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....

The beginning of a new year is filled with hope and expectations of what is yet to come. Whether you are firm believer that a new year is a new beginning or simply another page on the calendar, chances are you will be reassessing the past and planning for the future. I am a huge fan of lists and love reading things like “100 Places to Go Before you Die”. Having read many of these lists I have learnt...

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...

“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...

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...

The recent release of “Sex & the City 2” got me thinking about friendship. Good friends are not easy to find and should be treasured. Every friend offers something different which in turn makes you a better person. As we are all unique, can we categorize our friends into groups? As per a recent article in Philosophy Now by Dr Timothy Madigan, Aristotle divided friendship into 3 different types: ...

Nobody enjoys a breakup. Whether the breakup was rough or amicable, it is not a pleasant thing. Whilst each and every situation is unique, there are general characteristics of a break up that apply. So the story goes something like this… You two break up (it doesn’t matter who did it). You panic and start chasing, pleading, phoning, texting, emailing. Chances are, you do something that will make you...

The dictionary definition of optimism is “a tendency to expect the best possible outcome or dwell on the most hopeful aspects of a situation”. Sounds good right? Well, your answer will depend on who you are. In a general sense, people can be divided into being mainly optimistic or pessimistic. This will in turn affect other areas in your life. How you view the world is crucial for your well being. How you...

Most languages and cultures have a grammatical use for past and future tenses, yesterday and tomorrow. Many brilliant scientific minds such as Galileo, Newton, Einstein and Stephen Hawking have studied time. Fascination with time and time travel has also been the inspiration of innumerable fiction books and films. So what exactly is time and what is it good for? Einstein stated that time was simply what a clock...

People talk about falling in and out of love all the time. When was the last time you fell in love with yourself? If you are reading this and shaking your head, you should definitely read on. If your partner had a bad day you would probably want to do something nice for them right? Maybe you would cook a lovely meal or run a bath, or anything you think they would enjoy. So if you would do that for your lover,...