Are you acknowledging the incremental achievements of your life? — Instead of only celebrating big achievements or end goals, what if you started celebrating the incremental improvements in your life? In this results-obsessed world, it’s easy to be goal-oriented, and to feel a sense of achievement only when you reach the fullness of whatever it is you are striving for…

Is stubborn perseverance undermining your ability to thrive? — In a society that values perseverance and determination, giving up can feel like failure. But what if we’re thinking about it all wrong? What if, sometimes, giving up is actually an act of self-care? If you’re weighing up whether to quit on something or not, I encourage to start asking…

7 questions to help you recognise just how far you’ve come — My life first flickered into existence on the fertile alluvial plains of the Waikato valley, New Zealand. This month I am turning 50, and I am incredibly excited about celebrating this milestone birthday half a world away from my birthplace in bustling, tropical Singapore. Of all the benefits I feel…

A non-religious funeral reading for people who were profoundly withdrawn and/or difficult to love. — Tradition dictates that funeral readings are positive and uplifting affairs; the poems and proses shared online almost inevitably speak of a loved one that contributed in positive ways, that engaged with the world through inspiring actions, and that spread joy, laughter, and hope. So, how do you farewell someone who…

Simple ways to enhance your well-being without leaving your home With the COVID-19 pandemic precipitating an unprecedented and unexpected lockdown, billions of individuals, all around the world, are dealing with amplified feelings of fear, loneliness, boredom, anxiety, overwhelm and uncertainty. …

How to keep fear in check in times of uncertainty — Fear is a very useful emotion when we are in grave danger and we need to take action. However, prolonged periods of heightened panic are detrimental to our emotional and physical health, increasing the likelihood of stress-related illness and lowering our immune system. …

How to maintain a sense of well-being and agency in an era of ‘bad news’ Ho, boy! Those news headlines can look pretty glum, can’t they! History shows that humanity’s greatest leaps forward have always come in times of challenge and upheaval. As we wander into the 2020s, it certainly…

Is it time to start valuing ourselves and others more effectively? Once upon a time — in an epoch before social media followers, annual salaries, KPIs and student grades — personal success was a matter of meaningful action and invaluable participation: a young hunter with extraordinary agility and prowess; an…

Never underestimate your ability to *choose* more happiness, positivity and hope — Nobody expects you to have a positive outlook all the time — we are all human and it is healthiest for us to openly acknowledge when life is unpleasant. …