Author: Stephanie Hills

  • Plalking = Picking up litter while walking

    On my way to the local shops, I was curious to see an older lady walking with a plastic bag. She walked with dignity and looked purposeful, but every time she passed a piece of rubbish, she bent down, picked it up, popped it into her bag and carried on walking. In a very humble […]

  • Clever Learners

    One day Jim and John were taking Jim’s dog for a walk. “I’ve taught my dog to whistle,” Jim said proudly. “What do you mean?”, said John, “He’s not whistling”. “I know”, said Jim. “I said I’d taught him. I didn’t say he’d learned”. * * * * * * “My sister and I have […]

  • What the World Needs Now…

    I once led a dedicated team, who worked well together and had each other’s backs. One day, every team member suddenly became difficult to work with. In their own ways, each person started looking out for themselves, rather than thinking of the team. It didn’t take me long to realise why. A new manager had […]

  • Born for Love

    Born for Love. Why empathy is essential – and endangered by Bruce D. Perry and Maia Szalavitz Brain experts Perry and Szalavitz explain how our social experiences affect the way our brains develop, showing how harsh environments breed children with easily triggered stress systems, while stable nurturing grows empathy and rational thinking. With fascinating case […]

  • Mangled Meanings

    Pressimism: Gloomy outlook on life resulting from reading the news.Percycution: Giving your child a name he will hate for the rest of his life.Headshunted: A sideways promotion.Sluggage: Bags that turn up two days after you do.Gymnauseum: Forcing yourself to go to the gym when you really don’t want to.Satire: Found a seat in a more […]

  • Before you get SMART, know where you’re going and why

    You’ve probably heard that you’re more likely to succeed if you set SMART goals, because SMART goals are measurable. In other words, you can tick the boxes as you achieve them. The beauty of this is that each ticked box rewards you with the little dopamine hit needed to get you over the hurdle of […]

  • Gift in the mail

    Sonya* was going through a bad patch and struggling to pay her bills. One day she went to the letterbox and was surprised to find an envelope containing a $100 supermarket gift card. There was no name or return address, so Sonya had no idea who to thank, but she was delighted with the unexpected gift. […]

  • Comical quips

    “My dad suggested I register for a donor card. He is a man after my own heart”        ~ Masai Graham  “Working at the Jobcentre has to be a tense job – knowing that if you get fired, you still have to come in the next day.”   ~ Alan Rowe            “I decided to sell my […]

  • Is Anger Necessary for Change?

    Some people say we should strive never to be angry. Others say that anger is what drives us to make things better. Who is right? First, it helps to understand that anger involves both feelings and thoughts. The feeling alerts us that something is not going the way we think it should. A good question […]

  • The Book of Overthinking

    The Book of Overthinking. How to Stop the Cycle of Worry                                                                   By Gwendoline Smith ‘Overthinking’ is the name given to the repetitive, anxiety-provoking thoughts that can keep you awake at night, or the nagging negativity that can spoil an otherwise good experience. It’s not really the quantity of thinking that gets out of hand, […]