself--personally honouring this outstanding Australian--presenting it. And it all took place in the intimate surrounds of a car.


  • Festina Lente - Make Haste Slowly
    [Self-Improvement] Are you the sort of person who is so diligent you occasionally break the rules, or your lack of planning is revealed and there's embarrassing re-work involved? Or, are you the sort of person who ponders things a little too long, perhaps toward procrastination; i.e. not likely to fail, but not likely to succeed either?


  • A Very Personal Blessing in the Midst of Suffering
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] "It's in the quiet crucible of your personal, private sufferings... that your noblest dreams are born... and God's greatest gifts are given... in compensation for what you've been through." -Wintley Phipps before a live recording of "It Is Well With My Soul" seen on YouTube. People might think me sick to say it but suffering well is a blessed activity; it's a sacrifice that pleases God--not because he's sadistic--quite the contrary; he meets us and empathizes and alleviates.


  • He Makes All Things New
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] In the Passion of the Christ, there is a part where Jesus falls and has his head crushed by the cross. Seeing this, Mary rushes to his aid whilst there are flashbacks to how she did this when he was a boy. When she approaches him and rouses him, he responds inspirationally by saying, "I make all things new," before continuing to carry that rugged cross.


  • The Excellence of Love
    [Relationships:Love] How do we define love? Do we love others for what they do for us, or does our love run deeper than that... this involves a salient illustration from my own life.


  • Significant Quotes and Thoughts on Creativity
    [Self-Improvement:Creativity] There is a scream within each one of us to truly become the one person we're made to be--the true us or "me". We forever search and struggle to gain the key to ourselves, to our own sense of creativity and nostalgia of cause and inventiveness. These quotes below can help us find that person.


  • A Ballad to God - "Annie's Song"
    [Relationships:Love] The inherent beauty and majesty of John Denver's "Annie's Song" can make any person capable of loving and being inspired. I heard it said once, that any ballad could be seen as a love song to God. This is certainly true of "Annie's Song".


  • Religiosity and the Cart
    [News-and-Society:Religion] To complete a change recently I had to complete umpteen forms and processes, some of which served no real need, at least that which I could see. The bureaucracy of complexity is maddening at times, yet it can be seen as a character-building venture. It's something to smile about when nothing else can be done.


  • Why Work is Cursed, And What to Do About It
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Ever since I approached real burnout in 2005, I have struggled with symptoms when life's gotten too busy and I have tended to get the cart before the horse. Then I learned an important thing about work.


  • Paul Knew His Purpose - Do You Know Yours?
    [Self-Improvement:Personal-Growth] We need to feel called to something to really receive the staying power for life; if we haven't received it yet, we ought to wonder why. Is there anything worse than an aimless life?


  • The Truth, the Whole Truth and Nothing But the Truth
    [Self-Improvement] I told a partial truth recently. We all do I'm sure. I told someone very dear to me 80 percent of the story in fear that 100 percent of the truth would upset them, and put my relationship with them at jeopardy. Do you have these situations in your life?


  • Psalm 33 - Thanks to God, Our Just Provider, Judge and Redeemer
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Can you imagine being in an 110,000 seat stadium packed to the rafters. There's a buzz and the glass roof's about to lift off. The orchestra is assembled in its finery. Suddenly all goes quiet. There's a rapid hush as he appears before all his fans. Two hundred and twenty thousand eyes are glued and and half as many hearts are captivated to this being taking centre stage.


  • Rock Solid Personal Identity
    [Self-Improvement:Personal-Growth] Over the process of the journey which is life, we inevitably enter phases of personal struggle. Without a clear sense of personal identity we'll generally fail to cope well.


  • When It's Over Now - And the Race is Run
    [Self-Improvement:Inspirational] During a rather sobering and sad moment recently I stopped to ponder the toughness that is life--the inescapable fact. And how, during these moments, I praise God more and more that in my weakness--in the fact of my despair--I draw on him more and more.


  • We're Forgiven to Feel Real
    [Self-Improvement:Addictions] Take Frankie, the child abused emotionally by her mother. She learns early that life can be pretty awful, and the abuse has a way of following her... to school, with her so-called friends, and later in life, with her partner. Feelings. Feelings and attributions of abuse and neglect... ends up that Frankie becomes a binge drinker and a more than occasional drug user, especially when the chips are down. There is A WAY OUT.


  • Marketing Mindset - "The" Paradigm For Change
    [Business:Marketing] So many change agents have wondered about their own science and how awkward change tends to be, as the people, equipment, procedures and the environment morph in a system struggling, but seeking - through them collectively - congruence toward improvement. We do, however, seem damned to change one thing for the better, only to see several things changed for the worse.


  • God's Core Business
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] It seems kind of weird to tag God as a merchant i.e. that he has a 'core business' or trade. The truth is, he's so other-than everything else - especially in the worldly or commercial sense. But there is about him, a nature; his wisdom and truth are known all about us every moment, though most of us are blind to it in ordinary life. It's forever a mystery to us.


  • Parental Condemnation in Sports and In Life
    [Home-and-Family:Parenting] There is so much we can learn about psychology in the setting of children's sports; but it's not just about the children, we can get to learn about adults too, especially parents. I've been observing one coach and their interaction with their team; this person has a daughter in the team.


  • Three Great Happiness Quotes
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] It's not often we take the opportunity to praise fellow writers, but these three quotes I found in the one location; a discovery like gold. Enjoy them with me, and the thoughts that go with them...


  • Daniel - Reflections of His Life and Prophetic Ministry
    [News-and-Society:Religion] The life and times and legacy of significant people in history cause us to pause, ponder, reflect. This is an expose of the life of 7th and 6th Century B.C.E. Old Testament prophet, Daniel, and what his life and prophesy means for us today.


  • When Thanks is NOT Thanks at All
    [Relationships:Communication] You know that conversation you have where it's purely transactional; one person wants something, and you, on the other end of the line, are the person to provide the caller with what they want. And that's all that the conversation this is about; no pleasantries are afforded.


  • Geared to Struggle
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] I am aware that every time I use a wisdom construct from a tradition not overtly Christian or Jewish there are potentially people I know who could castigate me for it. So it's important to place a disclaimer on this advice, because the source is not Christian; but it is, I believe, entirely biblical.


  • True Love of an Entirely Different Variety
    [Relationships:Love] What do you think when you hear the term, "true love"? The term's likely to intuit several different reactions, from keen interest to throwing up, because we assume it's about romantic love. But that's only one form of true love. There is another form of true love which is so much more profound and meaningful...


  • Psalm 25 - Lord, Teach Me Your Ways
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] In times of confusion and total perplexion we open ourselves to be instructed; we're more likely to listen during these times. Perhaps it's the inability to reach someone, perhaps one of our friends or work colleagues, or even one of our children, and we just want knowledge in how to actually reach that person...


  • Living the "Afflicted" Life
    [News-and-Society:Religion] Reading the theology of the fathers of the church is an incredibly deep and complex process, truly giving us the picture of the profundity of God. In the quote above we gain a glimpse of the life for the saved person, the Christian. Even though we are no longer condemned in any eternal sense, through Christ, we still must endure the condemnable life here on earth.


  • Creating "Clearance" in Life
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] Clearance i.e. room and space, is a good thing. We ought to be structuring our lives with more clearance and less interference, finding space to experience the things that can't be bought in life, like peace, love and joy.


  • Fixing Procrastination - "Do it Now"
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] I was in an important meeting recently with my mobile phone on silent when a number I recognised rang three times in quick succession without leaving a message. This gave me the feeling this person felt they really needed to speak with me. On the final call, I picked up, to satisfy my curiosity more than anything else.


  • Flipping The Obligation
    [Self-Improvement:Personal-Growth] When we cast an eye over our lives and all the various roles we play, there's one thing we cannot really get away from. It's responsibility. We're obliged to do certain things in life. We're responsible and can be called to account.


  • Elegance and Being "Salt and Light"
    [News-and-Society:Religion] Elegance is irresistible. It oozes charisma. It evokes strange responses. It brings both praise and criticism. But, it's the only way to being salt and light to the world.


  • The Learning Diet
    [Self-Improvement] One observation I can make even in the flurry of activity that is my life is we have to mind carefully what our minds are grazing on. Much like we would do with our eyes and stomachs at a wine and cheese night or at a buffet-style restaurant, our minds graze; but unlike grazing on food--which occurs on occasion (through the day)--our minds are "grazing" all the time.


  • Finding Our Creative Genius Inside
    [Self-Improvement:Creativity] Why do we find our most creative times are sitting on the toilet, taking a bath or painting a wall? Why is it we dream so vividly and imaginatively yet hardly ever capitalise on this creativity when we're awake. And why upon why do we feel so energy-sapped when we most need energy, say for instance, at work?


  • Justice is Balance
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Philosophy] No one gets everything all ways. Justice comes to all eventually. All things equal out generally over time. The character Henri Ducard (played by Liam Neeson) said 'Justice is balance,' in Batman Begins and I find it true to life.


  • When All Hope Seems Gone, Enter Faith
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] It must be everybody's model nightmare. Imagine coming to a point of near death having to make one last ditch effort to save yourself, perhaps because you're stranded on a snow peak, out in the bush or floating alone in the open ocean. You've lost every sense of hope... then, beyond belief, you get rescued.


  • Transactional Life Vs Transformational Life
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] Jobs, tasks, lists, roles, bills, procedures, terms of conditions, contracts, memorandums of understanding, agreements. These are examples of the "transactional life" none of us can avoid. To achieve the peace of happiness we need to balance the transactional life with the transformational.


  • We All Worship Something
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Working out six feet from Roger Federer was a real highlight for me. It was 2003 and I was staying at the Grand Hyatt in Melbourne for work. He was preparing for a Davis Cup tie starting a few days hence. At one point I recall cycling on a stationary bike and noticing the presence of another person next to me preparing to use the treadmill.


  • Get Smart, Stay Smart
    [Self-Improvement] Stephen Covey calls it 'sharpening the saw' and Nintendo have a DS game for brain-training, but I think God's got designs on all of us developing our smarts and keeping them. For instance, I find my typical day involves having to do many varied things - often twenty to thirty things, and sometimes more - little things and big things - long things and quick things - and into the bargain, I need to process all this and prioritise and order these in my life, within the context of my six or seven roles.


  • Love & DG
    [Relationships:Love] The essence of love is DG. Hang in there with me. DG is better for us and all of our relationships every time. It helps because it makes us think of others by putting off the things we'd hope for, of and for ourselves. DG is something quite foreign to our base human nature...


  • One Choice, Many Ripples
    [Self-Improvement] This is an amazing truth that explains many things from the reason few of us take the necessary risks to succeed in life, to the confounding nature of managing change effectively. We see an organisation or an individual make one simple change and there are often unforeseen ripples, creating potential incidents and issues for months and years to come. All from only one decision.


  • Worship - Our Innate Purpose
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] The truth is we all search for meaning. We all need it, otherwise life loses it lustre and we inevitably become cursed in one way or other. The meaning to life is so inordinately difficult to understand as most of us look in entirely the wrong places for it.


  • Steering Straight to Wisdom
    [Self-Improvement] Ever had foot-in-mouth disease? I have, frequently. No sooner do we think something, and then blurt it out, mud's all over our face, and others are more than likely hurt in the process--is it bad luck?


  • Complaining Well
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] I've been reading the odd lament psalm of late and these generally model a way of 'complaining well,' but they don't always help in our practical distress - well, they could, but we're not always ready are we? The Bible says, "Do everything without complaining or arguing..." -Philippians 2:14 (NIV)


  • The Courage of Magda Szubanski
    [Health-and-Fitness:Weight-Loss] News of Magda Szubanski's weight struggle broke just before Christmas 2008 and already she's lost 'a three year old,' a.k.a. sixteen kilograms. One of Australia's most famous faces, here and overseas, was by her own admission 'slowly killing herself.'


  • "Messengers of Satan" Are a Necessary Commodity
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] We all have people, habits and situations in life that test us and our resolve to be patient and resilient so we can function effectively, despite the circumstances we find ourselves in. Theologically, this can be seen both as God entering or Satan entering our lives.


  • We Are Made Of Corn
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] King Corn (2007), is an 'arresting' film, 'balancing humor and insight' into the food we eat, where it comes from, why it's produced, and the fact that we're essentially reliant on corn in 21st Century. You might be startled to find out the truth. Corn's in our DNA.


  • Copy Cat, Dirty Rat
    [Self-Improvement] Kids copy; it's a temptation many bow to. We have the same issue as adults though it's less purposeful--we tend to copy what others do, at times without realising, and especially if we see a reward in it. Let's live without mimicking others.


  • Being Thankful For Things NOT Received
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] I suspect few go the spiritual journey with God because they're afraid of what they might have to give up. Suddenly they might not receive what they've grown accustomed to. They think not of what they might gain from committing to a relationship with God.


  • Perception - The Lens of Life
    [Self-Improvement] "That colour's a very dark brown," Greg says. Carolyn says, "Nah, it's more like a shade off black." Apart from minor differences in colour-vision perception, this demonstrates the vast differences possible between each of us.


  • The Problem of "Pygmalion Parenting"
    [Home-and-Family:Parenting] We parents sure do put our kids through a testing time don't we? According to David Keirsey (Please Understand Me) we're more likely than most to try and manipulate the genetic code as much as possible in producing clones of ourselves, producing children programmed and destined to achieve what we didn't.


  • Endure Now
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Poetry] For one more day... endure. Though things seem to go bad and stay bad... endure.


  • Steps 8 & 9 - Making Difficult Amends
    [Self-Improvement:Addictions] Anyone who's been exposed to or has completed the twelve steps knows a very significant and lasting spiritual journey toward healing and wholeness, both for themselves and others affected by that person. Each step is a process of journeying all its own, and some steps we may never fully complete.


  • The Language of Conflict Resolution
    [Relationships:Conflict] I re-acquainted myself with this particular lesson recently via a much loved/valued mentor; she said, "The best way to frame a conflict statement is, 'I feel (or 'I felt')... when you... because...'" It's unfortunate to find so many couples who don't even touch conflict. This is probably because they don't want to risk a screaming match, which is an instinct I definitely understand.


  • Walt Disney's Four "C's" - Curiosity, Confidence, Courage and Constancy
    [Self-Improvement] There's never been anybody in the motion picture industry, or the entertainment industry as a whole, who has had quite the same impact as Walter Elias Disney (1901-1966). But what a lot of people don't realise is his formula for success can easily be replicated.


  • Achieving Intimacy in (Workplace) Relationships
    [Relationships] The delightful subject of intimacy was raised at a recent leadership love-in that I attended. I mentioned in group discussion that I am sometimes a little nervous in achieving rapport with people I don't know, and most related with what I said. I mentioned the word "intimacy"--in the context of struggling to build a useful rapport with at least some level of authenticity of exchange, i.e. intimacy was sometimes lacking.


  • "Groundhog Day" in Reverse
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] Imagine living a life where every single day you woke up and it was Christmas day. Take it further now to a situation where each successive day--for you and your loved ones who you spend time with at Christmas--meant you and they were a year older. You and they would literally have only a few months of these Christmas days to live...


  • The Commonest Emotion - Grief (Part 1 of 2)
    [Self-Improvement:Grief-Loss] To illustrate how common the emotion of grief is, think of the last time you got some significantly bad news. Chances are you grieved--even slightly. For most people, bad news on the minor to medium scale comes relatively often, probably at least monthly. This is why we can (or should) expect people to be at least a little angry...


  • Aggression - Ironically a Sign of Fear
    [Relationships:Conflict] You know when you have that nagging thought buzzing inside your head and feeling coursing through your heart and you just need to deal with it. I experienced this recently thinking about a particular work relationship that seemed a little frayed at the edges at the time. The other person in the relationship was reacting aggressively and I didn't quite know how to react...


  • Narrow Way to the Divine Romance
    [Relationships:Love] Nathan Tasker impressed me from the very first time I saw him perform. His lyrics and singing together with his slick guitar work punctuated his inter-song commentary and insights on things spiritual. His 2003 Album, A Look Inside, is a classic piece in my view; there are not many CDs in my collection that I love all the tracks on--Nathan's is a notable, pleasing exception.


  • The Teacher Learns Twice
    [Self-Improvement:Inspirational] To a point, all teachers and people espousing a certain way are open to hypocrisy, especially those advising on spiritual and character-growth matters, and issues of virtue and morality. There is a principle that must ground this propensity to be a hypocrite.


  • The Purpose and Wonder of Pain
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] It scarcely defies reason that every human being feels pain--it is perpetual to the human experience. It comes with the life at birth and never leaves until death. Pain is a condition of life this side of eternity...


  • Relationships - Early Warning System
    [Relationships] Being a recent convert to Facebook, it's astoundingly obvious to note our relationships are a most precious commodity. They're the absolute zenith of life. Where would we be without our loved ones, family and dear friends, and all those from our past who simply remind us of who we are? Life would be very shallow without our relationships.


  • A Prayer For Impending Suffering
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] A prayer of preparation... I found myself praying this prayer (general words and intent) recently as I envisioned an outcome in life that I would not like to have to deal with; the sort of outcome that blindsides us. I found it helped me prepare mentally in case this outcome were to become a reality. Fortunately, it hasn't, yet.


  • What is She Really Saying?
    [Relationships:Communication] I'm sure all you married guys out there relate with me when I paint the picture of the marital screaming match. Things are heated and both partners are getting nowhere fast. As the temperature reaches simmering point, he stops as if to realise the futility of the situation and begins another effort to understand his partner. It ends up that what she's really upset about is not what he thought after all!


  • 3 Ways to Live a Happy, Healthy Life
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] I'm unsure if I'm not a lot different to other people but I've always been searching for the answer, or perhaps better put, the answers (plural) to life. The title above is a sweeping statement promising 'an answer,' or at least an answer in three parts. I offer it in one quote. So, here goes...


  • Rejecting Condemnation - Dealing With This Corrosive Spirit
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Without doubt the most humbling thing I've felt recently is the thought that I've condemned people, including myself. It's an all-too-easy thing to do. We wander off on a tangent because we're preoccupied and next thing we've judged someone--causing at times a great deal of hurt.


  • The Beauty in the Mundane
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] Have you ever been bemused by a cook cheerfully peeling potatoes, seemingly in a world of his or her own? Or what about a musician tuning an instrument, or a twelve year old delivering newspapers? All these are mundane tasks, but each one of these can be a vehicle to living in utter joy.


  • Goodbye Blue Sky?
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] For most people who grew up in the 1980s Pink Floyd were legends. Their song by the name of the title of this article speaks I think about the depression of wartime and of loss and ongoing, lasting devastation, particularly the lyric, "The flames are all long gone but the pain lingers on."


  • The Value of Scenarios
    [Business:Management] We can use scenarios in all manner of situations where enlightening people to the possible consequences of action is an imperative. They help us to prepare and plan for responses to situations, particularly emergencies and other time where capitalising on opportunities or mitigating threats is important.


  • Snapshot of "Costly Grace" - Possessing Grace Alone
    [News-and-Society:Religion] Bonhoeffer's theology hold for all of us. Grace is not a free gift in the sense that all deserve it without cost. That is fake grace that won't at all work. It is just 'paganism under a different form' as A.W. Tozer would say. The new believer converted under cheap grace is robbed of the Light and could be confused for years as to what all the miraculous fuss is about.


  • "I Don't Have a View" on That Issue
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] Let's say you're innocently doing your grocery shopping and minding your own business and as you move into aisle 18 to survey the dog food you're suddenly accosted by your overzealous neighbour of four years. You begin chatting and before long the subjects of foreign policy pertaining to the war in Iraq.


  • One Very Good Reason to Listen More
    [Relationships:Communication] Notwithstanding all the good reasons for effective listening, there is one more. Perhaps you hadn't considered it. I hadn't; well perhaps implicitly I had, but not consciously...


  • What Doesn't Kill Me, (Indeed) Makes Me Stronger
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche was a madman at his death--the way he finished the last nearly eleven years of his life; but he is attributed with the saying, "That which does not kill us, makes us stronger," and "What does not destroy me, makes me stronger," and variants. This man was an ardent enemy of Christianity and never saw the light of Christ, but I think he no doubt got a lot of philosophy right, including this one.


  • Life's Aim - Become Accustomed to Failure
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] The inevitable truth is this: we all fail. One of the keys to life success, resilience and staying power is how we deal with our failures--our failures do not define us, but our "response" to failure does.


  • Biblical Wisdom Works For Everyone
    [News-and-Society:Religion] Have you ever noticed people becoming promoted in the company you're in? Does there appear to be a pattern to it? What about marital relationships that survive as compared with those that fail? Is there a pattern to success and failure?


  • 'It is Well With My Soul,' Indeed
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] During a rousing rendition of the famed hymn It is Well with My Soul at church recently, I was heartily reminded of the peace that comes with the plain acceptance--through implied trust--of a sorrowful life circumstance. We recall that the writer of the hymn, Horatio Spafford, lost all four daughters to the sea, and with news of his wife 'saved alone,' he penned the hymn, it is said, over the very spot they plummeted to their deaths in the icy Atlantic. Spafford was no stranger to loss, this being the third such tragedy, and the worst, over a three year period.


  • Accepting Pain Gracefully
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] I was talking with a chaplain recently who works in an aged/palliative care facility and she said to me, 'I'm inspired by the lives of these people.' Later in the conversation, the subject shifted to the pain often experienced at the end of life and she remarked that the truly inspirational elderly were the ones who could accept the pain of their approaching death gracefully.


  • Simplicity and Parkinson's Law
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] "Parkinson's law stated that 'Work expands to fill the time allotted to it'. There should be a law of complexity which might go: 'Sufficient complexity will always be created to fill the need for complexity'." -De Bono.


  • Never Act Solely Out of Passion
    [Self-Improvement:Anger-Management] The easiest thing any of us can do is lose our cool. It happens without a moment's thought, and suddenly we're children again, and as the above quote alludes, we're certainly not our rational, reasonable, responsible, realistic or logical selves.


  • Recession-Proofing Your Wardrobe and Your Life
    [Finance:Budgeting] Most recession-bound people will be clamoring for ways to resist the inevitable and keep the comforts they've become accustomed to. There is news almost every day of the doom that impends; for example, only the other day the global threat of job losses to the tune of 50 million.


  • The Power and the Passion - Acting in a Leadership Role
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] I'm recalling another song of yesteryear in the recognition of the presence of competitiveness I've not known for some time. You see I've recently acted in my manager's position, a challenge I enjoyed. But, it opened my eyes to a fresh thing. It's the challenge of having your official authority usurped...


  • Beauty - Wasting Time With God
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Our imaginations are fired in the peace of simple nature, or lost in time with the company of a loved-one, neighbor or work colleague--if we allow it to occur. Suddenly something that I call 'thought production' can occur.


  • The "Person" of Woman Wisdom in Proverbs
    [News-and-Society:Religion] The Bible is so intimate about God it's not surprising that Wisdom is framed as a person; a woman to be precise. Over and again in Proverbs, she speaks or is referred to. She is presented in ways for us to understand. Wisdom is hence personalised.


  • The Art of Deception, Cleverness, and Wisdom
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Life is somewhat a matter of smoke and mirrors. The wise get wiser in spite of this reality of deception. They grow to appreciate the deception and get clever with it, using it to their advantage. They learn to predict, avoid, counter and adapt.


  • Delivering Bad News Sensitively
    [Relationships:Communication] We'd like to be 'nice' with people and effective in all our relationships, but that's not the way of life is it?--it's not always possible. With so many divergent priorities, goals, tasks and consequences in life we inevitably have to break bad news at some point or other. Here's a 3-stage process I've found that works.


  • The Daily Habit of Prayer
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] It seems to take a lot of effort for us to establish patterns where things like prayer can become a habit. I confess that I don't actually pray aloud that much, but I do converse with God on a fairly continual basis, in my day-to-day. So prayer is not always about having our eyes closed and heavenward and speaking aloud. But it is a 'continual conversation' with God.


  • Making That 'Hard to Make' Telephone Call
    [Self-Improvement:Personal-Growth] Recently I had to make a difficult call. I had to ring an estranged relative who was dying and let them know I was thinking of them and praying for them. He was going to be quite down, and there's nothing quite like trying to empathise with a dying person or a person who's very recently lost someone. Added to this, I was unsure what terms I'd be greeted with; the last interaction we had was acrimonious.


  • Addiction and God
    [Self-Improvement:Addictions] From M. Scott Peck's Further Along the Road Less Traveled: The Unending Journey Towards Spiritual Growth comes the following wisdom: "Addicts are people who have a more powerful calling than most to the spirit, to God, but they simply have the directions of the journey mixed up."[1] This is certainly true from my life experience; if those who develop dependencies and addictions need something or someone, it's God--and it is God and only God who can get them out of the entangled slavish mess that has become their lives.


  • Illegitimi Non Carborundum - Don't Let Them Get You Down
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] Do you remember the TV show Porridge? This BBC production was screened on ABC years ago and featured Ronnie Barker as the hardened but comical felon, Norman Stanley Fletcher, fellow prisoner, Lennie Godber, and two quite different natured prison guards, Mr Mackay and Mr Barraclough, in Pentridge Prison. One of the signature sequences of this production was the following:


  • A Dream Life Turned Hell
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] Jennifer Capriati was a genuine tennis champion and wonder-kid. At 13 years of age she became, for a short time, the youngest player to win the French Open junior title. Three weeks before her 14th birthday she turned professional--a young person with the world at her feet it seemed...


  • Resisting the Urge to Splurge
    [Self-Improvement:Addictions] Notwithstanding our spending behaviour, we characteristically suffer the temptation to give in to our impulses--if it's not spending hysterically it's simply another manner of malady. We fight and at times win over the temptation, but at others it wins over us.


  • Toward Peace and Happiness - Being Reconciled to Life?
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] Happy as can be? Truly? There have been millions of people in every age who've sought the elusive goal of happiness. Happiness, of course, is linked inextricably with peace. Peace could be defined as a healthy acceptance of the reality and demands of life, on life's terms; not our own.


  • "Preaching" the Gospel - The Practical Way
    [News-and-Society:Religion] Attending a 21st birthday is always a treasured experience. There's always a sense of enthusiastic youthfulness that accompanies the mood at such a traditional coming-of-age celebration. The twenty first I attended today however...


  • Beating Violence Simply and Creatively
    [News-and-Society:Religion] Charles W. Colson, reformed Watergate politician and founder of Prison Fellowship, writes in a convicted fashion about many of his significant life lessons in Life Sentence. He tells of being targeted by various members of the press for many political reasons. He writes about a young man, a gay rights activist, who interviewed him in San Francisco and then promptly 'served him' a chocolate meringue pie in quite painful fashion. His instinctive reaction was to punch him in the nose.


  • The Quickest Way to True Happiness - Deal With the Dross
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] Anyone who sees what I write knows I think a lot about refinement; I see opportunities all the time for advancing my character and I like to share these because, quite frankly, I can't be that unique! As I sat in a church service just recently, I felt the Spirit whisper three words a short space apart from each other. These words were redundancy--waste--dross. And this was all in the one image.


  • War, Peace, Nonviolence - Idealism?
    [News-and-Society:Politics] Having just read a 'very challenging' post by a pre-eminent on Facebook regarding the heights of hope on the very essence of peace a.k.a. real nonviolence, my heart buzzes with the possibilities. What if no AIDS; what if no famines; what if no wars. What if... love?


  • Jousting With the "Silent Tsunami"
    [News-and-Society:Pure-Opinion] Mother Teresa said, "Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person," and "If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one." Our compassion does not need to change the world; it merely needs to make a person smile or make a belly full, that's all.


  • Regaining Your Rhythm and Confidence
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] We've all had times when we've found ourselves recovering from an illness or an injury, a form lapse, a drop in confidence, or perhaps even a depressive episode. It's been perhaps a time of bewildering frustration. Nothing anyone could do could help us, it seemed.


  • The "Prayer of Faith" From James
    [News-and-Society:Religion] Nothing quite symbolizes the Christian faith more than prayer. It is an activity that we're instructed to do all the time (1 Thess. 5:17) and it's one way we can actually know God's will for us--if we're so attuned. But, the 'prayer of faith' according to James is perhaps a nugget which needs to be digested alone...


  • Psalm 84 - Joy in All Circumstances For Those Who Dwell With God
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] God is the safest and loveliest Dwelling, an 'amiable' (LXX) experience. He is both sun (i.e. provider) and shield (i.e. protector) in verse 11. This Dwelling place indeed travels with, and is present, with his people.


  • Are Your Expectations Too High For Your Young Person?
    [Book-Reviews:Self-Help] "The Princess Bitchface Syndrome" (Penguin Books, 2006) by Dr. Michael Carr-Gregg highlights the modern day phenomenon that many teen girls and their parents experience these days; one minute she's normal, quiet, loving, the girl-next-door; the next, someone totally estranged to logic and reason.


  • Let's Watch a While Longer
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] A new member of a team joins with high praise. He's succeeded in other roles and even in other fields of life, and is a friendly and generous guy, with time for people. A little later, however, there's a side to this person's approach to teamwork that wasn't known previously. He sends quite a blunt email on a bleak morning, and everyone gets to see he's human after all.


  • A New Start For America
    [News-and-Society:Politics] President Obama's Inaugural message: For all to be equal, all to be free, and for all to deserve their opportunities at happiness, all must plow the hard earth. Respect must be earned. We will overcome; we will do it together.


  • Choices - No One Can Upset Us
    [Self-Improvement:Personal-Growth] We alone have complete control over our choices. Saying that someone has upset us is merely an excuse. When we're blamed by others for messing things up or for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, we need to bear in mind the proverb above.


  • The Evangelical Tradition - 5 of 6
    [News-and-Society:Religion] It is essential in this tradition, and to the Christian faith no less, to hold fast to the belief that, as Emil Brunner put it, "The church exists by mission as fire exists for burning." Hence, this tradition's goal is of conversion and the saving of souls, by grace through faith.


  • Faith, Patience and Vision in Leading People
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] Life is a process of growth. In a sense, we never get there, but in another sense we do grow to conquer those things thought difficult, even impossible at some earlier stage...


  • The Christian "Social Justice" Tradition - 4 of 6
    [News-and-Society:Religion] This tradition sparks immediate thought of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King. His spine-tingling speeches and landmark action that sparked the American Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s were synonymous with the Social Justice tradition of compassion...


  • The Christian "Charismatic" Tradition - Part 3 of 6
    [News-and-Society:Religion] This tradition is about the evidence of God's Spirit upon the earth. It's about power, growth and joy in the Spirit. It's also, from my own personal experience, the key factor in how God uses us, for instance the gift to teach or encourage, or the gift to envision a future and advise people accordingly.


  • Is "Coffee" a "Date"?
    [Relationships:Dating] I learnt of an interesting story recently. A dad proposed to his daughter that they go on a date--you know to just 'catch up' and that sort of thing. This dad is a big believer in investing in his familial relationships, though he doesn't always get or make the time. The morning of the date, he said to his daughter, 'Should we go for our coffee about 11am?' To which she replied very innocently, 'Okay... [then a moment later] ...what time will we go for our date?'


  • Saboteurs of a Happy Marriage - From SYMBIS
    [Relationships:Marriage] Why do troubled married couples find it so inextricably hard to get out of the binding mess of hellish marriage and years worth of mutual discontent? How did they get there? It wasn't always like this, surely...


  • The Christian "Holiness" Tradition - Part 2 of 6
    [News-and-Society:Religion] Jesus showed us the way to the virtuous life during his Sermon on the Mount, punctuated by the law of love, or as James put it, the royal law. The virtuous life is timely, appropriate and able. A person with virtue demonstrates holiness in that they are response-able; capable of doing right at every turn. They're more consistently obedient to God and thus, fruitful in their endeavors.


  • The Christian "Contemplative" Tradition - Part 1 of 6
    [News-and-Society:Religion] This brief survey over six separate articles is a snapshot of the book, Streams of Living Water, by Richard J. Foster. There are six Christian Traditions highlighted for focus in the book: Contemplative, Holiness, Charismatic, Social Justice, Evangelical, and Incarnational. This is the assumed summary of the Christian faith.


  • The "Habit of Happiness" in Marriage - From SYMBIS
    [Relationships:Marriage] It's so sad that many who venture into marriage never achieve what they were destined to find--happiness and peace from the 'one-fleshness' of life devoted to another. Yet, all people who've married seem to relate with the struggles involved in achieving the peace and happiness available in marriage.


  • Finding Our "One True Authentic Swing"
    [Recreation-and-Sports:Golf] Golf, it is said... well, there's no game like it; 'you don't win, you just play.' It is a character-defining activity. There is no better setting or metaphor then, for a motion picture on regaining our (lost) true self.


  • It's Your Life, and YOUR Learning Ground - Enjoy It
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] Many people get upset with life; in fact, we all do from time to time. Things not working out, states of depression, regrettable things said and done, and things taking forever to progress when we want them our way, finished, and done with - we can't "fix" our lives when we most want to.


  • Grace Once More, Then Once More - That Does It!
    [Relationships:Conflict] The commencement of 2009 saw one thing change in my focus: for relationships to come first. Not that 2008 was a bad year relationally. I just found the Spirit ushering me gently to focus more and harder on my key relationships, and to respond more consistently in grace.


  • Facilitative Leadership - The "Easy Way"
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] It's an awesome place to be when we're with people--a team of people--all pulling together under fun and inspirational leadership. Ease, synergy and forward-thinking are three words/terms that describe the style... Enter 'facilitative leadership.'


  • The Art of "Hitting the Target"
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] When we've been at a game and seen someone take a great catch, make a key 3-point shot, or picked up a spare ourselves, we've not only done what we set out to achieve (or seen it done), we've done it in the pressure of the moment - we feel exhilarated. I heard the opposite of this recently when it was remarked that Michael Clarke would hit the stumps seven times out of ten, yet he'd missed on this particular occasion - he 'missed the mark.'


  • The Leadership Paradox
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] Leaders come to last willingly. This is a shocking thing to just say and most people would be strongly tempted to simply refute it as garbage outright, but hear me out, especially you non-Jesus-following people.


  • It's No Good Hating the Laws
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] They won't change you know. What I refer to here are the laws of life in this physical world like friction, gravity and static electricity... time, space and physical limits. Frustration is so self-defeating... it's so easy to avoid.


  • Intuitive-Feeling Types (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator) - The "Apollonian Temperament"
    [Relationships] If you're the type of person who's neverendingly searching the self, chances are you identify strongly with the Apollonian (NF) temperament. This person has the goal of "becoming"; becoming a better relater with people, for instance.


  • Choosing to Go With 'The Rub' of Life
    [Relationships] Getting our relationships right is about working with the flow of life and not against it; pulling things toward us and then pushing them positively on their way, for instance, in our communications. Going with the 'rub of life' is based on the 'pull-push principle.'


  • Always Act As If Your Acts Were Seen
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] Surely it is a great advantage to us to act as if we were under constant supervision... If we were to act as if we were constantly supervised we'd scarcely do a wrong thing, or at least the things we do that are wrong would force us to re-assess. We'd have the chance to turn around perhaps before it was too late?


  • Four Marks of a Healthy Personality
    [Self-Improvement] One gem isthe reading of Selwyn Hughes' re-telling of a valedictory message, on 'the four marks of a healthy personality,' held at Harvard University several years ago...


  • Don't Rescue People! Breaking the 'Dysfunctional Trio' Triangle
    [Relationships:Conflict] Have you ever had one of your children, a friend, or someone you know who's suddenly misplaced something due to their own lack of organization skills? Or maybe it's someone who's had life not turn out quite as they'd planned; an unexpected road-block has been experienced... problems. Ever 'rescued' someone in these situations and found it back-fired?


  • Open Letter to Divorced Parents
    [Relationships:Post-Divorce] I heard a paediatrician say recently that research indicated divorced parents get their post-divorce relationship right for their kids about a third of the time. Those parents who struggle (but occasionally succeed) to have a decent relationship with each other make up another third. The last third are apparently disaster zones; they have destructive, warring relationships with each other and the kids suffer greatly as we'd expect.


  • "The Joys of Life" From Ancient Sirach & Hebrews
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] What is joy? It is the superior life. A life anyone can have, but it's not a life that all get. Learn now from the ancients, some simple wisdom for true joy.


  • The Simple Act of Repentance
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Repentance is truly healing--it's committing to actively turning away from one damaging direction or action toward another more appropriate one--a turning toward God. It can also mean to adjust our tack slightly so as not to 'miss the mark' in future.


  • From the 100 Best Songs of All Time - 13 Noted Songs in Their Charted Positions
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Music] In a list dominated by Dylan, the Rolling Stones, Presley, and the Beatles, there are some classics that feature other popular artists. It's the chance to reminisce--back to a time when a particular classic made us stop and truly listen, absorbing our senses and emotions cathartically, solemnly or otherwise. The following thirteen (13) songs are highlighted out of a recent top 100 and are either personal favourites or noteworthy.


  • No Excuses - Just Simply Love
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] There comes a time in our lives, if we're extremely fortunate, when a spirit of change, and an earnest seeking to truly mature, sweeps over us. None of us are born mature; and to a point, we never really 'arrive' at maturity.


  • Knock Not Heard? - Knock a Little Louder
    [Relationships:Communication] As my wife and I arrived at the door of the Bride-to-be's house at a recent wedding photography job, we quickly found the party inside the house difficult to break-up. No one could hear us knocking.


  • The Shortest Psalm But With a Big Message! (Psalm 117)
    [News-and-Society:Religion] Isn't it amazing how cool it is that the best things come tightly packaged in very small things? A friend celebrates the breaking news of his wife's pregnancy on Facebook... small being but it's a big issue! And so it is with certain Scripture. Small in size but large in theological stature and relevance, is Psalm 117.


  • "But, I Just Don't Like the Kid" - Role Modeling to "Unlovable" Youth
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] Gordon MacDonald tells a story of young man (Tom) who has nothing much of note going for him; sloppy, disorganised, a coaster. This young guy seems slow to learn and is generally disinterested in the flow of life that most others his age find a breeze. His prospects are slim indeed.


  • The Sublime Friendliness We Find in a Total Stranger
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] Love is a serious business; opportunities to distribute acts of random kindness abound--at supermarket checkouts... service (gas) stations... on the roads... at work. Smile. You never know who might be blessed by your simple kindness.


  • Seeing Life Through God's Telescope
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] This is a way of living in the light and seeing all of life as both a divine, present mystery and unique living history. We're all vital players in the writing of our incredible personal histories.


  • Now, That's Mentoring!
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] Mentoring is mentor-driven whereas coaching is coachee-driven. This article discusses some of the attributes of good mentoring, using a parental setting to illustrate the mentoring role.


  • We Were Made For Companionship and Marriage
    [Relationships:Marriage] One point made during the message at a recent wedding I had the fortune of attending was particularly salient. "It is not good for the man (or woman) to be alone."


  • Never Give Up! The Breakthrough is Probably Just Around the Corner
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] "I think and think for months and years. Ninety-nine times, the conclusion is false. The hundredth time I am right." -Albert Einstein. There is actually a very biblical principle involved in enduring the pain of foreseeable defeat, persecution and suffering successfully.


  • That DRAINED Feeling - The Effects of Physiology on Energy Levels
    [Self-Improvement] We have times in life when our energy levels simply evaporate into thin air. And when this happens and we've still got more to do, it is ironically and especially taxing.


  • Time's a Funny Thing - Making the Most of It
    [Self-Improvement:Time-Management] How many of us have said or heard another say, 'Hasn't 2008 flown by?' We hardly ever notice a week go past and that there's ever any significance in it, yet we have a week go past like the 23rd to the 30th of December and suddenly it's noticeable, different and significant--Christmas has come and gone and the New Year is suddenly right on top of us. We mourn that the 'carnival is [nearly] over' according to...


  • Success at Last - Life Really is the Learning Ground
    [Self-Improvement:Success] M. Scott Peck said in his 20th Century classic "Wisdom from the Road Less Traveled"... "Our view of reality is like a map with which to negotiate the terrain of life... we are not born with maps; we have to make them, and the making requires effort. The more effort we make to appreciate and perceive reality, the larger and more accurate our maps will be. But many do not want to make this effort." This article teases out the potential meaning of this quote...


  • "Come to Wisdom, My Child" - The Structure, Form and Gist of Proverbs 2
    [News-and-Society:Religion] The competing forces of good and evil collide in the initial nine chapters of premium wisdom book, Proverbs. Chapter two in particular is a simple and conditional exhortation to go Wisdom's way. It features the simple cause and effect "if... then..." structure that bears constant relevance and should be part of an oral tradition in the upbringing of all young people.


  • The "Light Presence" in Our Relationships
    [Relationships] There is nothing quite like having friends, associates and colleagues who add no burden. They have a light, breezy presence about them and 'Kindness' could be their middle name--note the capital "K". Do you know someone like this?


  • The Unparalleled Beauty of Reality
    [Self-Improvement:Positive-Attitude] This article teases out the following quote, "Some people are still unaware that reality contains unparalleled beauties. The fantastic and unexpected, the ever-changing and renewing is nowhere so exemplified as in real life itself." -Berenice Abbot.


  • The Risks Involved and Encountered in "Change"
    [Self-Improvement:Inspirational] Seventy-three dead butterflies. This is the number of deceased 'morphed' caterpillars I saw that lay dead on the side of the road as I rode my hybrid bicycle during a recent summer-time aerobic workout. I can't say conclusively if that was the exact number, but it occurred to me there were a lot flying around, but a lot dead too.


  • The "Static Christian" - Nay, Let Us Go on Unto Perfection
    [News-and-Society:Religion] The 20th Century 'minor prophet' A.W. Tozer preached a series called the "Deeper Life" in 1956. This article is based on the message, "How can we enter in: Static Christian." Its message endures.


  • Is Life Fate Or Destiny? What About Opportunities Taken Or Missed?
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Philosophy] "Our lives are defined by opportunities, even the ones we miss." -Benjamin Button (played by Brad Pitt) in the movie, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. I found the abovementioned movie quite fascinating and particularly the quote above and the context with which it was placed.


  • Email - The GREAT Communication Villain
    [Relationships:Communication] We've all probably been warned before, and I dare say, we may still read this and still fall for the same old email communications trap every now and then. It's inevitable, though we should apply ourselves to the discipline of 'doing' communication more personally.


  • Jesus is the Reason For the Season!
    [Home-and-Family:Holidays] "And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn." -Luke 2:7 (NRSV) The Incarnation of God was born in lesser circumstances than you and I (assuming the typical Western birth in hospital or home). When we read Luke chapters 1 and 2 we are reminded of much Old Testament (the Bible before Jesus came and while he was here) prophesy that came to fruition in His first coming or Advent.


  • The Importance of Rhythms in Life
    [Self-Improvement:Organizing] It reminded me that there are all important rhythms in life that not only inspire confidence within us as we relate with our world, but these rhythms provide hope for the future as we look ahead. Rhythms give us joy as we reflect on our past achievements too.


  • Ignorance is Bliss - NOT - Dealing With Fools
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Philosophy] "I cannot divine how it happens that the man who knows the least is the most argumentative." -Giovanni Della Casa (1503-1556), Papal Secretary of State, Galateo. How much of our time is devoted to appeasing argumentative people, who are by definition, biblical 'fools'? At times our best defense against the fool is avoidance.


  • The Flavour of a New Year - The Relevance of Relationships
    [Relationships] Family values are a key to societal health and ultimately to life on earth. It is by these values, more than anything else, that we express our humanness. The compassion, consideration and concern we show the family members we love is the very same approach needed beyond our family, into the world.


  • Why We Take Our Safety For Granted
    [Self-Improvement] We take our safety for granted because, quite simply, we take calculated risks to ensure our comfort. Some of these risks are perfectly acceptable as the consequence is minor; but some risks are fraught with danger and sooner or later we stand to 'cop it.'


  • A Secret to True Success - Stay Positive and Agile
    [Self-Improvement:Positive-Attitude] The future is a scary place for many people. One way we can make the journey to the future more palatable is to stay positive and agile, working with the flow of things rather than against them. Let's not make the perfect the enemy of the good.


  • The Art of Heart, Mind (and Body Language) Reading
    [Relationships:Communication] I often write on the wisdom of 16th Century sage, Balthasar Gracian, and his "Art of Worldly Wisdom," consisting of 300 wise aphorisms. This offering below (in the quotation marks) talks mainly about reading the intentions of mind and heart.


  • Imitatio Christi - Our Most Relevant Objective
    [News-and-Society:Religion] Thomas a Kempis said once, "We must imitate Christ's life and his ways if we are to be truly enlightened and set free from the darkness of our own hearts. Let it be the most important thing we do, then, to reflect on the life of Jesus Christ."


  • The Prayer of Jabez - Its Relevance to You and Me
    [News-and-Society:Religion] The reward for this chosen life-style of being the willing vessel of God's goodness is that boundaries expand and influence grows, without any planning and scheming on our behalf. This is the life where we "have a front-row seat in a life of [everyday, not supernatural] miracles."


  • 8 Suggested New Year's Resolutions
    [Self-Improvement] The occasion of a New Year is a natural point to review what's gone and what's coming. Some people don't believe in New Year's Resolutions but even if they only come of age a tenth of the time, surely they're worth it regarding our commitment to ongoing self-improvement.


  • Nothing Beats Hard Work - In the Gym and In Life
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] We can learn a lot about life from the microcosm of the gymnasium. I saw a couple of guys recently working hard to reduce the load of extra pounds they'd accumulated over years of good living. They were both happy and talkative and seemed to be having a lot of fun.


  • Voting - Whether You Enjoyed the Read Or Not, Rate It
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Writers write for all sorts of reasons. Personally, I write because of an innate passion to express myself and help others at the same time; it's a huge bonus to get a rating which is qualitative feedback on your work. When we read articles, it is my belief, we should be disciplined enough to consider a fair rating as feedback to the author.


  • A Sad Fact of Life - Wisdom Comes Too Late
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Philosophy] Ever make a mistake so many times that you thought, 'Hang this, I'll never get it!'? This is the experience of life, or at least part of life, for every single one of us, and it's particularly relevant to our relationships; the closer the relationship often the harder it is to work it out.


  • Nothing Left to Prove, Nothing Left to Earn
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] The classic dysfunctional relationship is often characterised by the need of people to seek and earn approval, and prove themselves over and again. Conversely, as far as any relationship we might have with God is concerned, we have nothing left to prove, and nothing left to earn.


  • Compassion - The Test of Any Good Society
    [News-and-Society] We're currently being hit with a double-whammy; Global economic crisis on the back of the Global Food Crisis. Paul O'Rourke of Compassion believes these "twin tsunamis" will be the catalyst for the church to experience its finest hour. Professor Fiona Stanley, world renowned for her passion for children, paraphrased Nelson Mandela, "You can measure a country's soul by the way it treats its most vulnerable." How will we respond to our neediest?


  • The Goal of Leadership - Keep Everyone Happy
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] In leadership, there are always non-negotiable's that must be met. In business, there are key performance indicators that dictate our focus, for instance. But this is essentially the challenge of leadership: to keep everyone happy, as far as possible. This is where the leader, be it in the family, in business, or in sport, needs to be an effective negotiator, serving both the people and the broader interests of the family, business, or team being led.


  • Obama's Secret Characteristics - Presence, Agility, Stamina - They Could Be Yours in 2009
    [Self-Improvement] 2009 is a year that will welcome the much-vaunted President-elect Barack Obama, a leader who'll have the hopes of the Western world on his shoulders and beneath his wings. There are three words that could very well describe Obama; words with meaning that could transform us too.


  • The Common Curse - Greed Towards Advancement Vs The Faith Blessing
    [Self-Improvement:Goal-Setting] This issue is primarily about compromise. What are we prepared to give that shouldn't be offered. And who are we offering it to? That too, is an important consideration. It is good to be alert and watchful.


  • Givers and Takers - To Serve Or Be Served?
    [Relationships:Love] Giving's not simply about money, but time, and the provision of anything we have that's available for others in need. It's also the preparedness to do something for people, including chores and errands. This is one true way of showing our love, kindness and generosity.


  • On Suicide
    [Health-and-Fitness:Depression] Life is incredulous. How can it be that one moment we can be at our total depth, helpless and completely vulnerable, and then, only a matter of hours later, we're at peace again? The next step, miraculously, we find a way out.


  • Procrastination's Folly
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] The 17th Century marvel, Balthasar Gracian stated in his Art of Worldly Wisdom, "The wise do at once what the fool does at last. The message is simple: get started and keep going. Do this to experience the exhilaration and spoils of victory.


  • We're Bound For Glory (Whether We Like it Or Not)
    [News-and-Society:Religion] I recall singing Rose Tattoo's "Bound for Glory" buoyantly and gallantly after every major step toward a grand final victory; the finest hour of any sporting club. The team atmosphere was electric, each team member, and the group as a whole, fusing onto the concept of the coming glory of victory. It's a hard experience to match as far as an intrinsic, consuming joy is concerned.


  • A Good Basic Safety and Health Induction
    [Business:Workplace-Safety] Safety is about curiosity. It's about seeking to improve by questioning, inquiring; it's not about blaming others or perpetually finding faults with systems; it begins with a curiosity to change things for the better, making a safer workplace for all. This is a good, basic OS&H induction.


  • Alcohol's Impacts in the Workplace - It's Here to Stay!
    [Self-Improvement:Addictions] Alcohol and other drug policies are the norm in most workplaces these days. But, it isn't until we dig deeper into the subject matter that we discover how rife the societal problems are - particularly associated with alcohol - as they are manifested throughout the workplace.


  • 4 Roles of True Leadership
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] The four (4) roles of the true leader are as Catalyst, Facilitator, Coach and Exemplar. The best leaders are servant leaders. Read this article to possibly enhance your leadership style in serving your team, be that within the family, workplace, sporting team or ministry contexts, or a combination of these.


  • We Are Mirrors of Our Hearts - What Are You Giving Away?
    [Relationships:Love] Isn't it funny how when my wife motions with her finger around the left side of her mouth while looking at my mouth suggests I have crumbs or other food on the right side of my mouth? We mirror each other.


  • Burnout - What to Do About it (Part II of a II Part Series)
    [Self-Improvement:Techniques] In the earlier article titled Are You Heading Toward Burnout, I explained fundamentally the Symptoms and Signs and how burnout can manifest itself. I also mentioned that approaching burnout can actually be a very good thing. The body and mind (and spirit) are trying to tell us things; they're teaching us about ourselves. Suggestions for remedial action herein.


  • Symptoms and Signs of Burnout (Part I of II Part Series)
    [Self-Improvement] Medically speaking, symptoms are warnings we alone can notice, whereas signs are warnings that others can see in us. A symptom is a headache; a sign is heavy breathing--the former can't readily be seen by others, whilst the latter can. Symptoms are generally subjective whilst signs are objective in nature. To learn more about the symptoms and signs of burnout.


  • The Husband's Secret to Marriage
    [Relationships:Marriage] Imagine, as a husband, being perfectly supportive, gentle, affectionate, forbearing and forgiving. This is the picture of the husband of the inwardly happy wife. This article has answers for: Attending to Bitterness in Marriage; Engendering Love in Marriage; and, The Goal of Marriage.


  • Life's in the Waiting - It's What Life's All About
    [Self-Improvement:Inspirational] You're on a train on a 30-minute journey with stops every five minutes or so. It's like any other day...No one talks or engages with each other unless they're with a partner. Some pass the time listening to their iPods, others read; some gaze out the windows; still others talk on the mobile phones or engage in SMS chat.


  • Learning to "Chillax"
    [Self-Improvement:Stress-Management] I have learned many new 'right-now' words having teenaged children. Recently, words and phrases such as "ownage" and "shut down" have been used in reference to one person's influence over another.


  • "In Emergency, Please Use the Elevators" - A Sign in the Future?
    [Business:Continuity-Disaster-Recovery] The above instruction in the title of this article makes no sense to high rise safety traditionalists, but there is a paradigm shift sweeping the Globe in the science of tall building emergency egress (TBEE), headed by the research of Jake Pauls, CPE. It appears both elevators and stairways have relevance and applicability in TBEE, breaking a generations-old rule.


  • We're Less Impressive in the Flesh
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Philosophy] It's a resounding truth that we build people up who we've never met before and we can only be disappointed (or relieved) when we meet them finally, face to face. It seems there were at least some in the Corinthian church who were less than impressed with the apostle Paul in the flesh. The Paul said sarcastically to them, "I appeal to you-I, Paul, who am 'timid' when face to face with you, but 'bold' when away!


  • Beating the Bulge - Conquering "The Sad Story"
    [Health-and-Fitness:Weight-Loss] As a young guy his metabolism took care of things, thank you very much. He says the story starts not long after getting married. Like the vast majority of marrieds, his life got comfortable as he was lavished on home-cooked fare. Then came the kids and exercise took a decline momentarily. Then one day he looked into the mirror and said, "Who's that?!" Since 1992 he's exercised steadily, consistently, with little impact.


  • The Habit of Champions - Taking the Fork in the Road
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] There is something that separates the champions of life from the also-rans. Champions never give up. They don't know when to quit and they simply bounce back time and again. These people don't always achieve the fame and fortune they set out for--'luck' or fortune is an important determinant--but they do place themselves in the position of most-likely-favoured.


  • The Tangles of English Communication
    [Relationships:Communication] "Can you make sure the dishes are dry tonight, please?" This simple statement made by my wife recently can be understood two ways. Make sure the dishes are actually dry (noun, 'dry dish') in the cupboard versus the process of drying (verb) the dishes--that they are dried. Untangling English is about smashing the assumption...


  • The Art of Winning Friends and Influencing People
    [Relationships] Winning friends and influencing people is easier than we think when we have their best interests inside our hearts. Sure, we won't have converts all the time, but our averages will undoubtedly rise as we seek to place others consistently first--or at least equally with us.


  • Anger and Its Energy to Mutate (Includes Four (4) Don'ts)
    [Self-Improvement:Anger-Management] There's an insidiousness to anger that is difficult to fathom. It's a sinkhole. If we feed it or if we allow it go unchecked it takes up residence in us... anger can simmer for years. It can lay dormant for a long time. It becomes expressed eventually. But, anger can actually be good if we use it properly.


  • Three "Stops" of Jesus in the Gospel of John
    [News-and-Society:Religion] The Bible is littered with commands - whether it is Yahweh, Moses, the prophets, Jesus or Paul, or one of the other apostles, commands help the reading believer know what God's will is. For the adhering, ardent Christian there is no more important function for life than knowing God's will and doing it.


  • Why People With Sloppy Characters Are a Safety Risk
    [Self-Improvement] When we consider someone for a position where safety is essential, trust is vital. We need to be assured that the person has irrevocable levels of character; this is where compromises are not made when no one's looking.


  • Can Your Kids Go to You?
    [Home-and-Family:Parenting] What is parenting if not relationship? What sort of relationship are we growing between us and our children--what are YOU growing? We are the adults. You are the adult who loves your kid. You are motivated to loving them right?--even though it is incredibly hard work at times!


  • Simple 3-2-1 Diet That Works (Strips Away the Extra Pounds)
    [Health-and-Fitness:Weight-Loss] Being a purveyor of diets over half a lifetime now, I've tried a few. This one works simply because it is simple. Diet regimes all tend to come unstuck at one point or other, mainly due to a breakdown in resolve to keep up the early good work. With this one, that principle holds the same, but at least this regime is simple. Simplicity and delaying the gratification food gives are the keys.


  • The Wellspring of Life - Protecting and Providing For the Heart
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] We always find time for the things we enjoy. If we don't our lives get sad and forlorn. But what if we engage in things we enjoy and they aren't good? What if the desires of our hearts drive us to unhealthy passions?


  • Crisis Management in the Family, Personally, at Work - Anywhere
    [News-and-Society] Many businesses, cities, townships, and indeed families and workers--on the individual scale, are floundering in this day. The root cause is a loss of hope and a failure to negotiate a way through 'life with crises,' which seems part and parcel of life in this Century. How do we manage life in crisis?


  • Practical Strength - Gaining a "Just Do It" Attitude
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] Practical strength can be an elusive commodity. How is it that there are times in life when our strength evaporates and for the life of us we cannot be anything other than pitiable? There certainly appears no simple answer... or is there?


  • Faith Not Sight - We Do What We Think We Must
    [News-and-Society:Religion] There are no guarantees in life. We get a moment and we work with it. We get a moment more so we continue on. After many years of moments and doing our best to survive and thrive we could be forgiven for investing too much in the plan believing that we'll always be here. There are no such promises.


  • A Time For Everything - A Time For Now
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] We make our plans as bold as they are, filled with hope for sustained change. They do align with God's; he's prompted us thus far. We're merely moving in tune with him half the time. The time for change is now. It has to be today, not tomorrow.


  • When Given the Chance, "I Hope You Dance" - Lee Ann Womack
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Music] The words and music to Lee Ann Womack's classic song, I hope you dance, take us and our imaginations beyond our present into the unknown possibilities of the future and provide us with encouragement and confidence to take life on. It's a love song from a parent to a child or a mentor to mentee.


  • Some People Are Just Beyond Reach
    [Self-Improvement:Inspirational] The 'rock bottom' is the moment (or moments [plural] if we are slow at learning) in life when we come face to face with a tragic destiny all our own stupid making. It's when the 'birds have come home to roost' as the popular saying goes.


  • Being Kicked Out of a Home - Psalm 137
    [News-and-Society:Religion] We have the scene set before us of an errant and rebellious teenager rejecting the rules of the family home and the statutes of their parents. It was exactly like this when God allowed the Babylonians to carry his chosen people off to exile. What was it like? We could use a modern image...


  • Psalm 39 - A Breath Away From the Lord
    [News-and-Society:Religion] Psalm 39 recognises some facts of life regarding our acts and eternity and the Psalmist seeks to reconcile himself to them. He is fervently watchful of his tongue though he knows it's only a matter of time before he'll be pressed to blurt out something, later to be regretted; in this he acknowledges his need for God and the fact that his life is but a whisper, a wisp of air--his days numbered.


  • Lose Weight by Drinking More Water
    [Health-and-Fitness:Weight-Loss] This is certainly one of the simplest nuggets of truth around. In all the froth and bubble of life there's a flurry of bargain purchasing of exercise equipment and a plethora of weight-loss diets, yet this simple technique goes relatively unnoticed. And it's such a shame. When we learn to drink more... water, we find for several reasons we're more likely to lose weight and keep it off!


  • What We're Fighting Against
    [News-and-Society:Crime] Today was like every day of my life; there was something about it that I observe, feel and know through my experience every single day. And my life is no different to yours if you're reading this. Chances are that you're reading this because you're a caring person.


  • Judges - A Biblical Overview
    [News-and-Society:Religion] The Judge of the time is the LORD's representative. Even though judges are often called or treated as "saviours" it is YHWH who hears the cry of the people and on each occasion endows a judge with the Holy Spirit in order to deliver the people from their enemies.


  • Public Speaking - Getting Those Butterflies Into Formation
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Public-Speaking] Nerves come in all sorts of ways and can affect us at the most inopportune times. We want to say something at a gathering, or we're just about to do a performance, or there's that end-of-semester exam we've studied the past fortnight for...the list of things where nerves play their part is never ending.


  • 100 Reasons to Be Happy!
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] The gratitude list. This is an "antidote for complaint, worry, and for those who are depressed." It is not a foolproof or perfect answer by any means, but it works at least to some extent on everyone. It's the art of being grateful and the exercise is simply one of creating a list of one hundred (100) things we're grateful for. I'm sure you will identify with at least a majority of these things...


  • Life is the Learning Ground
    [Self-Improvement:Inspirational] The ultimate purpose of life on this earth is character development. Life is essentially about growing up and becoming mature, just like fruit about to be picked is rapidly maturing. The issue of fruitfulness is fundamentally linked to the image of maturity. And we don't become fully functional as human beings without becoming relatively mature.


  • The Greatest Miracle of Your Life is NOT What You Think
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] We're very apt to whinge and complain about our lots and the things we miss out on. It's our human nature, particularly when we compare ourselves with others - in keeping up with the Jones's. A simple illustration is the tall poppy syndrome.


  • The Wonder of Consciousness - Locked-In Syndrome
    [Health-and-Fitness:Pain-Management] Sufferers of Locked-In Syndrome have complete consciousness and can think and reason but they can't speak of move. Essentially they're 'locked-in' and are only able to communicate via blinking eye movements. They share the wonder of consciousness that defines and underscores our humanity.


  • How Answered Prayer Restores and Substantiates Faith
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] One of the most mysterious subjects of the Christian faith is prayer, particularly regarding how it works, and how it is answered. Many unbelieving people simply cannot entertain the logic of prayer. It is clearly something that must be experienced very personally. But, how does prayer actually work? How is it answered? There is probably no simple or succinct answer. But, let me take you into one way how prayer is answered from my own personal experience.


  • The Coaching Moment
    [Recreation-and-Sports] There are a lot of things we can learn about coaching from one simple game of under-12's tee-ball. On one particular day I witnessed some very insightful and opportunistic coaching and also some things not to do. I found it intriguing how much there was to be observed during this one game, let alone the catches, hits and throws.


  • First Timothy - A Short Exposition Regarding Ministry Focus and Formation
    [News-and-Society:Religion] First Timothy is a charge from Paul to his protege Timothy to strengthen, encourage and advise him in the ways of God for the minister of Christ; regarding leadership of the church. This essay seeks to tease out the message of First Timothy around the construction and maintenance of a ministry for God and his people, as well as the call, style and role of a Christian ministry.


  • The Cycle of Feast and Famine (And Our Current Financial Woes)
    [News-and-Society:Economics] Throughout history there have been cycles for all sorts of phenomena. Just as one time or season comes, another follows. We see it in nature with spring following winter, which followed autumn or fall. Fashion, an extension of our humanity, is the same.


  • Servant Leadership - Role - Organizer, Catalyst, Steward
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] We too easily forget when climbing our towers, achieving our own version of 'greatness,' of the people beneath us and how we depend on them. Truth be told, they too rely on us, but how often does the modern leader truly cherish his or her own subordinates? This, however, is the challenge of true leadership. For the processes they're charged with to grow the leader must recognise and effect personal decrease, and promote worker increase.


  • Jesus' Focus on the Poor and Marginalized in Luke - Based on Luke 4 - 16-30
    [News-and-Society:Religion] Jesus' initial address at the Synagogue in Nazareth, chronicled in Luke 4:16-30, hall-marked the arrival of His mission to "bring good news to the poor." This essay seeks to focus on this key event and to explore the Lukan focus of the ministry of Jesus, regarding His interaction, concern and works, to the poor, within the Gospel.


  • When Justice Just Doesn't Cut It
    [News-and-Society:Religion] Christianity is much more than the law. The Archbishop of York states very plainly the fact that there are often times when decisions are made according to the law yet the moral right is transgressed--and that's not love. And so often does the world and so-called Christianly people do this.


  • Christmas is Coming
    [News-and-Society:Religion] It's a month away and the cycle of consumerism, debt, acquisition and joy will soon hit - even with gloom of recession hanging over us - big time. The shops are getting busier as lists are being made for presents for dear ones. Depending on what area of the world you're in it's either going to be summer or winter; hot or cold climates bring the opportunity either to swim or ski.


  • Stories - The Power of Leadership
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] This quality of story-telling is not simply the art of oratory or skill in engaging the heart. It is however, ostensibly about demonstrating a compassion and empathy of people and struggle through an actual happening as a way of projecting hope out of a despairing situation.


  • Protecting the Vulnerable Worker From Injury & Disease
    [Business:Human-Resources] My daughter represents the vulnerable worker: those predominantly aged 15-24, those with disabilities or impairments, seasonal and holiday workers, and those from either culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) or non-English speaking backgrounds (NESB). She fits neatly into the first group. This article focuses on protections for young workers.


  • Character is Learned by "Imprinting"
    [Self-Improvement] Character cannot simply be studied; it must be seen and observed in models who are respected and admired for it to be 'installed' as a personal quality. When we think of our positive models, those we imprinted certain characteristics from, we reminisce with a particular fondness, don't we? Imprinting is a concept not foreign to acquisition of character.


  • Psalm 112 - "Great Delight" For Those Who Fear God
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] This psalm alludes to the important character qualities of courage, compassion, generosity, and endurance and also reminds the follower of Christ of the security and assurance of being in one accord with God. This companion to Psalm 111 is a great delight of encouraging instruction. The article is a character-commentary on Psalm 112.


  • Now, That's Salvation!
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Sheer paradox; that is the only way to describe it. First you're at one end of a large spectrum, and then it seems you're catapulted to the other, and, in the matter of a moment. It's a paradigm-shift in every sense of the word. It defies intelligent and logical explanation, yet it is entirely real, perhaps the realest thing there ever was. It is the process of being saved.


  • Letting Things Pass Through to the Keeper - Relationship-Facilitation Wisdom
    [Relationships] A mix of relationship, facilitation and Christian wisdom is contained in this article. It centers on care that needs to be taken (prudence) in not going down a path that ought not be explored. If you go to meetings that go nowhere fast this might help...


  • Performance Managing Relationships - Getting to 'Distinctive' Competence
    [Relationships] Becoming distinctively competent within our relationships is about year after year of practice, growth and reflection. It requires humility and a desire to want to be a positive influence in every life we touch. There are three (3) levels of relational competence outlined in this article...


  • 2 Indispensable, Powerful Soul Traits - Purity & Courage - And How They Work Together
    [Self-Improvement] These two juxtaposing character traits, employed effectively, can produce for us a great blend of appropriate courage that is both both yet entirely respectful of other people. It is courage based in love.


  • A Momentary Lapse of Reason
    [Relationships] It happens; a moment of cerebral dimness. You're in a meeting at work and suddenly you've said something inappropriate or untimely or laughed at something that demonstrated poor character. You're suddenly hyper-aware of it during the ensuing seconds; pangs of regret form immediately in the heart and little beads of sweat form on the brow... It's a momentary lapse of reason... what to do?


  • Your Divorce and How it Affects Your Child
    [Relationships:Divorce] If you're planning a separation or divorce and you have children (and you love them) my advice to you would be think again. You cannot afford to do it. The only situation where separation or divorce could even be entertained is where there is absolutely no chance of a healthy reconciliation. This is relatively rare for those in mature relationships where the longevity of the years is there.


  • Buzz Lightyear - Not Flying, But Falling With Style
    [Self-Improvement] During the 1995 animated classic, Toy Story, Woody the cowboy action figure says to Buzz Lightyear, the intergalactic space ranger superhero, "Buzz, you're flying," having already established that he was simply an action figure like himself. Buzz replies, "This isn't flying. It's falling with style." Earlier in the movie, before they recognise they've got common goals, Woody uses this same phrase to ridicule Buzz' assertion that he can actually fly. This is an encouragement to us...


  • Sam Sparro - "Black and Gold" - A Spiritual Interpretation
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Music] Sam Sparro's Black and Gold is a bold, legible song all about truth. It asks the critical question... 'Why this world and all things in it?' If not God... if he's not here... nothing actually matters.


  • Merging the Public Life With the Private
    [Self-Improvement:Success] Ever hear of stories of respectable professional people who were leaders in their craft, and even effective leaders of people, yet when they were caught out as paedophiles, drug users or alcohol abusers, or wife bashers they almost instantly self-destructed? Once the closet door opened they were seen for what they actually were behind the thin veneer of their public persona.


  • The Way We Handle Defeat Defines Us
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] Have you even noticed how cringingly awful it is to see a person or team defeated? It happens in the sporting arena all the time, day in, day out. There's a winner and there's a loser. Just to be a supporter is hard enough because you put your emotional stake up there every time, risking disappointment for the exhilaration of victory.


  • 4 Success Factors to Help You Achieve Almost Anything
    [Self-Improvement:Techniques] At a recent brainstorm and dump session discussing the issues of power and influence the facilitator gave a succinct sentence describing the perfect leader. To paraphrase her description it would go something like this: the person has a lot of drive, energy and enthusiasm--they're capable and have capacity about them; they make things happen.


  • Real Healing - Practicing "Unconditional Presence"
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Do you sometimes sit at home on gloomy, overcast days and ponder vacantly the security of being in a warm, cosy, sheltered home, protected by walls and a roof from the elements? There's some feeling of indwelling sanctuary our inner child experiences as we watch the effects of the wind blowing and the rain falling. We're caught up in it; it's mesmerizing and rather cool. And this brings us to the wonderful safety of "unconditional presence"...


  • The Narrow Way of the 'Road Less Traveled'
    [Self-Improvement] Not many people will read this article and more is the pity because more people need to know and apply its truth. It is simply this: it is only when we truly accept responsibility for EVERY decision and juncture of our lives we'll begin to approach freedom and healing of the brokenness within each of us. I'll bet you believe this doesn't apply to you... you could be mistaken.


  • Two Wrongs Don't Make it Right
    [Relationships:Conflict] Conflict is rarely, if ever, solved by one party taking task with another. Conflict can only really be handled one way. The party on the receiving end issues grace, both in the moment (and this takes courage and faith) and later or as time goes on. They don't allow a resentment to build, because they managed the issue within their own mind and heart in the first place.


  • When Your Problems Become THE Problem For Others
    [Relationships] Anne Morrow Lindbergh once said, "When one is out of touch with oneself, one cannot touch others." I find it in myself. If I'm not at peace within 'me,' pity the person who comes to me for my help. I'm not all there for them. A key lesson in life is if we don't address our problems we can become a pain for others.


  • Hosanna! Jesus, Promise Keeper!
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] This whole story is about God's deliverance in the midst of unrelenting persecution. In faith, this man simply stood meekly for the broader purposes and promises of God and as a result this veteran believer has seen many miracles and many brought to faith through the ministry he supported.


  • How Doing Favours Wins You So Much More
    [Relationships] If my hope and joy evaporate for any reason, so it seems does my innate willingness to 'meet' people and their needs of me. Failing to oblige someone when it might be a big kindness to them but of relatively low cost to me, means missing an opportunity--obliging is a worthwhile activity in anyone's language. Taking care to be obliging often costs very little for much potential gain. Sage Balthasar Gracian's wisdom is tapped into here.


  • When Commitment Smacks You in the Face
    [Relationships] I think we've all faced this challenge one time or other. We've either been acting in a job or been in a situation where we've reaped benefits without bearing the corresponding costs. We see it a lot in de facto and boyfriend/girlfriend relationships. What about when you're suddenly required to make the commitment?


  • "Freedom of Choice" - What You Want
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] Freedom of choice never comes without responsibility. The key freedoms always impact on others; our freedom does not ever entitle us to what we want to the degradation of others. True freedom of choice is the choice for the right thing in everyone's best interest.


  • 11 Examples of Maturity in Biblical Tradition
    [Self-Improvement] Wisdom is maturity and vice versa. The sage knows that maturity is the final test. As a tree bears fruit in the right season, so does the seeker who ardently follows the path of righteousness, justice, and fairness come to bear much fruit regarding loving, grace-filled acts.


  • Four Freedoms
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Philosophy] Former US President Franklin D. Roosevelt (a.k.a. FDR) lived and served in tumultuous times, his life ending at the death throes of World War II in April 1945. He was held to say, "It is a very good thing to demand liberty for ourselves and for those who agree with us, but it is a better thing and a rarer thing to give liberty to others who do not agree with us." Here are his four freedoms.


  • Beating Stress at Work
    [Self-Improvement:Stress-Management] Occupational stress is becoming an increasing problem and the links between workplace and familial stressors, health and productivity are becoming better recognised. Whilst it is normal for us all to feel pressure from time to time at work, if this pressure exceeds our ability to cope, or we don't have the social support, and the state of distress continues for a long period, we can easily become ill and suffer health effects as a result. There will also be impacts at the organisational level.


  • The History of Teenagers
    [Kids-and-Teens] We don't tend to think in terms these days of anything other than a stage of life called 'the teen years,' thought it appears that at least some of the population choose to refuse teens their unique role in today's society--that they actually are different. This is a history snapshot with information from Dr. Gary Chapman of Love Languages fame.


  • Kevin Sheedy (AFL Mega Coach) On Leadership, Teamwork and Consultation
    [Business:Management] Why did it take 2,000 years for humankind to invent wheels on suitcases? It's because people are like that. As people, we miss opportunities to make improvements all the time; for Kevin Sheedy, this is one way to describe the act of leadership: it's making things better, resisting the very human default drive to be staid in our thinking.


  • You're About As Happy As You Choose to Be
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] Choice is a word that can't be overstated. Yet we tire of old truths that never change. They seem to bore us. We make a goal to choose to be happy, for instance, and we do so well for a few weeks and then little by little we forget ... When we're discontented over our lives or what we have or the roles we have or the roles others play in our lives, we ought to remember that we still have a choice; to be content or to be discontent.


  • What Exactly is Spirituality
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] It's amazing the questions that are posed during a work meeting, especially with one's manager-once-removed! A cup of coffee and a coaching/mentoring session can dredge up almost anything, which is part of the beauty of taking time out to simply 'relate'; a luxury not often afforded busy 'secularians'. At the end of the session, walking back to the workplace, knowing my penchant for things spiritual, the question came: 'So, what exactly is spirituality?'


  • Managing the Moment - Endure & Enjoy
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] How frequently do we lose control of a situation and only realise it when it's too late? Regrettable actions highlight the tremendous value of managing the moment. We all have our weaknesses when it comes to being present and reacting to life stimuli adequately and appropriately.


  • Strengthening Our Weakness
    [Self-Improvement] We all suffer crises of the heart or constitution or resolve. Then we find ourselves entering our weakness. Periodically we're singled out for testing and re-proving; this to me seems to be a fact of life for every person. The following aphorism by Balthasar Gracian makes clear sense but I have broken it up into chunks in quotation marks to further explore, 'How we overcome perplexing difficulties in life?'


  • The Coaching Leadership Style
    [Business:Management] Given the choice, how would you rather be led in the workplace? To be told what to do often does not work. The coaching leadership style is characterised by the method of asking and is much more akin to contemporary leadership. The more directive style is not favoured for a bunch of reasons mainly because it is a form of telling... coaching is so much more affiliative and democratic. Leadership for the 21st Century.


  • Relationship Makers - Take Your Time
    [Relationships:Enhancement] There are fewer more enjoyable things in life than mixing with people and forming positive, rich relationships. These are the very things that we'll look back on at the end of a long life--it's not the things we'll have accumulated, but the ties with people that we've made that will characterise our lives and provide meaning... There's no substitute for time in forging relationships. Taking our time is a vital life choice. The promises of busyness never bear fruit in the longer run.


  • Perfect Supervision
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] Perfect leadership is sometimes paradoxical. Sometimes when we get too directive and too controlling we stifle the creativity of someone who might just have the right ideas that we don't. The Brad Bird model seems to be to "get people excited about what [he's] excited about."


  • World Financial Crisis - What It's Telling You
    [News-and-Society:Economics] As we look around us we see people about us whom we'd normally expect to provide leadership at the highest (financial) level crumbling at the sight of circumstances bringing the Westernized market-economy society to its knees. It almost does not appear real and the universal impacts certainly do not bear thinking about. What has brought us to the brink of a worldwide recession? And what does it mean for us? We inevitably face this question, thinking of the personal, familial and community impact of such times...


  • 2 Effective Listening and Influencing Skills
    [Self-Improvement:Techniques] There are piles of effective listening courses and books available; a myriad of information and resources on the subject, yet there are very few shining examples of how to do it well. And there are several reasons for this disparity. One of the chief reasons is the lack of relational rapport or credibility, with people trying to influence change from a very poor position. No wonder there's scant success. Here below are two very simple and effective ways you can achieve huge influence.


  • One Act of Random Kindness at a Time
    [Self-Improvement:Inspirational] In the motion picture, Evan Almighty, Morgan Freeman plays God. At one significant point he tells Evan Baxter, the recently elected congressman, that to 'change the world,' which was Evan's catchphrase during his election campaign, that it simply takes "one act of random kindness at a time." Just how do we do it? It's about recognizing opportunities and acting on them. It's also about...


  • When Life Is - "I Just Don't Want to Wake Up Anymore"
    [Self-Improvement:Grief-Loss] We seem to live in ways as if we were never not here. Then when we are stricken with the searing pain of loss we suddenly realize life is not quite like we're used to. It's raw, dirty, and even too real, if that could be said. This is what the Lapthorne's will have experienced; something quite unreal and tortuous, yet it is very, very real--it's a reality that could come to any one of us. It's a reality that punctuates life making it almost realer than real.


  • How to End That Marriage of Yours
    [Relationships:Divorce] "High maintenance!" Rod barked, as he told me all about his former partner of a decade or more. "I just got to the point of realizing that women aren't worth the amount of work and upkeep required," he continued, bitterly, though in a calmly resolute and philosophical fashion. Rod has three teen-aged children to his former defacto spouse (Denise) and they've been separated for five years now... find out how they did it as a thought-provoker.


  • 8 Great Greek Word Concepts For the Soul
    [Self-Improvement] These eight (8) Greek words and concepts are truly soul-reviving taking us back to the core of our being. We can live at the pinnacle with faith, courage, patience, thankfulness and love. Come and explore.


  • Resilience is Elastic
    [Self-Improvement:Techniques] Like the physical quality of elasticity, resilience is the human quality of adapting flexibly to the needs of the given situation. In other words, those with great resilience 'snap' back rapidly from loss and disappointment; they believe innately that these issues are not going to stop them doing what they choose to do. And not only do they believe this, they have the actual ability to adapt their thinking response and behaviour to the new situation.


  • You Can Only Ever Upset Yourself
    [Self-Improvement:Anger-Management] At the end of the day we can only ever upset ourselves; sure, we can upset others, but that is not the subject in focus here. We're discussing our own emotions and the corresponding control of them. No matter the stimulus, we have the power to respond 'in the adult.' Recall that 'adult' behaviour is reasonable, responsible, rational, realistic, and logical. More explained...


  • 6 Keys in Delivering Messages in a Crisis
    [Business:PR] The 1918 influenza pandemic created terror in the hearts of the populace mainly because the messages going out to the public were sanitised and minimised in an attempt to reassure the public; unfortunately, it backfired. We must implement communications strategies that are simple, timely, accurate, relevant, credible and consistent...


  • 8 Attributes of Organisational Leadership
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] "Excellent companies provide two things simultaneously: tough environments and very supportive environments." -Tom Peters. Some of the transformational 'resilient' attributes of great leaders - and certainly represented in Charles H. Lightoller - are as follows.


  • Letter to the "Unhappy Drinker" - Hope at Last
    [Self-Improvement:Addictions] The problem drinker is confounding both to him or herself and to just about all others their lives touch. They routinely and chronically harm themselves and others with their lack of self-control; and if they are the type of user of alcohol that's able to tightly mask its effects, they're no closer to remedy than the wanton alcoholic. The following message takes ideas from the chapter, "A Vision For You."


  • In Case of Emergency, Don't Panic!
    [Business:Continuity-Disaster-Recovery] In most emergency procedures it states, "In case of emergency, don't panic!" So, what do people do? They panic. It's an automatic, instinctive response. Threatening things are happening in the midst of the crisis, so what response do people have control of? Panic.


  • "Be the Bearer of Praise" - Commentary on Balthasar Gracian
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Philosophy] Praise is untouchable. Nothing can come close to it for genuine strength of impression. It's inspirational and motivational and all from the purest of motives. Praise is based in truth as flattery is based in lies. It fervently wants the best for others and self. The Art of Worldly Wisdom is an enduring classic and with this advice we know why. There is something princely and regal about this advice that follows, italicised. Be the bearer of praise and this will be something like how it is...


  • Wisdom is Making the Most of Every Opportunity to Do Good
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Philosophy] Everyone knows we're here not for a long time, but a good time, right? I know, there are two ways you can read that... typically, people use that statement as an excuse to do things with their bodies and minds that defy the laws of health and common sense. Just the opposite is true. How do we have a genuinely good time? Living wisely has the sense of 'redeeming the time.'


  • On Generosity - "The Faithful Steward"
    [News-and-Society:Religion] Stewardship is about the effective management of resources; in Christian terms it is more. It's faithfulness and depending on God to guide and provide. Direction is taken and the key test is back to the Sine's' quote. When all is said and done, others should do at least as well as self.


  • Be Transformed - Become an Overcomer
    [Self-Improvement:Inspirational] There is a secret to life that is hardly ever understood let alone realised and achieved. But successful people -- people with a history of longevity of success i.e. proven success -- always seem to employ it. It is the science of faith to overcome. The US Marines are famous for their 'improvise, adapt, overcome' slogan. What I'm suggesting is very close to this US Marine philosophy. It is hard to implement because it is very practical... yet, with a simple faith it is quite straightforward to do.


  • Wisdom and Balance in Judging
    [News-and-Society:Religion] The paradox of judging people: there is a hypocritical trap in judging people adversely. But in this there is also the trap of self-condemning oneself when suitable and godly judgment need take place. Christians are apt at falling into both traps. This article looks at what Paul meant in Romans 2:1 by the way we judge others. It must be accompanied by humility, including ourselves in the scope of the judgment.


  • 40 Descriptions of Faith
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Poetry] Faith For centuries many have mused and created literary works and art to describe faith. These here are but a mere portion of the concepts of faith; 40 of them.


  • Don't Hold Your Views Too Firmly - Commentary on Balthasar Gracian
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Philosophy] "Every fool is fully convinced, and every one fully persuaded is a fool: the more erroneous his judgment the more firmly he holds it. Even in cases of obvious certainty, it is fine to yield: our reasons for holding the view cannot escape notice, our courtesy in yielding must be the more recognised." -BALTHASAR GRACIAN.


  • Act While There Yet is Time!
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] Are you ever guilty of putting the cart before the horse? What about doing the nice work before the necessary? Or do you find yourself rushing about constantly arranging urgent priorities? Most of us think we have so much time, yet we get trapped by our lack of time all the time! Work, rest, and play. These must all happen. Let's make sure we do our work so we can truly earn our rest and play. Let us act while there yet is time.


  • 8 Key Leadership Attributes
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] How do we suitably define the role of leadership? We cannot. Like wisdom, truth, love, and life, leadership cannot be adequately defined in a library full of books. But what we can identify with, having been subject to good leadership, is the following eight (8) characteristics that surely speak volumes in the study of leadership.


  • Sleep Apnea - What it is and Management
    [Health-and-Fitness:Sleep-Snoring] Commonly affecting overweight men over forty years of age, it's also associated with heavy alcohol consumption. Sleep apnea is a serious and significant health issue in today's age. Apnea literally means 'no breathing.' Snoring is often associated with sleep apnea, and sufferers often snore in between episodes of apnea. Referenced tips are included in this article.


  • Team Maturity - The Wisdom of Teams
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] The maturity of a team seems to me to be the function of, or the difference between, the actual requirements of the work in achieving the overall objective compared to how much "stroking" of egos or inefficiency of team maintenance is required at group and/or individual levels. I suggest the narrower the gap the better and more mature is the team.


  • Peace in Relationships - A Christian Perspective That Works
    [Relationships] Do you ever notice that in certain relationships we find a comfort within ourselves being with a certain person or group, and this can be described as "peace" -- when we're truly able to be free to be ourselves? And then in certain other relationships, for some reason there is not this same comfort, we don't feel ourselves i.e. we can lack peace.


  • Exemplars of Maturity - The Goal of the Christian Life
    [News-and-Society:Religion] The ultimate goal for the Christian this side of heaven is maturity of life and of faith. This is a faith life borne of love, hope, peace, and a myriad of other virtues all forged through the furnace of life, bringing the believer to a resilient core -- safe with self, and safe with others too and consistently so; a blessing in fact.


  • A Beautiful Mind's Focus - Ideas, Events Or People?
    [Self-Improvement:Positive-Attitude] There is so much beauty around in this world, yet there is also so much garbage and negative stuff. Those high-minded amongst us are set apart by the ideas and concepts that flood the mind rather than filling it with the events of the world and people we can talk about, and other 'tasty' (or tasteless) morsels.


  • The Rewards For a Good Life Lived
    [News-and-Society:Religion] We might think we're here for a long time, but ask most octogenarians and they will say life's swift. Looking backwards over a lifetime it certainly must look that way -- that life is fleeting -- even if we can't see that now. The message is plain; we'll get what's coming to us. God sees even what happens in the secret places.


  • Power and Influence
    [Business:Management] Influence is critical in leadership. In the book Understanding Influence for Leaders at all Levels, Professor Nick Forster contributes the abovementioned chapter and profiles five (5) sources of organisational influence: personal; positional; expert; reward; and, coercive. His findings, based on a large study involving 750 proponents, is telling...


  • Do Not Live in a Hurry
    [Self-Improvement] "To know how to separate things is to know how to enjoy them. Many finish their fortune sooner than their life: they run through pleasures without enjoying them, and would like to go back when they find they have over-leaped the mark." -Balthasar Gracian. Commentary on this maxim...


  • The Heart of the Human Problem
    [News-and-Society:Religion] The heart of the human problem is the... problem of the human heart." -J. John. People who are captive to sin (and cannot surrender to God) betray their own hearts and defeat themselves. And this is an absolute fact for all of us. Salvation is a continual process. We must always continue to grow in our journey with God, by daily surrendering our heart to him, or we delude ourselves. Fortunately, surrender is a process learned and mastered better the more we do it.


  • Evidence - The Best Guide to Trusting People - Rely on It
    [Relationships] Our relationships go best when we're objective about people and give them first the benefit of the doubt regarding their intent. There is nothing quite like the 'evidence test.' Our perceptions and attitudes so often prove us wrong if we give way to them. Don't fall for that trap. When we discipline our minds we can achieve anything regarding relationships really. Here is a process to employ.


  • Life is Like Preparing For a Bullfight
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] One day we will no longer live in this world -- survived by our children and grandchildren one would hope. Looking at death from this perspective, should that change our approach to living? I wonder if bulls know of their fate. I wonder what more we can do or what we can change to bring about a better result in the end?


  • The Privilege of Listening
    [Relationships:Communication] The privilege of listening finally is we save ourselves the embarrassment of being revealed wrong and ignorant. It's a saving grace to listen. It brings peace and everyone who sees us listening can help respect us. Listening is so counter-cultural that with it we'll stand out as excellent communicators even though we say less. People love to be 'heard' i.e. listened too properly. It is blessed to say less.


  • He Ain't Heavy Mr, He's My Brother - A Gospel Song?
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Music] The aura that The Hollies' 1969 song, "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother," produces is fascinating to the senses. Akin to the Righteous Brothers' hit "Unchained Melody" in its reality for love, closer perhaps than one could truly experience with another person, this song brings with it links to Boys Town, founded by Father Edward Joseph Flanagan.


  • Gallantry, Generosity, and Fidelity - Tools For War
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] When all is said and done, if we fight, we must pick the right one, and also employ the right values-based strategy. Would it not be a good thing if these three: gallantry, generosity, and fidelity, were last of all found in you? Now, that is real spiritual leadership, wisdom, and emotional intelligence... and a raft of others, all rolled into one.


  • Distinctive Spiritual Insight
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] When we can 'fix' our thinking and incorrect perception and paradigms using this skill of spiritual insight, we're well on the way. In emotional intelligence terms we're discussing self- and social-awareness. Being totally self-aware is the beginning of it all.


  • Addressing the Damage Berating Ourselves Causes
    [Self-Improvement:Self-Esteem] When we've taken a blow or two during a particular day, we can berate ourselves can't we? We get into this 'cognitive loop' whereby we rehash the silly error, or that thing we said we feel embarrassed or guilty for; over and over again it goes through our minds... Ideas for addressing same.


  • Meditation on Psalm 1 - Blessed Are Those Delighted in God
    [News-and-Society:Religion] The picture of the tree of life is presented to us in Psalm 1; the believer who applies him or herself to the knowledge of God. They do not wither, and do not want -- they are well fed and prosper in the general sense all their lives. So it is with this prologue psalm; the vast pole dissimilarity of those who seek to do right versus those who don't care a toss. One prospers while the other fades away.


  • Success, Failure Or Nothing - Are You a "Player"?
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] "The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by sweat and blood; who strives valiantly..." -Theodore Roosevelt. Players are those who actually enter the arena. They boldly try, and fail. They succeed too, but only after much toil and often much failure.


  • Taking Delight in One's Kids
    [Home-and-Family:Parenting] When we genuinely spend ourselves totally -- our time, effort, and enthusiasm -- with our children and grandchildren we often reap much more than we thought we would. It is a complete surprise how good we feel inside. And, our children need us in these ways.


  • Those Who "Fear God and Do What is Right"
    [News-and-Society:Religion] On discovering God's plan for the redemption of all humankind and not just the Jews, Peter said, "I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right." (Acts 10:34b-35) And so it is with us. Those who truly are Christian strive to fear God and do what is right.


  • Great Movie Quotes - One From Cliffhanger (1993) On Persectuion
    [News-and-Society:Religion] John Lithgow stars as Eric Qualen, a particularly mercenary and psychopathic character, in Cliffhanger. At a particularly tenuous moment in this flick, Qualen says, "You want to kill me, don't you, Tucker? Well, get a number and get in line." It captured a poignant moment where another less psychotic person might have felt concern for their own safety and wellbeing... read on for a fearless spiritual take on this quote.


  • Conflict and the "Brotherhood" of Humankind
    [Relationships:Conflict] It never ceases to amaze me how easy some people fall into conflict and then can't return out of it. It's like they must stick to the defeated notion of their own way and pride. It's an 'I win, everyone else loses' approach. It's a foolish approach because in reality nobody wins. The words of a sage command attention:


  • Christian Internal Versus External Locus of Control
    [News-and-Society:Religion] Isn't it bizarre how differently people deal with adversity? Some people seem to get crushed very easily with the slightest thing against them, and yet others' defences seem almost impenetrable -- they accept the worst, deal with it, and appropriate the truth about themselves into their very beings. And there are a multitude of responses in between those two great extremes. This article studies internal locus of control in the Christian.


  • Help Save Road Lives - "Flash Your Lights"
    [News-and-Society] If you think this is a good idea and will help bring more order and sense to fellow road users give it a try. It's something I've tried and it not only works but it also dilutes the effectiveness of road users flashing their lights when there is a police presence. Flash Your Lights to save road lives.


  • A Good Idea in Life - Think Beforehand
    [Self-Improvement] On thinking beforehand, the sage Balthasar Gracian delivers a maxim that beckons us to consider our ways before regret sweeps over our troubled brow. We all have them, regrets. It's therefore a very wise thing to minimise and mitigate them as much as we can, and certainly before they occur -- prevention's better than cure.


  • Caution About Taking Advice
    [Self-Improvement:Success] "Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth." -Everybody's Free to Wear Sunscreen.


  • Tests Always Come - Prepare For Them
    [Self-Improvement] "I'm giving up Monday," said Joe as he munched into a Big Mac and fries -- staunchly committed he was to giving up junk food. His weight had ballooned to personal record levels and he knew that at age 35 he needed to rein in his deplorable health habits sooner rather than later -- he was beyond depression -- he was inspired to start afresh and reverse his spiraling health and halt the crisis. Come, see how Joe went.


  • For Those Who Seek Sagacity
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] The totality of wisdom is far above humankind. We can only ever partially represent it in our relations with ourselves, others, and God. Those who think themselves wise give themselves over, in the same moment, to folly and the worldly disposition of inherently flawed human wisdom.


  • Jesus on the Holy Spirit - From John
    [News-and-Society:Religion] John is outstandingly regal Scripture of the utmost veneration proclaiming Jesus as the Son of God. So fitting it is that raw teaching on the Holy Spirit should be set here. John quotes Jesus plainly instructing his disciples regarding how the Spirit is to charge the world with guilt to repent -- essentially, now is 'decision time.'


  • Discipline That Works - Until it Doesn't
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] Team discipline: a phenomenon that comes about when a player on a team turns aside to the collectively espoused code of conduct of the team. In a word, it's rebellion. It's a flouting of the agreed law for individual and selfish gain, and it brings with it the potential of undermining team unity. It must be swiftly and consistently dealt with.


  • I'm Going to Miss Not Living by the Sea - Psalm 93
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Poetry] I will miss not living by the sea. The pounding waves so vividly remind me of God's tantalising grace. In all its regal splendour, my God is projected upon a world that does not see and does not care to see. How pitiable we are not to see the sheer brilliance of him who creates. He concomitantly is. Yet we do not see. We do not miss it. Yet I will; him in it, in fact.


  • 'Counted Worthy of Suffering Disgrace' For Proclaiming the Author of Life Fearlessly
    [Self-Improvement:Inspirational] The story of the Acts of the Apostles as told by Luke is an amazing series of events, miraculous signs and wonders, spiritual conversions, and faith over the first thirty years of the Church. Nothing more personifies the apostles' courage and depth of faith than the stories of fearless preaching in the Name of Jesus in the face of stern opposition of the Sanhedrin and ruling Jews.


  • Being Stuck With a Terrible Reputation
    [Relationships] Getting stuck with a terrible reputation that's just plain wrong is an altogether easy thing -- in fact, it's too easy. People have such long memories. It's a general rule in life that if we ever did something negative to someone, and worse still, memorable, it will take many months and even years to put right the incorrect perception people have developed. So, what to do?


  • Perspectives on Workload Overload
    [Self-Improvement:Time-Management] I know of people in lower management positions doing seventy hours per week. Those above them are doing that and more in some cases. Some apparently do it for the sheer thrill, some for the kudos, some more for the spark of achievement; some also for the adrenalin... and some do it because they plain love their work and co-workers and company. Yet, it's known to be unhealthy!


  • Reflections on "Australian Idol 2008"
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] I love watching snippets of Australian Idol and other such shows that deal with truth. One of the things that I think these shows bring out is the vast amount of denial in people who get up and obviously can't sing! My wife said to me, 'Surely their friends need to be more honest with them before they enter something like this.'


  • Out of Balance - Getting Off the Seesaw
    [Self-Improvement] Balance is hard to achieve and maintain. But it's not impossible if it's important enough to us. There are few more important things in life, surely, than being balanced -- prudent and diligent in how we live. We need to fiercely guard our balance and remain insightful as to the things we have to do more, or do better, or do less.


  • Who Has Authority Over Me?
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] John 19:11 is such an encouragement to all true Christians. It's a statement of reliance in only one power; monotheistic worship of the Godhead three-in-one.


  • People Like to Be Right - Give Them What They Want
    [Relationships] Humans are the funniest creatures. We all like to be right. We all like to win. We all like to be popular and have lots of friends and supporters. Not many go out of their way to be found wrong, to lose, or go against the flow.


  • Mary Chose What Was Better
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] The story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10 reveals truth about choices, some for good, and some that are far better than "good". Life is littered with choices, especially in this rich Western life we have in our day. This story gives us a clue regarding the best choice. Mary chose what is better.


  • Sounds and Signs of Life
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Poetry] The poem was inspired during experiences of nature gained from a trip to Pemberton, Western Australia, on 19 May, 2008, as part of my first Wedding anniversary. Creation is so beautiful; it's more than we can ever take in... And it's always been here, from the beginning. The "song" goes on.


  • Why Doesn't He or She Change? Because It's Not Yet Important to Him or Her
    [Relationships:Conflict] How do we get important people in our lives to change? How do we influence them in real ways as to see them doing the things they ought to be doing, or stop doing things they shouldn't be doing? The main problem is 'your issue' is not yet important enough to them for them to change. It's 'your issue' after all. It needs to become 'both your and their issue' or 'their issue' for change to have any chance of sticking.


  • "The Total Agony of Being in Love" - Love Actually
    [Relationships:Love] I recall a time not so long ago when I was "totally in love" with this young lady to the point it was agonising. It consumed me and I would muse about her for great periods of time -- not many days would go by when I didn't invest significant time thinking about her, both subconsciously and consciously, I'm sure. It was distracting and paralysing in retrospect. How do we rationalise this behaviour -- we need to guard our heart.


  • True Leadership - The Glass is Always Half Full
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] Real leadership is transformational in most, if not all, lives it touches. It achieves the transaction as required -- no more, no less -- but fills the persons working with it with a want for more. So, leadership's about people. People want to be fruitful; by virtue of the visceral sense of accomplishment -- once we know this euphoric feeling, we cannot help wanting to explore more growth and spiritual achievement.


  • Grace and Truth - Two Vital Ingredients Toward Love
    [Relationships:Love] Loving communication is a balancing act. One way to define love really fully -- in general relationships at least -- is the enmeshed state of truth combined with grace; the ability to state plainly the issue at hand but do it in a way that is completely sensitive to the other person's feelings and anyone else's. Such a thing requires both tact and courage... honesty and compassion... respect and candor.


  • Happiness Lies in Your Own Hand
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] "Circumstance has no power over you. Your inner weather is always and forever at your command." -Olga Rosmanith. Madonna, one would think, would not have too many top-charting gospel songs, notwithstanding her alleged Roman Catholic faith. But as I listened to her song "Secret" just recently I developed the notion that it was very much gospel-related. "Happiness lies in your own hand."


  • Don't Be Fooled by Momentary Defeat - Pressing on to Victory
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] "The greatest test of courage on earth is to bear defeat without losing heart." -Robert G. Ingersoll. It may be difficult to learn, but training ourselves to not momentarily quit is a very worthwhile activity. And it is about training. It's a habit. It's about complaining less and getting on with the task at hand. It's learning and applying resilience.


  • Who Sees When You're Unaware? And Who Cares?
    [Relationships] Paranoid? How often are we "seen" yet we're completely unaware of it. Fortunately, most of us are not famous or anything other than ordinary; we blend in quite well with our environment, particularly when our behaviour is not too 'out there.' Privacy in the world of close relationships and even those not-so-close might be a little overrated if we have trust in a higher power. This is an argument against paranoia.


  • Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and Relationships
    [Relationships] Opposites attract. We've come to expect this in relationships so Jim and Jo's example doesn't surprise us. It's almost as if people who are similar end up being opposites in any event as even the smallest differences tend to become polarised in life as a couple. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator can help explain differences giving a couple an enhanced sense of togetherness.


  • Society of the Burning Heart and a Passion For God - The Spiritual Journey of AW Tozer
    [Book-Reviews:Spirituality-Religion] Some books are refreshingly spritely in their representation of truth, and Lyle Dorsett's portrayal of the 20th Century prophet, Aiden Wilson Tozer, a.k.a. A.W. Tozer, is abundant in its accuracy and thoroughly researched. This article is based upon, and summarises, Dorsett's book.


  • Choose Life - The Way of Spiritual Progress
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Just because we'll never attain perfection this side of eternity doesn't mean we shouldn't strive for it. "Just do it," is Eugene Peterson's paraphrase for this very thought. This is the matter of 'choosing life.' Striving for perfection, yet acknowledging and accepting we'll never achieve it i.e. holding perfection in tension with fallibility, is the essence of a resilient commitment to 'hold fast with God' to achieve spiritual progress.


  • Travelling 'With' Teen Children
    [Kids-and-Teens] Adult behaviour is consistently realistic, responsible, rational, reliable, and logical. It's a rock in the sea of change and emotion. It's the role of parent to provide this. If we waver in our adult-effectiveness -- and our teen children will reveal this lack in us most of all -- how can our children rely on us to provide the developmental basis they require to function as well-adjusted adults at the end of the process?


  • Relax, Cope Better - Recognise Unlucky Days
    [Self-Improvement:Positive-Attitude] We all have them -- "unlucky days". Nothing we do seems to hide the fact; it's not our day. We play just as hard and just as fair as any other day -- or at least it feels that way -- but it won't make any difference. We must plainly recognise unlucky days and deal with them best by being gentle with ourselves.


  • The Folly of Fellowship - Lies and Truth
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] In the words of Rev. Dr. A.W. Tozer, "Schopenhauer said, 'The more a man is in himself, the less he will want from other people -- the less, indeed, other people can be to him. This is why a high degree of intellect tends to make a man unsocial.' If "a high degree of intellect" were changed to "a high degree of spirituality" the saying would still be true." This article is a study of what he said about this in large.


  • What is This Deeper Spiritual Life?
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Spiritual people tend not to be able to maintain the crescendo of the salvation experience for long. With a burst they live miraculous, hope-filled faith lives, yet eventually the spiritual fervour settles into a groove at best; a back-sliding at worst. We seem destined to lose our way. It's our history and it's our nature. And not only do many never come to truly know God, many who claim to know him never REALLY do in the truest sense.


  • Reflection - Reverse Carpe Diem - Numbering Days
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] The act of reflection is a much discussed and much vaunted activity, yet I suspect many spiritual people still don't do it or don't do it enough. There is so much gladness of spirit to be derived from planning life and reflecting back over it spiritually. Here is a special way of reflecting.


  • Life Secret - Beating Boredom
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] It's said to be one of the chief things in why teenagers get up to mischief is boredom; that, and too much money. Boredom is ironically ever-present, even in our busy world, and it's a surprisingly innocuous but destructive force.


  • The Human Face of a Crisis - Some Lessons From Beaconsfield
    [Business:Management] Imagine for a moment you're a senior manager at a mine and you've just plunged into crisis -- three of your men are trapped underground feared dead. As the crisis mounts by the second you suddenly learn that the families of all three miners have now been informed by a "caring" fellow employee that their father, husband or son is dead. You've not even had the time to think!


  • Psalm 2 - "This is My Son" - A Commentary
    [News-and-Society:Religion] Psalm 2 is the renowned second part to the introduction of the Psalter (with Psalm 1). It announces God's sovereignty. Both Pss. 1 and 2 juxtapose each other; Ps. 2 is the LORD's contemptive response to the derisive nations (the kings of which THINK they rule) that the Messiah is the true king of all creation. He alone has full power of sovereignty.


  • 'Elegant Simplicity' - Achieving It
    [Business:Management] When we achieve simplicity in a way that includes all the complex issues that must be taken into account we have achieved "elegant simplicity." People are key to this, and leadership is crucial in engendering teamwork toward more simple and powerful solutions to problems and issues.


  • Timeless Advice - Wear Sunscreen
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] I recall a time when I was driving back from University (College) having failed one of those bewildering computerised human biology exams ... as chance would have it, I turned on the car radio as I travelled home and the 'Sunscreen Song' came on. I was immediately taken with the timeless wisdom of the song. It awakened me spiritually!


  • Demonstrating Personal Leadership - We Only Get One Go
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] Imagine arriving to lead an international forensic team in Tsunami-ravaged Thailand days after with no time, no staff, and no money. With clarity of purpose, Detective Inspector Peter Baines 'managed the chaos with certainty' -- citing the example of Mayor Rudy Giuliani's leadership during the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center. Unique challenges require unique solutions.


  • Destructive Double Talk - A Very Real Peril
    [Relationships:Communication] The way people communicate with each other often leaves much to be desired. Language plays a key role in human double-mindedness; duplicitous people in faithless relationships; floating attitudes with no firm-ground-based values. When language is flimsily regulated and flattery and slander get open billing, we know we're in for lots of conflict.


  • Spirituality Does Not Last
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] We know that material things will never satisfy us -- ultimately. But, an incredible lie is that spirituality will -- in the longer term. Some people believe that we can reach the ultimate in satisfaction through spirituality. This is wrong. Spirituality is merely the start.


  • 2 Powerful, Resounding Words - "No" and "Now"
    [Self-Improvement] Learning the application of these two words in the context of your life will vastly impact your ability to live wisely; a balanced life. These two words are very simple in meaning -- for this very reason their meaning is in POWER. "No" and "Now" are simply miraculous words you can't afford not to consider.


  • A Killer Marriage - A Husband's Dying to Himself
    [Relationships:Marriage] At a table of young people and relative newlyweds I witnessed a conversation sparked by a question to a couple married 32 years. I'm still unsure what the actual question was, but the answer which was long deliberated over was, "The wife must kill her husband (for the marriage to thrive)." This answer led to a long, deafening silence. The man then explained himself further, clarifying the meaning of the absurd statement.


  • Gospel Flavour of "Bridge Over Troubled Water"
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Music] "Bridge Over Troubled Water" is a wonderfully inspirational yet expansive song for the downcast complete with music and feeling of epic proportions. It's a creative touch of God for humankind; a miracle of creation and modern day art. In the spiritual sense, it's a 'saving' work that must have saved thousands upon thousands of lives.


  • What Makes You Cry?
    [Self-Improvement] What makes us cry says a lot about us -- equally, what makes us laugh also says a lot about us. In the preview to the book of Lamentations, the NIV Study Bible mentions we cry for one of two reasons; it's either for self-centred reasons or God-centred reasons. Why do we cry?


  • Life - Main Product Or Byproduct?
    [Self-Improvement] We all struggle with something or other. Some struggle with people; some with process; some even more struggle with patience, or any combination; people, process, patience. Yet struggle is the essence of life. Struggle is byproduct of life; learn about, and focus on, Main Product. You'll be glad you did!


  • Loving Your Work Colleagues
    [Business:Workplace-Communication] You spend more time with them than possibly some of your most loved ones. They're responsible for your life -- your safety and health -- to a certain extent, and they also know you better in some ways than you even know yourself -- they are your work mates and colleagues. Discover ways of actually enjoying your work mates.


  • Re-Starting Life - Fresh Start, Fresh Hope
    [Self-Improvement:Addictions] Have you ever been trapped by a thing, perhaps a habit or an attitude (could be smoking, junk food, procrastination etc), and felt, 'the only way out of the rut was... [Complete the sentence]. I have to share this because it is so vital for me and for restoring hope when I begin to lose my way. Do you ever lose your way?


  • The Penetrating Effect of Gladness
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] "What wisdom, what warning can prevail against gladness? There is no law so strong which a little gladness may not transgress." -Henry David Thoreau. What a bolt of thunderous truth is this offering? Gladness penetrates. Gladness has an oily joy about it. Be glad.


  • Life is About Waiting
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] All of us have to wait for things. Nothing worthwhile comes easy or straight away. But time does come and change does happen. It often happens slowly enough for us to enter into it, to get involved, to think, and to engage with it. Life is otherwise too quick for us.


  • The Wisdom in Listening Before Speaking
    [Relationships:Communication] Peter Drucker said, "To improve communications, work not on the utterer, but on the recipient." Let's have a look at the benefits of listening before speaking.


  • Conditional Acceptance - A Fundamental Flaw For Any Church
    [Relationships:Love] Acceptance is tested most in times of difficulty. Can we still accept people when their actions irritate us? Jesus accepts us unconditionally even though we must seemingly irritate him all the time! Of course, God does not see us as we see each other. His acceptance and tolerance is TRULY unconditional.


  • "I Love You, Lord" by Laurie Klein - Tribute and Critique
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Music] Do you ever sing and analyse the meaning of the words that are uttered under your best singing voice? I do. Recently I did this whilst singing "I love You, Lord" at church and found cause for complaint regarding the theology of the song... now it's true I concede, most worship songs falter somewhat on theology.


  • Filling the God-Shaped Hole Inside Each One of Us
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Each of us has a 'God-shaped' hole inside of us. Each of us must know God for him or herself. We could have four theology degrees, and be raised in the most loving Christian household all our lives, and know all the worship songs going etc, and still not know him. We must personally relate with him, and be able to sense the favour of both his rebuke and praise and respond appropriately.


  • Dealing With Honourable (And Dishonourable) People
    [Relationships] This article is a commentary on Balthasar Gracian's Aphorism #116 - ONLY ACT WITH HONOURABLE [PEOPLE] -- Never have [anything] to do with such (dishonourable people), for if honour does not restrain a (person), virtue will not, since honour is the throne of rectitude. Find out that dealing with honourable (and dishonourable) people is an issue closer to home than we'd usually think.


  • The Cadence of the Human Spirit and of Creation
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] There are times when we're out of rhythm and our cadence is either too fast or too slow and we rush ahead or fall behind; leaving others behind or we don't keep up. We seem to try too hard or not hard enough. It bemuses us and we get frustrated with ourselves. Then there are times when we're 'on-song' and truly everything happens with the least effort. There is a rhythm to life.


  • Becoming "Invincible" - Spiritual Messages From the Movie and Vince Papale's Life
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] The 2006 Walt Disney classic "Invincible" starring Mark Wahlberg showcases a truly inspirational sporting story based on Vince Papale's rise to pro-football team the Philadelphia Eagles in 1976. This article looks at the spiritual virtue of HUMILITY in the context of Wahlberg's portrail of Papale in the motion picture, and how humility is a key ingredient in achieving success, in sport, and in life.


  • God in Skin & Sex Addiction - A Portrait of an Intimate Sy Rogers Seminar
    [Self-Improvement:Addictions] For anyone who's facing addiction, particularly sex addiction, this is for you. You perhaps can't do it (recover from your illness, and stay recovered) without God. If you're helping someone face their issues this may also be worth a read. Having travelled the journey himself, Sy's input is very encouraging and empowering.


  • Reaching Freedom in Life - Finding a Truer Joy
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] It is part of life to accept we are not in control. The earlier we embrace this truth the better it is for us. Is it not human to be frail and limited in our capacities? In this way, suffering -- being inevitable -- gives us the ability to minimise its affect on us. Acceptance of these facts is the key to finding a truer sense of joy (and therefore, freedom) in life.


  • Wedding Banquet Parable of Jesus' - Matthew 22:1-14 Commentary
    [News-and-Society:Religion] The Parable of the Wedding Banquet is the last of the three "true-faith" parables which set out to reveal the true people of God -- this is not as obvious as it seems. As was often the case, Jesus' intention was to turn the tables upside down to bring the mighty low and the exalt the humble. Will you be dressed appropriately on the appointed day?


  • The Gospel According to Mark - An Outline
    [News-and-Society:Religion] For those who want to learn more about the Gospel according to Mark, this article is an outline of important theological and structural issues of the synoptic gospel of Mark including: historical and pastoral context, its purpose, the structure and key characteristics of Mark. This will help in your understanding of the gospel. Written in as plain terms as possible.


  • Disappointing People When Trying to Satisfy Them - A Common Mistake
    [Relationships] Number 246 of Balthasar Gracian's "The Art of Worldly Wisdom" encourages us to save our best efforts for when they're required. The 17th Century Jesuit priest chronicled many wisdom teachings that are as relevant today as the day they emerged from his mind. This particular gem refers to our propensity to try to please people and the folly of that particular plan.


  • World Youth Day Celebrations - The Message
    [News-and-Society] For all followers of Christ, the WYD celebrations currently going off in Sydney are a boon for real-time faith, and the message of hope to the world. Young people are being asked to stand up with text messages from the Pope that read, "Young friend, God and his people expect much from u because u have within you the Fathers supreme gift: the Spirit of Jesus - BXVI."


  • Hope For the Discouraged
    [Self-Improvement:Inspirational] Dr. Marcus Dods is quoted: "The world is unintelligible except on the hypothesis that it is for our schooling, and that he that sows in tears is the likeliest to have sheaves worth gathering." It takes courage to keep going despite unimpressive results or even the pain of torment -- of investment without return. It requires a pure and simple faith, complete with a pinch of wisdom, to keep going under those conditions toward the hope of things turning around.


  • Achieving the Goal - We Do Not Break Faith in Leading the Way
    [Relationships:Conflict] Most people don't see themselves as leaders. A warped illogicality on this thinking is everyone is a leader. We all make decisions, even in our personal lives. Being resilient and not breaking faith is the key. How not to let emotions dictate in your life. Stay in control and succeed.


  • We Were Born For Such a Time As This
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] One cannot help be inspired when reading the triumphal stories of history and the Biblical story of Esther from the intertestamental period is no exception. The lessons for us are: have faith to wait on God, and prudence and diligence to act when he calls. If he stands for us, who can stand against us?


  • Overcoming Adversity and Defining Wisdom in the Psalms
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] Crenshaw defined wisdom as, "The reasoned research for specific ways to ensure personal well-being in everyday life, to in some way make sense of extreme adversity and vexing anomalies, and to transmit this hard-earned knowledge so that successive generations will embody it -- wisdom -- is universal." Find out how wisdom can help you overcome your adversity.


  • Don't Get Too Comfortable
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] I know a manager who had achieved a marvelous amount of change and influence over several years and lots of hard work. He had made his mark. He'd achieved everything there was to achieve. Another man had done the same thing; he'd achieved everything in his field of endeavor, a high profile and brilliantly successful sportsperson, and then something happened that brought it to an abrupt end -- he grew content with what he'd achieved. Comfort zones are dangerous.


  • Know a Little More, Live a Little Less
    [Self-Improvement:Time-Management] Number 247 of Balthasar Gracian's "The Art of Worldly Wisdom" gives us timeless advice to preserve our minds and hearts for the real fights of life. Millions still live by the wise words of this 17th Century Jesuit priest; his many wisdom teachings are as relevant today as the day they emerged from his mind. Commentary follows...


  • Hope in the Midst of Rampant Dysfunction
    [Relationships:Conflict] In the midst of the storm, when the heat melts everything else, abiding love is the glorious underpinning, ever enduring. It transcends by a million times and more what the evil of selfishness tries in vain to destroy.


  • Communications Bonanza - Keep it Brief
    [Relationships:Communication] Do you want your speech to be concise, packed with value, and full of information? This scholarly article provides a stack of reasons why it's best to keep our verbal communication as brief as possible. It's for expression, understanding, and also moral reasons, among others.


  • The Peace of Be-ing - The Beauty of Be-ing
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Poetry] What a life life is when you are simply be-ing. It's lovely to just "be." Slowing down to allow life to catch up with us is tremendously gratifying. You too can have it. It may last a few minutes... an hour, a day perhaps. Once you've had it, you want more... insatiable peace and wellbeing.


  • City of God - Significance of the Christian Fish
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Philosophy] Many people see it every day but do not know what it means. It's the Christian fish symbol. Many postulate that it's because many of Jesus' disciples were professional fishermen, but there is an even more interesting theory. It's an ancient acrostic that hints at a clue.


  • Renewing Your Strength - Soar Like an Eagle
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] Overcoming great odds or adversity is the story of dreams. The stuff of nightmares is the direct opposite; fear, failure, hopelessness. We've all had times when we faced these sorts of odds or found we had to make significant, daunting change. This article will motivate you to higher resilient hope.


  • A Cry in Anguish, Heard
    [Self-Improvement:Inspirational] If you have problems, settle them the wholesome way. It's the only way it works perfectly. God's sovereign Spirit to anoint -- your hands will have the power to do it, whatever it may be. Have faith and hope and trust in the Lord. Don't choose the god of alcohol or drugs or any other thing. Go to God and pray. This is an ancient message of the psalms: No. 61.


  • Resolving Spousal Conflict - "Clearing House"
    [Relationships:Conflict] This is an idea to sort through contentious issues effectively in the home without confrontations escalating into World War Three. It's a technique I've learned recently, it's very simple, and it works if you persist at it. Imagine resolving seemingly difficult issues easier using a tried and tested process. It enables you to 'log' difficulties and then move on. It's called Clearing House.


  • Exhibiting More Patience - Two Distinct Types
    [Self-Improvement:Success] One of the golden virtues is patience. Patience is more than a virtue -- it's a whole system of thought and being. The whole truth is this: patience has never come natural and easily to anyone; not now, and not a thousand years ago. No one is born patient. These two types of patience can be developed to full potential.


  • Who Belongs With God?
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] What are the qualities a person needs to belong with God? These are the ones to strive for: Psalm 15.


  • When God Consciousness Becomes a Non-Negotiable
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Philosophy] Part of my life objective involves the word "focus." It fits together, and in the middle of: SIMPLIFY-FOCUS-OVERCOME. I find it's the way I have to try to live my life now. It's like my life turns out hellishly when I do not sincerely simplify, focus and seek to overcome my difficulties. Difficulties can become mountainous otherwise; but they become pitiful when my focus is cogent. It's feels like an all-or-nothing journey for me.


  • One Thing You Really Must Do - Part III - Dig it Up
    [Relationships] This series profiles each of the "9 Things You Simply Must Do - to succeed in love and life" by Dr. Henry Cloud. We've already covered Part I: Be Humble, and Part II: Upset the Right People. This article focuses on discovering or unearthing: the hidden potential that lies in each one of us, as well as the pains and hurts that prevent us from becoming successful. We need to 'dig up' this treasure and invest ourselves in it.


  • Step-Parenting's Answer - Supporting the Non-Parent Spouse
    [Home-and-Family:Parenting] Here's a process for getting children engaged in change. One new lesson I discovered very recently pertained to supporting my wife in her relationship with my daughters relating to an important issue for her. My insipid support of her in one small area (for me) was damaging relationships in what was becoming a rather large area of concern for her. It involved something as simple as bathroom cleanliness.


  • Marriage Was Always Meant to Be "Demand Free"
    [Relationships:Marriage] It appears to me, with a few years of marriage history behind me that a golden rule of successful marriage might be to make it 'demand free.' Now this might sound obvious to some married couples and marriage experts, but it's something I've had to learn through experience. Let me go on. I'm going to differentiate between 'demands' and 'expectations.'


  • Team Leadership - Tried and Tested - Found Good!
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] Leadership is many things. Leading teams is a small yet significant part of leadership. I learned the following process whilst with the CRA Organisation in the 1990s and it continues to serve well today. It emanated from Ian MacDonald et al's studies into team leadership and membership in the British military. The process is as follows...


  • Nothing Beats God's Grace to Forgive
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Philosophy] Only when we choose to accept God's forgiveness can we accept our painful pasts... through God's grace -- it's nothing we could do. When we know God's forgiveness, we can easily forgive others.


  • We Can't Please Everyone
    [Relationships] Do you ever notice that the easiest way to lose your joy and zest for life is to try and keep everyone happy? It can be exasperating. This is most notable in professional, vocational and family situations. Often times, immature people in those areas will demand unreasonably of us, especially if our main goal is to set out to please them in the first place. This article offers 6 practical tips and advice.


  • How Did I Just Do That?
    [Self-Improvement:Stress-Management] Bewildered we might be, and astounded in retrospect at how silly we've been, but we should understand, it's basically our nature -- to make silly mistakes. If we haven't made a clanger lately it surely won't be too long before the next one comes along. Be gentle with yourself.


  • Starting the Day in a Consistent Way
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Poetry] If you find the start to your day is vital for finding a successful attitude, try this mantra. I wrote it for personal reasons and it's meaningful. It will guide me peacefully through the thunderstorms of daily life.


  • The Top 10 Creative Ideas - in Business, in Life
    [Business:Top7-or-10-Tips] The following Top 10 creative ideas come from a feedback report I had access to from the "What's the Big Idea" conference held recently on the east coast of Australia. I thought these ideas were worth a second look and some commentary.


  • Plan Out Your Life Wisely
    [Self-Improvement:Organizing] Number 229 of Balthasar Gracian's "The Art of Worldly Wisdom" suggests a process for life planning that warrants attention. The 17th Century Jesuit philosopher is attributed for many wisdom teachings as relevant today as the day they emerged from his mind. Viewing life from this sort of holistic perspective will inevitably lead to what I'd term as "life health."


  • Transform Yourself - Create New Mental Pathways
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] The great thing about making mistakes is learning new and different responses to situations that work. It takes awareness first, and then the courage to act, and then thirdly, the resilience to re-train our minds toward new habits; this means essentially building new mental "pathways" that become the 'default' way of thinking and acting.


  • Accepting the Defeat of Failure Successfully
    [Self-Improvement:Success] Do you fail often? Do you, every now and then, fail to complete a task properly? Do you fail in your relationships with people? -- Every now and then? Everyone is faced with such questions at various stages throughout life, and we can fall for the trap of flagellating ourselves very easily; we may fail, but, now hear this... we are NOT 'failures.'


  • Bloke's Marriage Guide - How to Be a Teddy Bear
    [Relationships:Marriage] I have it on good advice that us guys need to be a teddy bears in marriage. Whilst I'm no expert on the topic, I can note with due attention the nod of approval toward this idea from one's wife. Cuddly and fluffy is the call. As an opposite image, there's no surer thing than a bull roaring through the china shop, breaking all the precious fine china displayed -- not a good image in a marriage.


  • One Thing You Really Must Do - Part II - Upset the Right People
    [Relationships] Whether you have to fire a person, break up with them, tell a person they've outstayed their welcome, or confront someone, just do it. Plan it the best you can. Be as loving and courteous as you can. Stay unemotional. If then they're still too sensitive to deal with your mature confrontation, then they have a character challenge before them. We can't relieve them of that.


  • The Love Languages Unofficial Survey
    [Relationships:Love] This is an unofficial survey I've used in family and community relationship courses. It's a quick way of telling what love languages you prefer. You can also answer from your partner's viewpoint and gain fresh understanding to augment your relationship. Don't forget to get one of Dr. Gary Chapman's books.


  • Relevance, Clarity, Truth, Wisdom - Psalm 51
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] There's no quicker way back to peace at heart than penitence. Turning back from our sinful ways brings us back to life, as David learned immediately he turned and repented in his great sin against God.


  • Achieving Total Acceptance
    [Relationships] This is the final frontier in relationships. Achieving total acceptance toward others is a huge step in gaining happiness and giving license to others to truly relate with you. Acceptance is truly a value of the wise. Perfecting it means becoming more accepting whilst accepting perfection will never come. There's a fundamental irony involved.


  • Making Up, Forgiveness and All That Stuff
    [Relationships] Kiss and make up. They say the best thing about an argument is making up and making love. When true amends has taken place and all the barriers are broken down, there is such sheer relief for the previously warring couple. Making up and forgiveness are invaluable.


  • Can Fear Really Take Your Life?
    [Self-Improvement] Fear has a way of paralyzing us. We give it a foothold and next thing we're full of anxiety; immediately captive. Suddenly we're fighting for life. It can bring a raft of psychosomatic symptoms and signs. Yet, it doesn't have to be this way. Resilience is the key to responding actively to fear.


  • Resisting Speaking Or Thinking Negatively of People
    [Self-Improvement:Positive-Attitude] I was taken by the quotation below when I first read it. It resounded within me because it spoke truthfully and to the heart about what I struggle with and what I think all people struggle with, in our relationships. We wouldn't admit it but how quickly do we undermine another person? If we don't say it, it's often thought about, particularly regarding people we're threatened by.


  • Use People and Love Things Or Vice Versa?
    [Relationships] The inherent problem with many relationships in our post post-modern society is people love things and use people. We all do it. What it does is makes our lives more superficial and less wholesome, and certainly less peace-filled. It also harms relationships. Is it time for a pulse check right now? How well are you really relating with the people around you? Are you loving people and using things?


  • Church, Interrupted
    [News-and-Society:Religion] WHAT IS THE CHURCH if not a response to the "great acts of God"? The church, the means to, and the great vehicle for and of, God, stands, and has stood for two millennia, on foundational rock of Christ. What threatens it is people asserting the church as an end in itself.


  • Common Traps of Team Leadership
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] Leadership is the difference between life and death for teams. At its worst it damages relationships and lives, but at its best it is nothing short of life-making, inspiring up-and-comers to lead themselves. I was inspired through experiencing the latter.


  • Do You Ever Feel Like BLAH?
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] It's like all your energy is sapped and for reasons unknown to you, you can't don't anything about it. For some, it happens on the odd day here and there, but for others it's an almost every day experience.


  • Being the Family Man Or Woman
    [Home-and-Family:Parenting] I cannot help but wonder how many of us think ambitiously; to put family, spouse, children on the backburner to chase career or fantasy -- that 'great' thing. I dare say there is no truth to that great thing unless we discover it and work at it diligently, and with it weigh it in the light of all our other responsibilities, chief of all, family.


  • The Benefits of Slowing Down
    [Self-Improvement:Goal-Setting] There are true benefits in slowing down and finding peace. It's about the goals you set for yourself. You can achieve them! Slow down and all the rest of your improvement goals can be reached. Read here for practical ideas.


  • When Your Plans Need to Adapt to Change
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] It's a key principle of life that plans don't always work out the way we'd like or the way we planned them originally. That's a no brainer. But, we potentially still become incredibly disillusioned and depressed when they fail. When they fail, we fail -- right? Wrong.


  • You Want Change, But, Will it Work?
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] We all have times in life when the pressure for change is great and we're compelled to face the truth and do something differently. Or perhaps you're in a situation where you want to influence another person whose relationship is important to you. You want change. But, how many programs for change crash and burn, and with them, hope? Too many. You don't want the pain to continue, so you need a proven template.


  • One Thing You Really Must Do - Part I - Be Humble
    [Relationships] Imagine your relationships if you had more humility. Humility is a wonderful character trait to exhibit as it's all about BEING the true 'you.' But, it's easier said than done to behave with genuine humility. This is an representation of Dr. Henry Cloud's 8th principle of things you simply must do with my own commentary.


  • The Art of Reflection - Joy, Hope, Thankfulness
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] A major paradox of life is we chase happiness by always looking forward, yet we'll never really know happiness unless we look back and reflect, particularly on our many achievements. We're so flat out achieving that we never look back and really enjoy what we've done. There's always the next appointment, the following day, and the new thing.


  • Love Covers Over All Wrongs
    [Relationships:Love] Can YOU smile with genuine joy when things are tough? Whether it be complaining or condemning, love can get you to this place of joy and peace that transcends human understanding. It covers over all wrongs, as a bandage covers a wound and promotes healing.


  • Influencing Behavioural Change in Relationships
    [Relationships:Communication] Do you have a teen or adult child or employee that you need to get through to? Many people get exasperated not knowing how to get people to change. In all our relationships there are times and situations where people do things that are inappropriate, untimely, self-damaging, or damaging to others and this can both frustrate us and concern us.


  • Reaching a Higher Standard - Work-Life Balance and Value For Living
    [Self-Improvement:Success] Balance and value for living must be almost the pinnacle of life. Reaching for a higher ethical standard of living life is one way toward this goal. A higher ethic converts to a sort of living gold.


  • Matters of Adjustment - Work-Life Balance and Value For Living
    [Self-Improvement] Balance and value for living must be almost the pinnacle of life. One way toward this goal is through adjustment. Adjusting successfully to relational situations and changing to cater for others' needs is living gold.


  • The Five Love Languages in Brief
    [Relationships:Love] Dr. Gary Chapman's Love Languages have revolutionised our approach to love. This is a glimpse into finding out how to customise your love to your partner's exact needs, whilst finding out how you truly like to speak the language of love.


  • When Things Go Quiet - Handling Knock-backs
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] You know the feeling... things have gone quiet. That promotional opportunity is going begging. How do you recover? By Being pessimistically optimistic, that's how.


  • Being Taken Seriously
    [Relationships:Communication] People at times wait many years to be taken seriously. It's like a 'rites of passage' issue. I recall turning 30 and thinking, "Great, finally I have experience and I'm still young." Another issue, other than age, regarding being taken seriously, is around gender. How many women are not taken seriously as engineers, or men as beauticians?


  • Try Your Best
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] The greatest benefit in trying our best is the peace we get: few regrets. It seems that we'll actually get no peace by continually striving to do our best, but the opposite is true: we rest content, untouched by trouble.


  • You Can't Solve Her Problems So Don't Even Try
    [Relationships:Marriage] There is a fact of life, men. Women don't want us to solve their problems, especially in this day and age. Long gone is the dream that a man's woman will have him be the knight in shining armour. It's a romantic thought that survives just long enough to see the spritely little flame flicker and then be snuffed out.


  • Relationship Wear and Tear
    [Relationships:Dating] Relationships are like cars in so many ways. Think of a car's engine. Run well and regularly serviced it performs for hundreds of thousands of miles. All it needs is a little TLC every now and then, some careful driving and wallah, a more faithful serving machine you will not get. On the other hand, you run that donk into the ground by never changing the oil and trashing your beast and you're on 'Broken Road.' Aren't relationships just like that? Between both of those extremes, I mean.


  • Challenging Your Unique Reality of the World
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] The 1998 hit movie, "The Truman Show" highlighted a phenomenon we never really even notice: "Ignorance is bliss." Christof, the writer and producer of Truman Burbank's life said it plainly: "We accept the reality of the world with which we are presented." Putting it alongside the truth, how often do you challenge your reality?


  • Giving Thanks in All Circumstances
    [Self-Improvement:Positive-Attitude] Giving thanks IN all circumstances doesn't mean give thanks FOR all circumstances. No one is thankful for cancer, disasters, and catastrophes -- yet, there is a way to truly be thankful in all circumstances.


  • The Simple Value of Friends
    [Relationships:Friendship] Friends provide perspective, companionship, support during hard times, and unity. Enough reason to make more effort developing your friendships and relationships.


  • Living in Fear
    [Relationships] 6 A.M. You get up out of bed in a flurry and your day started five minutes ago. Immediately, you note with dread your appointments for the day -- some unsavoury people to deal with; relationships to manage. More of the same and you feel you're getting nowhere fast. There are other problems too, probably family and personal-life problems, that aren't being dealt with. Life all of a sudden has become a scary thought.


  • When Wisdom and Truth Collide
    [Self-Improvement:Techniques] There is no simpler or more profound thing as this. What goes around comes around. What you sow you usually reap. Wisdom and truth are synonymous and 'collide' in life all the time. They are like cause and effect.


  • So, They Envy You - How to Deal With It
    [Relationships:Conflict] It's human nature to envy... you know it personally and so do I. But, what happens when you're on the receiving end?


  • Absorbing a Hurt
    [Relationships:Conflict] What do you do when you suddenly find yourself in a conversation where the other person says, "You need to adjust your attitude, you so and so"? Or perhaps you hear second-hand that you're the target of some slander or a rumour? What's your response?


  • Love Or Power, Not Both
    [Relationships] I read this quote recently: "I the captain of a Legion in Rome, have learnt and pondered this truth, that there are in life but two things, love and power, and no man can have both." More on this.


  • The Power of Asking Versus the Force of Telling
    [Relationships] Relationship truth: There is real power in asking and employing age-old principles of influence. You'll get more from people when you ask and don't tell. You'll also retain something far more important - your relationships. It only takes a little more effort and creativity to ask rather than tell.


  • Defeat Laziness and Achieve Anything!
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] Many have problems with motivation. Truth be known we all have to learn how to work; it never comes naturally, not to anyone. Once you understand and apply the secret to becoming motivated you can achieve anything.


  • Temper Management 101
    [Self-Improvement:Anger-Management] Anger never achieves anything of worth. By taking time to cool down and then address the problem in the cool light of day, there is always a way that will work in every situation.


  • What the Serenity Symbol Stands For
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] The purpose of this article is to explain what the Serenity Symbol means. The Serenity Symbol is a neatly-fitting equilateral triangle within a circle. Recovery, unity, service and the circle of life are explained.


  • 12 Steps to Recovery - Restoring Self-Control
    [Self-Improvement:Addictions] A lack of self-control is good, once admitted to. If your life is becoming unmanageable there is hope. Invest in a 12-Step program now. This article discusses causes and solutions.


  • Relationship Makers - "No Thanks Needed, Thank You"
    [Relationships] Being prepared to frequently go past your 50 percent of 'relationship effort' is critical to relationship success. This extra effort is likely to rub off on your partner, but don't EXPECT it to happen... that's the magic irony that makes the relationship work!


  • The Miracle Of Truth - When Someone Admits The Truth About Themselves - Happiness Ahead
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] The greatest miracle of God is when people admit the truth about themselves -- forget about walking on water or feeding 5,000. Want true happiness? Come to terms with your true self and then find courage to deal with 'you'. Don't worry, everyone has the same challenge.


  • Project Managing Your Personal Life
    [Self-Improvement:Time-Management] Why is it that vocational projects are given more priority and planning than the 'main project' that is our life? In truth, we hardly ever think of our life journey. Seeing your life in terms of a project lasting your lifetime is a wonderful way to gain perspective of the whole.


  • How to Best Receive Praise and Win Respect in Your Relationships
    [Relationships:Enhancement] You do something well and someone makes a point of letting you know. They take time and effort out to visit you and cheerfully praise and thank you - how do you respond? Your relationships can be enhanced and you will gain more respect if you receive and give praise in certain ways.


  • What's in a Name - The Decreasing Value Of The Person
    [News-and-Society] Is there any value in a name these days -- to be known by your name? When you're born you're given a name and from that time on you're known by that name -- it's special. Then you get a job and someone decides to change your name.


  • Men's Secret In Loving Women - Get Affectionate
    [Relationships:Enhancement] This article is written to help men be more affectionate. Men think sexually, but most women don't see sex that simplistically. They need hours or even days of affection and consideration to be "seducible." Eight (8) ideas toward being a more genuinely affectionate man.


  • Principle Of Reversal - What Goes Around Comes Around
    [Relationships] It's probably the single most important piece of relationship and living advice anyone can get and it makes so much sense -- "What goes around indeed comes back around." It's the Golden Rule. Eight (8) practical ideas in this article.


  • Getting To The Real Problem
    [Relationships:Conflict] Listening and questioning to clarify are two key relationship tools. Real problems in relationships are masked behind not wanting to hurt people. This article discusses how to get to the real problem you're facing.


  • We Do Not Lose Heart - When Tempted To Give Up
    [Self-Improvement:Inspirational] Working hard and feel like giving up? Need some words of inspiration: a heavenly lift? You are not abandoned; it's quite the opposite in fact.


  • Personal Mastery - Diligence And Prudence
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] The key in personal mastery is determining where we fit on both scales -- diligence and prudence -- it's about setting goals to improve our motivation. And that's the key to growth here.


  • Why Punish People For Innocent Mistakes?
    [Home-and-Family:Parenting] Fairness and patience in relationships are critical. Learn patience to deal with people's innocent errors, lapses and mistakes so they (especially children) can grow WITHOUT fear of condemnation.


  • Responding To Backstabbers - At School, Work Or Club
    [Relationships] Backstabbers are very scared individuals. They can't create strength for themselves and their faulty self-esteem so they try and diminish the worth of others to reap what short benefit there is to gain.


  • Sleep - When Inquisitiveness Is Bad For You
    [Health-and-Fitness:Sleep-Snoring] You have a thought buzzing through your head and this would be good -- it's just that you're sleeping or at least trying to, and thinking is the last thing you should be doing. What to do.


  • The "Personalness" Of God
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Philosophy] Our experience of God is very personal. He relates with us intimately. We can all say with very real authority, about some things in our lives, that God gives us special and divine revelation through his Spirit.


  • Benefits And Bliss Of The Quiet Mind
    [Self-Improvement:Success] The quiet mind is resilient and peace-filled, and it is free to ponder what might be -- it is creative! There are very many blessings for the quiet mind. Here are seven (7) ideas to that end.


  • Why Complain? Does It Really Get You Anywhere?
    [Relationships] I don't trust the credibility or character of people who complain too much. I'm referring to the incessant complainers who never see the silver lining to their problems. There is something about incessant complainers that they can't see themselves. They choose misery voluntarily. What person in their right mind would do this?


  • Learning Lessons - The Easier "Hard" Way
    [Self-Improvement:Techniques] We learn either one of two ways: the easy way or the hard way. The easy way of learning things is via observing others and learning from their mistakes... the hard way is learning lessons from our own hard mistakes. This is the view from the Hard Way... making it easier to cope with. Four (4) general suggestions here.


  • Choosing Your Attitude
    [Relationships:Communication] I bumped into a guy in an elevator a while back and asked him how he was going. 'Fine,' he replied, 'but it will be better when the there is no more ill feeling around the bargaining,' he concluded. These guys were locked into a dispute over pay and conditions. It was like there was no choice to this thinking.


  • Enjoying The Simple Pleasures
    [Self-Improvement:Techniques] The good life consists of enjoying the simple pleasures of life as a means to an end and not as an end in itself. Here are five (5) tips to help you really enjoy simple pleasures in moderation.


  • Envy Breeds Envy - Stopping It Dead In Its Tracks
    [Self-Improvement] It's an incredibly dangerous feeling envy. Avoid it and anyone you feel causes it in you. Deal with the feelings honestly and don't let envy trap you.


  • Getting Real In Relationships - Really Real
    [Relationships:Communication] Relationships are effort, pure and simple. But, there are rich rewards for the effort. Take this little self-test. It may help you in learning the golden rule of communication.


  • Power to Succeed - From The Embryonic Life
    [Self-Improvement:Success] There's only one way to go, once it germinates, Life cannot but grow. It's been said that things stagnate or blossom -- atrophy or hypertrophy; they can't remain static. We either struggle and fail, or we struggle and then succeed.


  • Famous Last Words - "I'll Do It Later"
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] We've all done it. We've all said, "Oh, I'll do it later." It's a fair thing to put some things off to a later time, particularly a more appropriate time perhaps, but some things just need to be started... unless you want to let people down?


  • Make Someone's Day
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] Thomas Browne once said, "By compassion we make others' misery our own, and so, by relieving them, we relieve ourselves also." Go on, make someone's day... everyone benefits.


  • A Job Passed On Is a Job Well Done!
    [Business:Workplace-Communication] It's also about applying the concept of simplicity in life -- Wow, how refreshing is simplicity? When you've got the chance to fairly address something like 'pass on' or delegate a job or task, or if you simply need to get out of the way, how easy is that?


  • Targeting Safety Improvement - Supporting People in Getting Their Work Done
    [Business:Management] Traditional modes of safety management have stifled individuals and work teams in working safely as pressure to work safely adds to the complexity of roles. To improve safety, it is argued, we need to reduce 'system' pressure by supporting individuals and teams.


  • Do You Understand Me?
    [Relationships:Communication] What do you do when you're not understood the first time? You're communicating an issue or responding to someone after they've asked you a question, and you suddenly realize, in their response, that they have not understood what you're trying to say.


  • How To Deal With A Teenager Who's Late Again
    [Home-and-Family:Parenting] Ever had a situation where your teenager has gone off with their friends and promised to be back at the train station by a certain time only to be 15, 20... 30 minutes late? This happened to me recently and I was amazed by what was placed into my mind as a method to deal with this issue.


  • Bumped Onto Another Track In Life
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] Imagine you are catapulted from one way of living to another in one single day. You have a cherished family, friends, fantastic work, car, home, possessions, your security, and everything you hold dear; the next thing all of that is a distant memory -- it is irrevocably changed. Life will never be the same again.


  • Wisdom Cries Out - Hear Her Cry Now
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Poetry] WHAT DO WE DO when we hear Wisdom's call to us in our early years? By far and away most of us choose to look the other way, simply because Wisdom looks too hard and way too boring. If you're reading this, you're searching and that is very good for you -- it's not too late for you.


  • You Ungrateful 'So and So'
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Poetry] A poem on gratitude and lack thereof. The folly of complaint is juxtaposed with the wisdom of being thankful.


  • Moving On - Will It Really Solve Your Problems?
    [Relationships] Are you at that point where you're tossing up tossing in the towel? We all get to this point at many times in our lives... aggro, stress, and issues that get us down... there seems no way out. And there's the common denominator: people. But will 'moving on' really sort out our problems? We think so but it doesn't always work out that way does it? There are 5 suggestions I can make.


  • Handling Criticism - "Do's" and "Don'ts"
    [Relationships] We all struggle with criticism. It's plain hurtful to hear someone tell us where we're going wrong, where we must improve, or where they'd like to see us change. It happens in workplaces, in homes, in schools, in every sphere of life. Learn effective coping mechanisms...


  • Toxic Relationships - Getting Rid of Them
    [Relationships:Conflict] Have you ever been trapped in a toxic, dysfunctional relationship? If you have, you'll know where I'm coming from here. I mean trapped by the sense that at some given moment your awareness has been piqued and you knew the relationship was beginning to cause problems. It's a scary time for anyone, female or male.


  • When Your Relationship Has Ended
    [Relationships:Conflict] It doesn't get much worse when your decades long marriage or relationship has ended at the instigation of the other party. You can understand people going to bed and not wanting to wake up. It feels like you're dying. You can't reconcile what has occurred and you can't quite move on no matter how hard you try. It seems like a long and terribly arduous journey ahead and you can't see yourself actually getting through. This article offers ideas and help to get through.


  • Being Happy Every Moment
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] Happiness shouldn't just be an ideal -- the sort of thing that's only of dreams. People strive for happiness all their lives and find it so elusive; but it ought not to be that hard to achieve. It occurred to me recently that you can be literally anywhere and feel that sense of the peace of happiness sweep over you. It's possible to be happy every moment, with very limited exceptions.


  • Let the Good Times Roll
    [Self-Improvement] Do you ever get the feeling that you never want a good time to end, hoping that a weekend or holiday experience could ensure longer than planned? This is a simple thing to help you be happier in the present, whatever that may be.


  • Stop Dreaming, Start Doing - Get Balance Into Your Life
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] For those striving for balance, here's a tonic. I used to be a "dreamer," and then I discovered the secret to becoming a "doer". This is for those with compulsions, obsessions, cravings and desires, and a desire to change.


  • Lest We Forget - Ode To Keeping Faith
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Poetry] The term "LEST WE FORGET" is synonymous with ANZAC and general war tradition. How incredible it is to think the powerful images of the losses of war still send tremors of respect through the minds of those left behind for those who were felled -- for the fallen. Lest we forget those who gave their lives in supreme acts of courage; lest we also forget, our very human nature to take for granted the divine providence of material and spiritual blessing that these men (and many women also) fought to protect.


  • Controlling Your Tongue - 2 Ways
    [Self-Improvement:Techniques] Everyone has problems with controlling what they say, every person. Yet, we can improve our ability to speak well with work and focus. Think of how good your relationships would be and how much respect you would command. You'd be universally liked.


  • Simply 3 Things to Cause Success (and 3 Things to Avoid Doing)
    [Self-Improvement:Success] I learned this recently in an epiphanic moment; it came to me as a sort of formula. These are basic things, but don't overlook the wisdom of these things simply because I'm not making a big song and dance about them. They're states of mind to carry with you one day at a time... one moment at a time. Practice makes more perfect.


  • The IPL Revolution! Here Comes the Cricket - Who'll Win IPL 2008?
    [Recreation-and-Sports:Cricket] The Twenty20 game seems to have to come of age overnight. The best players, a fast game, animated franchise owners, passionate fans, cheerleaders, and big money. A lifelong cricket fan looks at this game and immediately gets excited that cricket has made it to the big-time ranks like American baseball, football or basketball. Who will win IPL 2008?


  • The Truth About Weakness & The Sufficiency of Grace
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Paul's theology of weakness marks 2 Corinthians. Christianity is not triumphalism for its sake alone. It's a quieter, assured resilience in the power of God. It gives us power to do good, and strength to be noble. It is paradoxical. When we are weak, we are ironically at our strongest. Most people do not understand this power that comes from God.


  • Is Men's Health Really All About The Penis?
    [Health-and-Fitness:Mens-Issues] The key men's issue is apparently penis size and performance and it's the biggest con. The vast majority of men do not have penis problems. Is our problem with the 'little head' or the 'big head' i.e. the mind, and the way we think?


  • How to Date a Daughter
    [Home-and-Family:Fatherhood] As parents, we teach our kids. Dating a daughter is one way to show her how she can expect to be treated by a future partner. It's also a great way to foster love and trust in the relationship.


  • Fixing the Pain the Separated Father Feels
    [Home-and-Family:Fatherhood] Separated fathers suffer an intensely painful and confusing time. The grieving process can last several months, even years. Surviving this period and actually thriving is possible - it's a journey. This advice provides real-world solutions to address the pain.


  • Proven Way to a Balanced Life
    [Self-Improvement] This subject is something that vexes seemingly everyone - balance in life. The following information is scientifically-proven. It was discovered through studies of administrators and their quest for work/life balance. The subjects of the study were already stressed and sought to "bring balance back into their life."


  • Message For Christians From An Indian Hindu
    [News-and-Society:Religion] MAHATMA GHANDI was a 20th Century humanitarian and political legend. Once quoted as being multi-religion-al, Ghandi was really a devout Hindu, but had time for all people from all faiths. He had some insightful suggestions that all Christians could learn from.


  • Using The 4-Way Test For Success
    [Relationships] The 4-Way Test is over 50 years old and it's a winner for decision-making that keeps everyone basically happy. It simultaneously helps improve the quality of decisions and the user's credibility.


  • Avoiding and Resolving "Midlife Crisis" Pain
    [Health-and-Fitness:Depression] Midlife crises don't affect everyone. But, it does affect you, or someone you love, right? It's a period of psychological and emotional questioning and re-evaluation causing intense pain and sorrow. This article provides solutions.


  • Forgiveness Acrostic
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Poetry] Here is a nifty little acrostic that takes about 30 seconds of reflection... forgiving people (especially yourself) is one of the wisest things anyone could do today. It can change your heart.


  • Poem For Inner Peace That Lasts
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Poetry] We all struggle for peace that lasts. This poem is based in truth of peace that has lasted for centuries. This is to be meditated on...


  • Apologising to 100 Years of Stolen Generations
    [News-and-Society:Politics] Thankfully an Australian Prime Minister finally did it; apologising for the tremendous injustices done to Indigenous peoples of the land called nowadays, Australia. On February 13, 2008, Kevin Rudd publicly said sorry on behalf of all Australians. He went as far as anyone could reasonably go investing in the future of racial reconciliation. This began to address the deep hurt that many 'stolen children' directly affected have felt and feel still today.


  • Antidote to Overload - For When We Opt Out of Life
    [Health-and-Fitness:Anxiety] There are times when I know I have to leave the office and get some fresh air. It's when I've not adequately protected myself from the barrage of work that at times comes my way. I sense the need to 'release my mind' and I go and find a gentle park with its green trees to convalesce. It's about relieving the stress, tension, and anxiety.


  • Maintaining Your Weight Loss
    [Health-and-Fitness:Weight-Loss] Maintaining weight loss is a difficult process, though not impossible. Seven tips for maintaining your weight loss are included in this article.


  • Lose Weight and Have Fun Doing It
    [Health-and-Fitness:Weight-Loss] Getting skinny speaks to our out-of-control desires as well as that 'dream body' we'd love to show off. You CAN have it you know. I've done it, so can you. Like achieving anything worthwhile, there's a cost, but you are certainly capable of meeting that! 5 simple reminders here.


  • Revealing Bumper Stickers and License Plates - What They Say About You
    [Automotive] Bumper stickers can potentially tell us so much about the person who owns or drives a vehicle can't they? What stickers do you have on your vehicle? It's the same as personalised license plates. They often communicate 'a perception' of the driver's personality and their approach to life. What do stickers, plates, decals and other visuals communicate about you? It pays to check your thinking...


  • Holiday Bliss? Not! Surviving School Holidays
    [Home-and-Family:Holidays] "Two weeks of hell to look forward to!" blasted one father under his breath as his son approached him, as I picked my daughter up from school, on the last day prior to school holidays. I wondered also how many other parents openly or secretly felt this way. This is a thought-provoking article aimed at helping parents get through the vacation period.


  • One Life, Two Ways, You Choose
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] There's a flow to life. It's all about path. Be on the right path and eventually all will go well for you, you find the right job and perhaps a good partner and your way is primarily the way of blessing as you enjoy the good things of life; faith takes care of the rest.


  • Valuing Our Most Important Relationships
    [Relationships:Love] How is it that we abuse the ones most close to us? The people we most love and most value tend to cop most of the fallout when things aren't going well for us. It's a confusing and frustrating paradox -- those we wish least to hurt end up getting hurt, and people we don't really care for as much (i.e. those who may anger or frustrate us) get away scott-free. It doesn't need to be this way...


  • Velvet Elvis - Rob Bell - Book Review
    [Book-Reviews:Spirituality-Religion] THE CHURCH has nothing to say to the world unless it holds better parties. Parties in backyards, basements and porches, not with confetti and clowns. This is one of Rob Bell's themes in his book, Velvet Elvis (VE). Re-painting the Christian faith should be about reality, truth and relationship.


  • Overcoming Your Difficulties
    [Self-Improvement:Techniques] The principle is very simple. Difficulties strike us very commonly. They happen daily, hourly, and minute by minute even. If you're aware of problems as they arise, you can apply faith, which is patient hope set in a bed of courage. It will surprise you how often you make your problems worse by simply not applying faith.


  • "One Day At A Time" Acrostic
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Poetry] Here is a nifty little acrostic that takes about 30 seconds of reflection. Living life one day at a time is probably the wisest thing anyone could do.


  • There is Nothing Better
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Having hope and being able to enjoy the day are both great and simple blessings. There is nothing better than knowing God and living Carpe Diem! God makes all things work when we approach life with diligent enthusiasm.


  • What Legacy Are You Leaving?
    [Self-Improvement:Techniques] At the end of your life what will you have passed on to your kids and grandkids, friends and neighbours, work colleagues and peers? What're you passing on now?


  • Tribute To Dr Martin Luther King Jr
    [News-and-Society] Today marks the 40th anniversary of Dr. King's death. Every good-hearted human being since owes him a debt of gratitude. Widely hailed as a hero from U2 to Jesse Jackson, King had charisma and integrity unequaled in modern times. What can we still learn today from him?


  • Lightening Your Heavy Heart
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] The weight of the human heart is not designed to be any heavier than a feather. It is the design of life to rely on God. He makes our paths straight and lifts our burdens. Smile, life is great.


  • Fixing the Divorce Curse
    [Relationships:Divorce] A family ripped apart by separation and divorce is a tragedy. In almost all cases there will be acute pain experienced by every family member involved, and some never recover. It's a sad reality that most serious romantic relationships end tragically. If you've experienced the trauma of marriage breakdown you might relate with this.


  • Overcoming the "Mental Fog"
    [Self-Improvement] Mental Fog clouds us when the brain ceases to work and we're on 'slow time'. It's punctuated by mental, emotional, and spiritual lethargy and eventual arrest. It's particularly a symptom for good old-fashioned burn out... time to take a holiday? The help of a therapist may be required. Read on for ideas to problem solve this modern-day pandemic.


  • Choose Life - Be Wise or Play the Fool
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Are you a moral person? Choosing life is a choice we all get. We must be aware that by default we become fools. Folly and wisdom are moral commodities. It's only with a deliberate choice for wisdom i.e. learning, that we can circumvent this sinkhole syndrome. Be wise, be moral. It's a way to succeed in life for you and all your loved ones and friends, indeed anyone who comes into contact with you!


  • Are You Sick of Chaotic Life?
    [Self-Improvement] Have you had enough?! What if you could just say to the world-STOP! 'World, deal with me on my terms - terms that consider and accept me, and the best I can diligently and realistically offer, and that's it.' Here's encouragement to restore the balance in your life...


  • Anatomy of a Winner - Raising Teens
    [Home-and-Family:Parenting] The mind is key to winning anatomy. It can be programmed to succeed or fail. Your teenage son or daughter needs the right input and paradigm to succeed...


  • Your Winning Teen - Happiness Ahead
    [Home-and-Family:Parenting] The vast majority of teens think they're losers. This is reinforced in them in schools, and in homes, and each place in between. This is what Chris Hill believes in his book, Grace-Based Youth Ministry. The giveaway indication of the 'loser' self-image is paradoxically bravado... a false bravado. The goal is to assist them to think like a winner...


  • Unconventional Wisdom Wins Hands Down
    [Business:Management] IF YOU WANT a management initiative that affects people to actually work, take a moment and read this. It could truly save you a lot of wasted effort. I don't say this for any other reason but it makes excellent, 100 percent common sense!


  • Values - A Commodity That Makes the World Work
    [Business] It's the basic values of trust, fairness, courage, honesty, love and dignity that make the world work. Wars start, personally to globally, when values are not shared. They're necessary for our survival, growth and continuous improvement, and success. The goal is 'shared values'.


  • Lifelong Learning - Secret To a Privileged Life
    [Self-Improvement] Lifelong learners think more and as a result have more joy in life. They have more personal power and are naturally endearing people. Socially speaking, they're also interesting to be around. One of best advantages however is the legacy you leave to your children and grandchildren; of knowledge and its acquisition. Don't you want to be one?


  • The Biggest Secret to Obtaining Balance in Life
    [Self-Improvement] Balance is a most delicate thing. It's easy to disrupt life balance, and the more 'noise' we have in life, the harder it is achieve what really was always meant to be a really simple thing. Its key is simplicity; keeping things simple and remaining focussed on simple, clear goals. The biggest secret in achieving balance is becoming mentally tough. Learn more by reading on...


  • When It's Time to Move On
    [Relationships] It's important to know when to go, when the right time has come to say goodbye, perhaps to a person, to a group or people, an organisation, or a situation. Perhaps the season and time for this has come and you're getting 'itchy feet.'


  • Do You Know Someone Out Of Control?
    [Self-Improvement] You see it in the person walking toward you: they're out of control. Their health and well-being is severely compromised by the way they're presently living their lives. They have 'issues.' They are into denial. Is this the way you feel? We all feel a little out of control from time to time; what to do about it?


  • Do Not Underestimate Yourself - The Utter Strength of The Human Spirit
    [Self-Improvement] WE ALL WEAKEN at some point don't we? Everyone has a time and a way of succumbing to pressure and capitulating. I wonder however if you have ever thought how strong you really are, and how far you can push yourself, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually? I think you could easily surprise yourself.


  • Hugs are Good For You!
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] It seems that like a good laugh, fish, vegetables, and sex; a good old-fashioned hug is something that is such a simple fix for the modern maladies of life. It's 'body ministry.'


  • The "Aggressive Forgiveness" of Grace
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Grace is about relationship, balance, beauty, freedom, and majesty. It's true and lovely. Our lives are favoured with grace. We both feel delighted, and we ARE delightful. We have charisma.


  • Times, Yes, They're A Changin'
    [Home-and-Family:Parenting] IT HITS. You are suddenly feeling all at sea with a change in your life and how it is presently affecting you; you simply can't explain it, and for all your planning you certainly couldn't have foreseen it was going to have this effect on you. It's an emotional effect. It's the effect of shaking you up in an almost unexplainable way. You struggle to discern the type and depth of emotion. You're angry, confused, upset, and quiet all at the same time...


  • When Is It Right To Complain?
    [Relationships:Conflict] Everyone has complaints. It's about knowing "how" to make them. It's respectfully challenging the status quo in an assertive way (which simply caters for both parties' needs) that makes the difference. To complain in the appropriate way takes courage. Courage to seek the best solutions for both parties, and a vision for a better tomorrow.


  • Getting That Promotion - What Compromises Are You Making? Please Consider The Narrow Way
    [Self-Improvement:Success] I don't know about you, but I can't think of a better legacy to leave behind than that of a special, loving, and committed husband and father, and secondarily a good worker. But most of all I think I would like to be remembered as someone who actually got the balance of priorities in life right, most if not all his life.


  • 10 Best Quotes To Direct Your Life
    [Self-Improvement:Success] There's nothing quite like a good pithy statement or quote to get the inspired juices flowing within our minds. Here are ten (10) such sayings that have had an impact in my life.


  • The Gap Between Saying and Doing
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] I am often perplexed at how often I still fail at the basic things. These are things I say I'm going to do but yet still I cannot do consistently. Like the day before yesterday I spent the whole day trying to work out solutions to the two areas of my life that I still fail in; serving cheerfully through what feels like constant interruptions at work, and being more tolerant in certain situations around the home. Do you relate with these sorts of struggles? Do you have other struggles?


  • Life Meaningless?
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] Is life meaningless? This lengthy treatise on the subject of the meaning to life makes points of everlasting relevance based on the wisdom of Qoheleth from nearly 3000 years ago. Life does make sense. This explains how and why... Grab a comfortable chair and a coffee and have a relaxing, edifying read.


  • Worry is Madness
    [Self-Improvement:Stress-Management] Don't worry. Don't fret. It only leads to negative consequences. It proves that you're not living in the moment. You see, living in the present moment means you cannot worry effectively.


  • Breakfast with Australian Test Cricket Champion, Justin Langer
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] Justin Langer wrote Sir Donald Bradman a letter on the 15th of August 1994 seeking 'the Don's' advice and he got a reply only two days later. The letter said in words to the effect: 'You flatter me, an old octogenarian when you ask my advice... young man, follow your instincts and don't be a slave to coaching.' Justin was in awe of the Don's humility and has sought to emulate that quality ever since.


  • Stay In Control Of Your Communication - When To Initiate, When To Respond
    [Relationships:Communication] Have you ever regretted starting a conversation or writing an email, or answering someone, and thought afterwards you shouldn't have done it that way? I know I have. Many times I've rued the fact that I'd 'put my foot in it,' or simply should have known better. The truth is we all do it. It's initiating and responding in communication with others at the wrong times and in the wrong ways. Read further for a method of how to build self-empowerment into your communications.


  • The Bucket List - A Faith Review of the Motion Picture (2007)
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] 'FIND THE JOY in your life' is the inspirational by-line to the movie, The Bucket List. This movie has obvious faith overtones and is a message for all. It challenges the "walls" that people might put up in resistance to acquiring faith because it ponders the meaning to life that none of us can shirk off.


  • What's In A Name? Gaining Respect And Achieving Relationship Influence
    [Relationships] I find that getting people's names right is something that people notice. It leaves them with a 'good' feeling about us. It tells them that we value and respect their preferences and feelings. It's a good thing we simply can do. Anyone can learn this simple skill.


  • Do You Feel "Manipulated?"
    [Relationships:Conflict] There is little worse than suddenly discovering 'in the moment' that you're being "manipulated." In theory, manipulation means many things, and not necessarily all of these are bad. But when you get that impression, what springs up in the mind is a whole lot of self-talk about the situation that can be very counterproductive. At the extreme end, it can bring on anxiety attacks.


  • The Benefits of a Good Confrontation - Answering the Difficult Questions
    [Relationships:Conflict] Confrontation means in Latin, "to turn your face toward, to look at frontally." Don't be afraid to have the strength of courage to confront the loved one, friend, or co-worker you're having trouble with. This sort of courage is manifested from a love that supports both grace and truth. It could mean the difference between life and eventual death for your relationship.


  • When Chaos Strikes - Dealing With The Unexplained
    [Business:Change-Management] Motivating people to deal with the inevitable mental chaos that comes in safety decision-making requires explanation in anticipation of it. When we anticipate things, particularly what we'd call the 'abnormal' things that bring on chaotic feelings, we can plan to respond in the appropriate way. It requires explanation. It's "When this happens, do this" philosophy. Then it's a matter of practise.


  • Where Are You On The Emotional Intelligence Continuum?
    [Relationships:Communication] If you scored a 6 on the scale featured in this article, you are demonstrating what could be called 'distinctive' competence in Emotional Intelligence. You would have groomed a character that is rare these days. Your self-awareness and social competence is sought after, and it leaves its impression on others; they can't help but notice 'you are different.' You are said to be respectful, friendly, mature, and considerate. Got it? Read on...


  • Dealing With Teens The Easy Way - Competence and Confidence
    [Home-and-Family:Parenting] Most parents find bring up teens a thankless task. It's often painful. How do you love and help someone who doesn't seem to love themselves? This article proposes tips and ideas to trigger in parents of teens, creativity for action. Think for a moment, what are your own memories of the teen years. Walk a mile in 'their' shoes. This article should help.


  • The 7 Key And Principal Values Of Wisdom Living
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Can we formularise life? Can we make up or discover a system that can guide us? Nothing is perfect. Only God's perfect. But we can venture into Wisdom and find within it an ideal ally and companion for life. I'm proposing there are seven (7) key virtues of life ("principal values") that can guide us in growth toward the goal of a healthy, fulfilling life that seeks to live now, and also leave behind a lovely legacy.


  • Chaos Can Be Your Friend
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] You remember a time I'm sure where you felt that everything in life was completely out of control and you were at your wits end, ready to explode in fury. Or was it a time when you felt so confused and disorganised that nothing made sense and you felt like you were going insane? Use chaos well and it can be your friend!


  • Facilitation and Presentation Keys - Manage Behaviour, Not The Content
    [Business:Presentation] Ever blown a presentation because you focused so much on content and not on delivery? Does it cost you today? If so, here are some easy to follow tips on successfully presenting and facilitating to a difficult group. It pays not to underestimate the power of group dynamics in the potential success (or failure) of your proposal.


  • Meeting Your Destiny In The Wonderful Sea of Opportunity - The Art of Preparation
    [Self-Improvement:Organizing] Actor Denzel Washington has said, "Luck is where opportunity meets preparation." In other words, there's no such thing as luck - we're in the right place at the right time because we have prepared for the opportunity and were able to embrace it. This short article shows PREPARATION brings many virtues and benefits including wisdom, patience, peace, time, diligence, and perspective... better life... read more now.


  • Gaining Personal Mastery Through Silence and Solitude
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Personal mastery through silence and solitude is the way to simultaneous healthy detachment and deep involvement. No one can quantify the power of it. It is basically unlimited in what it offers the person who can embrace the principle of maintaining the creative tension required. It's the ability to create the future direction toward the main goal and have knowledge of the gap, its size and design, whilst having the ability to 'get there.'


  • Communicating Confidently Whilst Achieving Restraint
    [Relationships:Communication] To think about confidence in communication is a dream for most; to be able to handle any situation socially or vocationally and hold a room, or hold the respect of someone esteemed - to be esteemed no less; what a great thing! What about having the utmost control over what we say and how we say it? We could all do with more restraint. Here's the real reason required to correctly motivate such a stance.


  • Choose Your Reality - Good or Not Good - Both Are Right
    [Self-Improvement:Positive-Attitude] It's true of life. We can focus on the 'good' or the 'not so good.' Both realities are correct. They are both real. You can "see" both if your mindset is in either frame. So which one will you choose? You'd be a fool to not go for the better one... that "Habit of Happiness."


  • Step Parenting's Answer - Develop the Friendship
    [Home-and-Family:Parenting] I don't think there is one step parent, or step son or step daughter out there that thinks it's a perfect situation. The reality is it's far from perfect and requires quite a bit of work and commitment to get it to work, and then even more work to keep it going. A friendship relationship is the key to it working, especially for school-age kids and teens.


  • Life Wasn't Meant To Be Easy - With Courage It's A Delight!
    [Self-Improvement:Positive-Attitude] This article is based on George Bernard Shaw's, "Life wasn't meant to be easy, my child, but take courage: it can be delightful!" Learning about faith can grow your courage. It can also bring you more peace and contentment than ever before. The fact is: life was never meant to be easy. Accept that and you're on the pathway to real peace.


  • Ultimate Career Satisfaction - Your Job Is Your Playground
    [Self-Improvement] Do you get "Mondayitis?" If you're like most people you probably 'put up with' your vocation, and are not nearly as satisfied with it as you wish you were. It's that emotional 'illness' that you get on a Sunday night prior to going to work Monday. In other words you're so 'over' work. Here is a novel idea that might just help you spring out of bed on Monday morning...!


  • Marriage Success - Attending to the Primary Relationship
    [Relationships:Marriage] I have posited the theory of change before: things always do, change. This is no different with relationships. Whether we like it or not, even our closest relationships change for better and for worse. The most important familial relationship is the marriage; it's the firm foundation for your family. Make sure you attend to it regularly.


  • Expectations - Their Value and Falsity
    [Self-Improvement:Success] Expectations are powerful things. The only wise way to live this uncertain life is one-day-at-a-time, and even better still, one-moment-at-a-time. They are keys to life success and peace in that we never get too far ahead of ourselves. This is a good thing to learn; it will prevent some mental illness i.e. some depression and anxiety-related illnesses. Read on for a philosophy that works.


  • Loving Your Ordinary Life - Welcoming The Drudgery Of Life
    [Self-Improvement] We hate our ordinary lives, most of us. It's an insult that we can't be famous, or 'successful,' or filthy rich. We want the easy life that is full of contentment and any possession we'd care to own... long life, good name or "fame," and prosperity. You know you can have any ordinary life you want. And you may as well; you'll be stuck doing it forty hours a week for most of the rest of your life, so you might as well enjoy it!


  • The Secret To Endless Energy - How To Do Everything Well
    [Self-Improvement:Techniques] What is it about life that makes us think that it requires endless energy levels simply to survive? Are you caught in the 'rat race?' Are you required to do exceedingly more with exceedingly less? Are you suffering burn out? Does your vigour level wane as the day and week unfolds?


  • Running Out Of Patience - Running Out Of Warnings
    [Relationships:Conflict] When we are warned about something it is best to take heed of the warning is it not? Diligence and prudence would advise us to 'not go there.' But, do we heed it? And then there's the people who may not be heeding our warnings. Decision time will come sooner or later.


  • Dealing With The Bully - Fighting Back Without Fighting
    [Relationships:Conflict] The root cause of bullying behaviour is fear. The perpetrator is doing two things: firstly they're initiating it, and secondly, they're working from fear when they behave this way. How we effectively tackle this problem is a key to harmony and peace within our own minds and hearts. Our consistently respectful and objective response is the key.


  • Flattery Will Get You Everywhere, Or Was It Nowhere?
    [Relationships:Enhancement] Flattery is contemptible because it is given to deceive. It's about "excessive praise out of self-interest." It's probably happening to you more than you realise. Take a moment to think of those who are trying to achieve your esteem; wanting to get into your good books. If they are trying it on you be on your guard, for they lie to get something from you or others that they either can't get, or can't be bothered getting, legitimately. Tips on how to flatter less, and counter it in others.


  • Parenting Journey - The Balance, Necessity and Legacy of Wisdom
    [Home-and-Family:Parenting] Would there be any task harder than parenting? For sheer enormity of investment it is easily the biggest venture you'll enter into. There are a plethora of reasons why it is so demanding. Many parents get into trouble simply because they fail to plan. In other words, they don't envisage problems. "Wisdom education" is the key.


  • The Courage, Inspiration and Truth of Love
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Love is the power to be hurt and not reject the person who hurt you. It takes courage and faith, and is very inspirational and miraculous. If you want to taste true life and true freedom of spirit, try loving back when you don't have to. There is real power in it!


  • Free To Be Me - The Art of Being Cosmically Alone
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] No matter what we acquire in our lives, the 'pieces all go back in the "monopoly" box of life' when we die. If only we could live more often with this sort of knowledge at the forefront of our minds. Being cosmically alone is the power to realise your true self in the light of life. Come on a journey toward freedom...


  • Empowering People In Safety - Making It More Than A Priority
    [Business:Management] Occupational Safety is about saving lives and ensuring quality of life-how many people suffer workplace injuries needlessly? There's another problem in how often safety is used by employers and unions, and people in general, as a vehicle to highlight other unrelated issues of importance, particularly industrial issues.


  • The Glass Is Half Full And You Can't Be Disappointed
    [Self-Improvement:Positive-Attitude] Being pessimistically optimistic: I like to think it is the hopeful 'good place' of real utopia; the spiritual, mental and emotional place to be. It is calmly and humbly watchful; able to enjoy things for what they are. It is neither too happy nor too sad; it is the ideal of truth in response to life-a journey often cruel. Take courage, it is a wonderful life.


  • Humility - How It Brings Lasting Joy To Family
    [Relationships:Love] What I am about to say will fly in the face of what most of the people on this planet believe, but is true: the only way to complete, lasting and fulfilling joy is through loving others, and focusing on them as opposed to being selfish, and getting things 'our own way.' This is a spiritual truism upon which millions have found transcendence-the pinnacle of human existence. 'If we are loved (by family) then we should love them back; being prepared to love back even a little more.'


  • The Skill Of Anticipation - The Way Of The Diligent
    [Self-Improvement:Success] Anticipation is one of the most important skills to teach young people-people of any age for that matter. It is a function of diligence, and the process of "foreseeing" the direct future. It's so vital at the task level-when assisting with / affecting a procedure. There is little worse in the performance of work than to have someone assist you and their mind is not "on the job." Planning and response are both crucial in anticipation. Read on for the discussion...


  • We Must Transcend The Things That Hold Us
    [Self-Improvement] We must transcend and break the things that hold us, in negativity. Co-dependent relationships, be they with self, with an other, or an organisation are destructive in our pursuit for meaning and self. It can be difficult to determine when and when not to make a break. This article seeks to discuss 'how to' and the importance of making the break.


  • Achieving The Fulfilled Life - Three Essentials
    [Self-Improvement:Success] If there's one thing we all want it is a fulfilling life. "To have a fulfilling life, three essentials are required: a clear sense of personal identity, a deep sense of faith and meaning, and a strong sense of purpose and mission." - Os Guinness. This article explores this quote.


  • Relationships' Most Powerful Secret - Guaranteed Success
    [Relationships:Conflict] Without doubt the most valuable and practical thing I've learnt about the psychology of relationships and making them work came about 12 months ago when I was introduced to Transactional Analysis. I am suggesting that if you study this and acquire the skill you cannot fail to improve your most emotive relationships.


  • Loose Lips Sink Privilege - Profile Of Legal Professional Privilege And Spiritual Connotations
    [Business:Ethics] WE LIVE IN A WORLD of "all or nothing" at times, don't we? For instance, the legal world operates this way around the subject of legal professional privilege (LPP)-the right to seek legal opinion to protect information, and the advice sought. But, there's a catch... give a little away, and you give the lot away. We need a better way. The diligence and prudence of wisdom.


  • Haste - The Destructiveness, Hassle And Problem Of Hurry
    [Self-Improvement:Time-Management] Rarely do we get ahead in life in our hurrying. In haste we've all done silly things to get in front and then had to deal with the guilt that comes afterwards. It contributes to a loss of inner-peace. It's ironically such a waste of time in the overall analysis of things! Planning is the key to address the lack of diligence that causes it.


  • Risk In Teenagers - Why Do They Take Work, Driving And Life Risks? Explanations Here
    [Home-and-Family:Parenting] Adolescence is arguably the toughest time of life. Getting used to becoming adult is usually a painful transition. Have you ever wondered why teens think and act the way they do? Why they have such a propensity for risk-taking, for instance. It is easy to discount young people as being "careless and carefree," the truth is they can't do much about how they're "wired," and the development curve they're on. To be empowered to help please read on...


  • The Miracle of Light - Helping the Struggling Person Back to it
    [Self-Improvement:Inspirational] It always amazes me in the nicest way to see someone come through a trough and again come back to be the positive person they once were. It's as if the light that once shone brightly within, has returned as they are no longer confounded by fear, and are free to be happy, and most importantly, they're free to be themselves. How do we encourage this...?


  • The Blessing Of Time - Reclaiming Time And Control Over Your Life
    [Self-Improvement:Goal-Setting] Do you ever feel rushed and forever "on the go?" Want more balance and time to yourself? Time is finite. We need to appreciate it and use it and learn from it. A lifetime might appear to be a long time; the truth is, it isn't.


  • Get Your Dream Job, Have Your Dream Life - Get Both Things Through Knowledge And A Good Heart
    [Self-Improvement:Success] If there's one thing everyone wants it must be that "dream job"-one where you have power and influence, lots of cash, and it affords you a lifestyle ninety-nine percent of people would be envious of. The dream job actually delivers the dream life. The secret in getting the dream job lies in two complementary things that are based in wisdom principles...


  • Becoming A Teacher-Parent - Giving Your Children The Goal Of Success
    [Home-and-Family:Parenting] How grateful are you of your "firm but fair" teachers? They've played a huge role in your success. What about your children; are they learning from you? Are you providing them a healthy platform with which to grow from?


  • Turn The Other Cheek - What Gives? Is It Really The Better Way?
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Turning the other cheek is simply a better way. It's a better way because whether the person who strikes us or offends us back or not is insignificant. We must in ourselves remain resolute in our (or God's) stance of love and grace, breaking down the bonds of fear, within ourselves and them. It is truly miraculous.


  • Keeping Girls Safe in a Twisted World - Thoughts for Parents
    [Relationships:Communication] Love affords protection from very early on in a young girl's life. If you learn and implement true love as a parent, especially early on, you have high chances of success. From the wisdom of Alice Ogden Bellis (a mother of girls) comes the basis of this advice.


  • Bad Habits - How to Eradicate Them Forever
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] New Year's resolutions are notorious for not being carried through. They generally last just a few weeks, a month at most. But it's not the only time we make promises to correct bad habits is it? There is an easier way; it is important to understand how habits form...


  • Fine-Tuning Roles and Maximising Your Impact in Life
    [Self-Improvement:Success] Our lives can be summarised by the roles we play-metaphors for 'who we are.' Being comfortable in our life roles and knowing our life "style" can bring such inner peace and contentment. Become the you you're meant to be.


  • Spousal Abuse - Stopping the Cycle of Fear
    [Relationships:Conflict] We all have the right to a life free of fear. But what if we suddenly find we're being used, or worse, abused in a key relationship. It's disempowering for not only the person abused; how do parents, friends, and siblings feel? What do we do when we're caught in this trap?


  • Life Ends, Then What? When It's All Been Said And Done, There's Just One Thing That Matters
    [Self-Improvement] Who is setting the "success" mark for you? At the end of your life, what is it that you stood for? Why is it you were loved? What legacy did you leave? How did you spend your time?


  • Loneliness - Practice Detachment and Master It
    [Self-Improvement:Inspirational] Loneliness is an emotion that can affect anyone at any time. It can come out of the blue. The remedy is detachment which is a healthy independence. It will preserve your emotional state and make you a stronger, happier person.


  • The Power Of Sorry - It's A Tonic For Everyone
    [Relationships:Conflict] There is a miraculous power in Sorry. Saying sorry and seeking forgiveness brings a peace that is hard to describe; it also brings life, peace and relief to the other person or party. We should all want good for the other person or the other party for selfish reasons-it makes us feel good to.


  • Achieving Successful Change - The Importance of Diligence
    [Self-Improvement:Success] Creating change, for instance improving your fitness, requires careful and dutiful planning. Make sure you give sufficient thought to the planning so that you bolster your chances of success.


  • Gratitude - Depression Preventative and Antidote
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] Gratitude, a thankful heart is the tonic for life and hope, and what I call the "pinnacle of positive emotions". A daily focus on gratitude will assist in preventing depressive feelings and symptoms. It's also the antidote to a bunch of depressed feelings.


  • Youth - How To Love 'Em When They Seem "Unlovable"
    [Home-and-Family:Parenting] Parents are often plagued with problems raising youth. It can seem never-ending, and at times you feel like giving up. It can be a tortuous time for parents and youths alike. Here's two solid tips to actually help you love them when they seem unlovable...


  • Reading Body Language - A 'How To'
    [Relationships:Communication] Amazingly, we are rarely aware of our, or others' body language (non-verbal communication); it can be a dead giveaway to our inconsistent verbal behaviour, and we hardly ever account for it! This is a big communication trap. Come to know yourself and others better; read on...


  • True Contentedness - The Real Source
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] Wisdom is true contentedness. The opposite is also true. Contentedness might not be euphoria or ecstasy but it is a kind of wholesome acceptance of 'the now'. I'll illustrate.


  • Paradoxical Comfort - The Benefit of Trust
    [Self-Improvement:Techniques] There are times when things good for us are veiled in things we don't recognise as good. Trust is required to find this good thing at times. There's no benefit to you or to the other person in the guesswork of making assumptions. Follow trust guided by wisdom that is diligence and prudence.


  • Eliminating Negative Self-Talk
    [Self-Improvement:Positive-Attitude] How much anxiety and stress is generated in our own minds? Stay open to this: it is basic Toltec wisdom, and quite widely known within psychology circles, besides numerous other sources-we are, or become, what we think! You might be surprised to learn people are not thinking what you think they are thinking. Control your self-talk by reading on...


  • How to Create a Good Reputation
    [Self-Improvement:Goal-Setting] It's so frustrating to find you've 'earned' a negative reputation. How do you change it? What's the best way to work on your reputation? The article focuses on character development, the only thing to counter a poor reputation.


  • Speaking Truth - Many Words Trap Us
    [Relationships:Communication] CAN YOU RELATE WITH the frustration in reflection of having heard yourself exaggerate something to make it sound more appealing or sensational? The reality however is our credibility (and the truth) suffers when we fall for the telling of a half-truth.


  • Want Long Life, Prosperity And Honor?
    [Self-Improvement:Abundance-Prosperity] What is the secret to life? Simply put, there is one thing that will provide long life, prosperity, and honor (a good name). You could commit your life to this one thing and earn everything good in return. You'll never regret it... read on...


  • Taming the Green-Eyed Monster - How to Beat Envy
    [Self-Improvement:Positive-Attitude] YOU'VE BEEN WRONGED. You're livid and your first instinct is to get revenge. You can't help it; you are so stripped of any good feeling towards this person, and your whole world seems consumed with retribution. How do you turn envious thinking into something more positive? What to avoid and what to embrace? Read on...


  • Keep Moving Forward
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] What about the tests of life? You're struggling with a certain person, or a certain situation, and you're 'in the moment', and like so many times you feel you've failed the test, lost your cool and said the wrong thing, or said the right thing in the wrong way, which has been just as damaging. You're with someone you love perhaps and you feel you still can't control the situation; you still can't say the right thing-it's all a bit futile. Read on for a practical tip.


  • The Paradox of Happiness
    [Self-Improvement:Happiness] WAS THERE EVER such a more important goal in life as Happiness? Everyone desires it. Happiness, contentment, satisfaction, fulfilment... The truth is we all want life to turn out in contentment and satisfaction. We would be less than human if this weren't so. But, here's a warning: happiness is elusive!


  • Be The Change! Do It Don't Just Say It
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] Ghandi was without doubt one of the most incredible human beings who ever lived. What was it that he saw in the world that commanded him to believe this and therefore actually 'do' it? There seems to be so much talk and so little action these days; it is wearisome believing people who command your attention when they promise change, when you know to expect more of the same.


  • From Vows to Eternity - Getting Married and Staying That Way
    [Relationships:Marriage] Marriage is the period from vows to eternity; at least when one of you passes away. The duration of your marriage could be anything from a few months to seventy-plus years and it is easily the biggest commitment you will ever make. Think about it, everything that you do from the Wedding day on, stems from your marriage relationship, and the impacts of nearly all things you will do will always have to be considered.


  • The Work-Life Balance Conundrum
    [Self-Improvement:Time-Management] I LOVE the following quote. Here goes: "Forget about trying to achieve the mythical work/life balance. Identify your priorities and make sure they align with the other people in your life who are important. Once this is done, the stress and frustration of trying to achieve work/life balance will disappear."


  • What Is Wisdom?
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] The word seems esoteric to many people; indeed, it can mean many different things, and I dare say there are a lot of variations on the definitions people would give for it. It has been sought by peoples and written about in all sorts of circles for millenniums.


  • Effective Communication - Review of Dan Kehoe's Book "Management in Action" Series
    [Book-Reviews:Business] Where do you find wisdom? People often feel they're wise and have wisdom they want to share-so how do you sort the wheat from the chaff? Good question. Wisdom's cousin is truth-lasting and proven. That is what I think readers of Dan Kehoe's Management in Action series find: wisdom; truth that lasts because it works reliably, and truth that will be around long after we're gone.


  • Four Time Wasters
    [Self-Improvement:Time-Management] There are always things to do and when you've finished your 'to do' list there's generally a raft of other 'stuff' just waiting to be dealt with. So many things to do. So many potential issues to consider with our time.


  • Joseph The Just
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Heroes of compassion are known for their unbending commitment to humankind. There is a faithfulness and trustworthiness that goes with people of this kind. Of all virtues though, perhaps it is the virtue of Justice (or Righteousness) that supersedes all others in champions of compassion. That was Joseph, patriarch to Egypt.


  • Things Always Change
    [Business:Workplace-Communication] Have you ever wondered why you couldn't work out in your own mind how or why a situation worked out the way it did? For some reason that 'something' or life situation turned out a particular way that you least expected. A situation that started well, ended not so well, or, a situation that promised little, actually came to pass as you perhaps would have first hoped. It is confusing and perplexing at times. Read on for an answer.


  • In Crowd, Out Crowd
    [Self-Improvement:Coaching] What club do you belong to. When are you 'in' and when are you 'out'. There's integrity in treating people as people and not as pawns to be converted. God has no favorites; we're all in with Him. Do you have favorites? It will compromise your integrity.


  • Quality - The Elixir Of Life - Life Abundant
    [Self-Improvement:Spirituality] Quality is an enduring feature of life. It brings consistent results in the tangible life, and it's a golden rule for the intangible. It could also be translated as one form of definite truth. It brings together many good, wholesome, and trustworthy things. It can truly transform your life.

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