Author: Stephanie Hills

  • Nature Connection: A Handbook of Practices for Therapy and Self-Exploration

    Nature Connection: a handbook of practices for therapy and self-exploration                                    by Margaret Kerr and Jana Lemke This thin volume, small enough almost to fit into one hand, contains a plethora of ideas for connecting with nature. From crawling through long grass and imagining life from the perspective of a small creature, to sitting quietly under […]

  • Positive Communication for Everyday Life: …………An online workshop…………

    7.30 – 9pm NZST Monday 2 December 2024 or 2.00 – 3.30pm NZST Monday 9 December 2024 This workshop draws from the respectful communication practices revealed in Dale Carnegie’s timeless book, How to Win Friends and Influence People. Participants are encouraged to share their experiences and practice the ideas together. The workshop is offered at […]

  • How can I be happy when things are so bad?

    One reason we find it hard to be happy is that we persistently deny ourselves permission. Faulty reasoning makes us think that being happy would be somehow selfish and wrong. For example: If someone I love is suffering, to be cheerful would feel unkind. If I’m grieving for someone I love, it seems disloyal to […]

  • The gift of free surgery

    Shout out to the surgeons, anaesthetists, nurses and other staff who are voluntarily donating their time and expertise on Saturdays 9 and 23 November to provide free surgeries for up to 70 patients. Braemar Hospital is a private hospital in Hamilton, NZ, but the Braemar Charitable Trust Community Surgery Programme arranges free surgeries for deserving […]

  • Crazy laws from Kansas

  • Purpose and Work

    Marci Shimoff tells a story about three men on a building site. When asked what they’re doing, the first replies that he is laying bricks. The second replies that he is proud to be practising his trade as a bricklayer. The third replies that he is building a beautiful cathedral. This story demonstrates the different […]

  • The Song of Significance

    The Song of Significance: A New Manifesto for Teams  by Seth Godin “Management is the practice of using power and authority to get what we want. …Leadership is the art of creating something significant.”  This is one of the many pithy quotes from Seth Godin’s book, all about how the workplace should be a place […]

  • A guy goes into a bar…

    A guy goes into a bar and asks the bartender for his best scotch. The bartender reaches up to the top shelf and gingerly picks up a bottle of single malt, carefully pours a shot into a clean glass. The guy grabs the drink and throws it down his throat in one gulp. The bartender […]

  • The benefits of sunlight

    Daylight Saving has begun – a good time to remember how important sunlight is for our health and happiness.  Exposure to sunshine raises our serotonin level, which improves mood, lifts depression and makes us more alert.  Sunlight, especially morning sun, improves melatonin regulation, leading to better sleep at night.  And the Vitamin D that we […]

  • Caring in carpark

    My sister came across a lady who had lost her car in a large shopping centre car park. They both climbed into my sister’s car and drove around until they found it. A simple act of kindness for a stranger that made her day a little less stressful.