There are times in life when a personal stocktake can be helpful.  Reviewing what’s gone before, whether it’s done after university or an apprenticeship, between jobs or at the end of a relationship, is a chance to think through what went well, what might have been improved, what was fun and what would, in hindsight, …

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The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there.’ So runs the opening line of LP Hartley’s 1953 novel, The Go-Between, a reminder, it transpires, that childhood is not without embarrassment, love is rarely straightforward and society’s mores are forever changing. The past, many would accept, is also an imperfect country, one where …

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Life carries on. There might be times when its presence is unwelcome or intrusive. It can even seem insensitive – how can traffic flow, shops open and people chatter when a heart is broken? Mostly, however, everyday murmurs of life bring reassurance, especially when they’re found in nature – the buzz of a solitary bee, …

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Do you have hope? Hope for a personally fulfilling or different future, maybe, or that friends and family will enjoy healthy and happy lives? Perhaps the intention is broader still, a hope that kindness and understanding take root across the world and bring equality and justice to all its citizens. It’s not always easy to …

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When the world is crying for much-needed attention it can be difficult to pause, step back and allow oneself a moment’s peace. It’s easy to argue that taking time out won’t help to tackle injustice, eradicate inequality or shatter indifference. A frazzled mind and tired body, however, are just as unlikely to best serve or nurture …

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It might have made for a fitting closing number to Monty Python’s Life of Brian, but few would suggest that the answer to challenges and disappointments is always to look on the bright side. There’s no one- view-suits-all solution, after all, and there are times when realism, pessimism and even cynicism might have a valuable …

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Most people have their creature comforts, those small but significant things that lift the spirits, ease the mind and bring joy. They can make life bearable, even when the world seems unkind, hostile or unknowable.    It’s easy to assume that such comforts are, by definition, material – plush bed linen atop the perfect mattress, a …

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