Tag: Wellbeing
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It’s Never Too Late for a Happy Life
Last night I attended a talk on ‘Understanding Genetics’ by Kat Arney and Oliver James. Despite the excellent presentations, I suspect the majority of the audience left only with the understanding that genes are very, very complex. And almost certainly beyond their grasp. I was actually more interested in listening to Oliver James, a psychologist…
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Being Less Toxic
Recently a dear friend paid me a lovely compliment. It was along the lines of, ‘You are so lacking in bitterness.’ We had been talking about the struggles, ‘injustices’ and loneliness I had experienced as a single parent in the early years post separation. I observed that, because I didn’t know then what I know…
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The Bearable Lightness of Being
Each of us has a natural lightness of being which is sufficiently buoyant to balance the things which come our way. What can tip our experience into unbearable is our own Thinking about these events. Sometimes consciously, but more often innocently, unconsciously and automatically, we entertain habits of thinking which turn our experience of events…
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Enjoying Easier Relationships
Recently a woman, whom I’ll call Ann, spoke to me about one of the most common issues of all, negotiating the challenges of relationships. In her case it was a relatively new relationship which had started very promisingly then unravelled a bit following a disastrous trip to a family wedding. Both had been divorced for…
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Spirituality for Skeptics?
Last week I was visiting Balliol College, Oxford. As I unpacked I discovered that the guest room had a copy of The Origin of the Species, rather than the traditional bible in the bedside drawer. This made me smile. And also reflect. The publication of Darwin’s work and its wide acceptance as a solid explanation of…
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The Epidemic of Misunderstanding
After more than 2 decades of trainings and working with clients, I have come to see that is a single, yet important misunderstanding at the root of many of today’s chronic problems. These include addiction, obesity, stress, anxiety relationship breakdown and even depression. That misunderstanding is the false belief that our circumstances – other people, our…
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The Transformative Power of Insight
One of my ongoing challenges is being able to answer the question, ‘What do you do?’ with any clarity. For 30 year or so I was a lawyer. Even if person asking had a different concept of what lawyers do from my actual role, they got a sense of it. Now, when I say something…
Christian McNeill 