We Don’t Bow to Zeus Anymore, But We’re No Less Religious
Wander Athens' Ancient Agora marketplace and you'll find altars to yesteryear's gods. We might not bow to Zeus or sacrifice bulls on the Acropolis anymore, but are we any less religious today? I don't think so.
Humility Hasn’t Always Been a Virtue. Here’s How its Meaning Changed
No one appreciates arrogance. In fact, along with kindness and generosity, humility may be our most-cited quality of a good person. All this is fascinating when you consider that humility hasn’t always been a virtue. Here's how its meaning changed.
There’s a Word for What I’m Experiencing: Wintering. Maybe You’re Feeling it Too
I came across a helpful word recently: wintering. Author Katherine May uses it to describe those moments when life turns cold through crisis or loss and we find ourselves living at a different, slower pace to everyone else. As winter is a time of retreat and hibernation for much of the natural world, wintering is the
The Power of Your Small, Ordinary Life
In the end, our lives won't be measured by our awards or public success, but by our love. And our love is revealed in the stories those closest to us tell of us. My father's life was seemingly small and ordinary. But it mattered. And our small, ordinary lives do too. I hope sharing this
A Prayer for the People of Afghanistan
Like many, I watched speechless as events in Afghanistan unfolded. Taliban flags raised over Kabul, desperate crowds chasing planes down runways. Better minds than mine can assign blame. All I’ve been able to do is recall a moment of refuge and turn it into a prayer.
Line of Duty’s “Disappointing” Ending Tells Us Something About the Soul
Line of Duty. Wow. I don’t remember feeling as captivated by a TV series since West Wing. Under the spell of AC-12’s hunt for bent coppers and organised crime, I joined 13 million other viewers for series 6's finale—pulse quickened, breath held, ready to find out who the mysterious ‘H’ was and whether Arnott, Fleming
Ready for a New Adventure? Make Sure it Has These Four Things
If the pandemic has been good for anything, it’s been good for my local park. During the first lockdown, kids made a line of hand-painted rocks that snaked for yards and yards. Fairy houses with tiny doors, windows and picket fences appeared at the base of tree trunks, and recently a community library was set
When You’re Lost in the Wilderness, Remember this
Much of my work is public speaking—a job transformed by the pandemic from one of hotels and conference stages to loungerooms and laptops. Recently I Zoomed in to speak at Walsall Community Church. My topic was going to be joy, but that all changed when a few days before I was to speak, one of
The Bird That Lost its Song. A Parable
The regent honeyeater bird is in trouble—it's losing its song. Once an abundant species in south-eastern Australia, now just 300 remain, and with so few mates to learn from, the males are forgetting their own song and trying to mimic the songs of other birds instead—leaving the female honeyeaters confused and their numbers in decline. Losing
You’re Both So Different? That Could Be What Makes Your Marriage Work
After 21 years, I sometimes look at my wife Merryn and wonder how our marriage works. I’m a writer and speaker, Merryn is a statistician. I work with words, she works with numbers. I want beauty, she wants function. And that’s only the start of our differences! Here’s what’s helped us stick together…