Choosing your beliefs: breaking the hold of limiting thoughts
This year, I finally gave in and agreed that it was time to share the truth about Father Christmas with our eight-year-old daughter. I made my husband have the dreaded conversation; he pushed for it, after all. Neither of us wants her to be the last kid in the playground still insisting that Rudolph really […]
Time commitments and the power of tomorrow
We’ve all been there. A few months ago, you got invited to a dinner/ conference/ speaking engagement and, figuring it was A Good Thing To Do, you shot off a quick “Yes, I’d love to” and popped it in the diary. Now, it’s the night before the thing and you are checking your phone every […]
The superhero’s guide to getting organised
So, what’s your superpower? This is a question I have come across in numerous interviews of late. With the Marvel universe dominating cinema screens for years now, it seems to have become the latest, slightly ironic, way of asking “what are your hidden talents?”, and I’ve heard answers ranging from “I am a brilliant negotiator” […]
How I lost a tooth and gained new gratitude
This summer, I found myself in the unenviable position of having to undergo minor dental surgery. Minor but significant, since I loathe going to the dentist. But this little operation was necessary, so I gritted my teeth, so to speak, and did it. But it did not go well. Complications left me in terrible pain […]
Human being or human doing: which do you choose?
We are human BEings, not human DOings. In the past two weeks, I have heard or read this saying, so popular among personal development professionals, no fewer than five times. Do you think the universe is trying to tell me something? I don’t know, but the repetition certainly made me pause, put down my eternal […]
Intercultural diversity: turning challenge into opportunity
In my intercultural coaching work, I support mainly, though not exclusively, two client profiles. The first are companies in which teams from different countries need to work together. This is often done on a project basis, bringing people to collaborate with clients and colleagues they do not know that well; sometimes it is the result […]
Lessons in life from our children
I was recently regaling a close (and willing!) friend with a few stories of funny things my children have said and done of late. For example, my seven-year-old daughter who loves to read Dog Man has taken to exclaiming “Oh boy, this is gonna be great”, which is hilarious given her cut-glass English accent. I […]
Managing transitions: taking a leaf out of nature’s book
This summer, one of my dearest friends (let’s call her Jennifer) fulfilled her dream of moving from Paris to Annecy, where she can ski to her heart’s content for almost half the year. Ex-pats get used to having friends come and go – it is part of the job description. I have many overseas friends […]
Read yourself to greater fulfilment, 5 books in the personal development genre
5 books in the personal development genre to feed your mind and soul this summer Four Thousand Weeks Oliver Burkeman is my find of the year. I gobbled up his latest offering, Four Thousand Weeks – Time Management for Mortals, then proceeded to read through his entire oeuvre. The title refers to the fact that […]
Be Your Own (Cross-Cultural) Coach: Taking the Shock Out of Cultural Difference
Two fish are cruising around their tank one day when they pass an older fish coming from the other direction. “How’s the water?” asks the solo swimmer. “What water?” reply the young sprats. That’s culture. It’s the water we’re swimming around in that we do not even realise is there. Well, not until we leave […]
