How many times have you uttered the words “My new year’s resolution is…”? The end of the calendar year is still very much seen as out with the old and in with the new. New Year’s resolutions are well intended so gym memberships increase as do detox products. Personally, I am not a huge fan of resolutions. I do however, believe that goals are crucial. So what is the difference between...

The party season is upon us. With this comes meeting new people or old friends. Usually these conversations will start with standard and harmless chit chat and pleasantries. Then, before you know it, the interrogation starts. We have all been single at some stage, whether we like it or not. So how do we handle intrusions wanting to pry into our personal lives? For those of you non single people out there, here...

Need and Want – Take a look at these two four letter words. Their dictionary definitions are relatively similar yet they have distinct meanings. In economic terms, a need is generally referred to as something required for survival and a want is a desire for something now or in the future. There is often a grey area between these two, so how can we decide if we want or need something? Many times, we confuse...

How do you see yourself? How important is self-image? Self-image is all about how you perceive yourself. It is a combination of impressions, thoughts and feelings collected over time. Your self-image can be different to how the rest of the world sees you and is closely linked to self-esteem. Self-image is how you see yourself and self-esteem is how you value yourself. It is surprising how often we judge ourselves....

Our brains make connectionss and links associated to labels and brands. People are no exception (think Jamie Oliver and Julio Iglesias!). We are all judged based on impressions, whether purely on appearance, a conversation or simply what you do for a living. Virtually every little action contributes to your personal brand. From how you dress, to what you eat, how you talk, etc. Personal branding is unavoidable....

We all have a brand image. What does yours say about you? Put simply, a brand is more than just a name, it is what people associate with a company, organisation, product or person. A personal brand is no different, it is about what others would say if they had to describe you. Think of a brand. Any brand. Now think of a few more. What did you come up with? Was it Nike and the little tick? Or maybe it was Google?...

Do you think you stand up for yourself? What does that actually mean? It is often said that we dictate how others treat us. In psychology terms, this is referred to as Personal Boundaries. If someone is a doormat, they will have “weak boundaries”. What this suggests, is that you are likely to a pleasant and amiable person, who is somewhat underdeveloped in the area of “pushing back” against...

“There are two things people want more than sex and money – recognition and praise.” ~ Mary Kay Ash Have you noticed how children ask for praise and recognition? “Mummy, Daddy, look at me!” Most of the time parents happily oblige and say how wonderful something is. As children we seek praise. We are taught that if we did something our parents approved of we would be rewarded or praised for...

Did you know that mosquitoes are attracted to people who just ate bananas? Apparently this is because it is high in potassium and mosquitoes like it. So what attracts us to one person and not another? Surely it can’t be because of their bananas! Most people realise and recognise the symptoms when there is an initial attraction. Some call it chemistry and say it can manifest itself in many different ways; sweaty...

When was the last time someone did something that made you happy? I ask, because a simple way to be happy is to make someone else happy. With our busy lifestyles it is easy to forget to be kind and generous to others. Some time ago, I was having lunch with a dear friend and my lovely godson, when a complete stranger came over to compliment the child and wish us all the best and then left. When we asked for the...