Category: Inner Peace

  • Nelson Mandela, politics and spirituality

    Nelson Mandela is no longer with us. I find myself quite tearful, perhaps not from sadness, because he had made the most of his 95 years on this earth, but simply in recognition of the wonderful qualities he embodied. Nelson Mandela will always remain my hero, not because he was an extraordinary person, but because […]

  • Immunising yourself against other people’s venom

    Feelings and attitudes are like germs – highly infectious. To promote our own happiness and that of the people around us, we need to protect ourselves from toxic attitudes and emotions that might come into our circle from time to time. But how do I stop myself getting angry when someone is angry with me, […]

  • Other People Can Be So Annoying!

    You’ve probably noticed that other people can be a real pain at times. Interfering, making too much noise, demanding, whining, doing a sloppy job, messing things up, wanting their own way – other people can find a million ways to get under our skin. Yet before we react to them, we must look to ourselves […]

  • 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 […]

  • 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 […]

  • Getting through the hard time

    That’s when I thought, “I’m so glad I’m in Africa!”

  • The moment and the meaning

    Spiritual gurus like Eckhart Tolle stress the importance of taking the time to enjoy the moment as it happens. This mindful way of living opens you up to feeling more alive and enables you to notice the little things, like a wildflower by the side of the road or the colour of an evening sky. […]

  • Gut Feelings and Intuition

    When making a decision, do you go with your gut? Many people confuse gut feelings with ‘intuition’, when in fact they’re two different things. Gut feelings come easily and naturally – they’re your body’s pre-programmed response to stimuli that you’ve encountered before. Candace Pert’s book ‘Molecules of Emotion’ explains how our body chemistry works to […]

  • A peaceful home – a recipe for happiness

    This week I’ve been reminded of the importance of a happy home, especially in times of stress. We can transcend virtually any difficulty if we can temporarily get away from the stress to reflect on our situation. Home can be the best place for this. However, sometimes instead we take out our frustrations on those […]