All Articles
Hollow promises of productivity
Books and blogs are constantly offering us the seductive and powerful promise of a more productive life: the end of procrastination, frustration, and incompetence. But our hunger to find out the perfect productivity system reveals something more profound going on in our hearts.
The crucible of unemployment
Unemployment sounds great in theory. Imagine pyjama days every day, no alarm clock jackhammering into your mornings, and time to re-evaluate your entire life priorities whilst catching up on Loose Women. Except, as I recently discovered, it also forces you into deep crisis. Say hello to frozen pizzas and a blossoming relationship with your recruitment agent.
Who do you think you are?
Your sense of identity shapes how you act and how you view the world, so who do you think you are?
Are women really equal?
There are many ways in which the gender divide still wounds women: from unequal pay to the prohibitive cost of childcare, from unshatterable glass ceilings to unrealistic expectations of beauty, performance and achievement. We may say we value women equally, but in reality there are still many disparities to be overcome, both practically and in our own thought processes. So, how can I know who I am as a woman? Is there a rest from this treadmill?
What’s it all for?
What is it with our obsession with progress? And why doesn't it seem to make things any better?
Self-improvement generation
Why have we seen an explosion in self-improvement literature in recent years? If increased ambition and our tendency to compare ourselves are behind this trend, where does this leave us? How do we cope with being increasingly dissatisfied with ourselves?
Grace in Tasmania
Sometimes it takes car troubles and a small family in rural Tasmania to grasp the meaning and relevance of this thing called ‘grace’.
Whitney’s two greatest lovers
Whitney Houston was shot from small-town obscurity to worldwide fame, all apparently on a ticket to self-dependence. However, after years of abusive relationships, drugs and a failing voice she finally reached a point where she had to throw her hands up and admit that her methods weren’t working. What, or rather who, was she missing?
The truth that you hide
When life is falling apart, what kind of hero do you need, and what might he ask of you in return?