Author: Stephanie Hills

  • Gratitude for the Hard Times

    We all know that it’s beneficial to be grateful for the good things in our lives, especially when we know that other people don’t have all the comforts or luxuries we have. But we can develop gratitude for the hard times too. This is easiest done in retrospect. Thinking back over the most tragic, difficult […]

  • Happiness = Openness + Boundaries

    Happiness, confidence and other good feelings are generally associated with openness. When we are happy, we are more sociable, more compassionate and more likely to help others. On the other hand, when we are angry or depressed we close off from other people and are less likely to notice or care about what’s going on […]

  • Kindness is all around

    I have been in my current job and geographical location for a year, so have got to know a few people but not made a lot of close friends. Recently I have been suffering from overwork and found myself feeling very low in energy and enthusiasm. Part of the stress involved the fact that I […]

  • The difference between advice and counselling

    When you look for advice, you tend to choose someone you consider wiser than you, or someone who looks as though they’ve got their life together. This is because ultimately the only advice another person can give you is, “Be more like me! This is what I would do in your situation. You should do […]

  • Who do you think you’re talking to?

    Something I’ve been thinking about lately is the fact that we are so connected with one another that even in our private moments we are not islands. Our thoughts are always directed at someone – we think to a virtual listener, just as we speak to an audience with our speech. In a way, thoughts […]

  • Start with the physical

    Recently I’ve found myself sinking into negativity, getting irritated with people and their perceived stupidity and thoughtlessness and especially their negativity. Of course, it’s not that people have suddenly got more stupid or unkind. The problem is that I am lacking energy, which means I also lack patience and find it harder to be understanding. […]

  • More funny signs

    In Ghana, people are ostensibly very religious. Taxis have quotes like “Not me but God” painted on their back windows and business names are often religious messages too. This can lead to some comical signs, such as: God Is In Control Sewing Batik God’s Time Is The Best Kitchen Trust Books and Stationery Not Me […]

  • A trip to the beach

    After deciding that it would be best to give the orphanage children experiences rather than material things, I put forward the idea of taking the kids to the beach during the school holidays. The idea was well received, but of course, not knowing my way around here, I had to rely on Madame Rose and […]

  • Things you get used to

    – washing clothes and bathing without running water – sweating a lot – small plastic bags and plastic water sachets littered everywhere. There’s no rubbish collection, so people burn their own rubbish but generally think nothing of dropping their empty sachets on the ground. And everything you buy is served in a tiny black plastic […]

  • Things I’ll miss when I leave

    – The noise. There’s always someone with a big sound system playing African music loudly in the street, or in the taxi – The friendliness. People here all talk to each other. They don’t pass on the street without spending time chatting to people they know, even mere acquaintances. – The hosts of local children […]