The Meaning of Your Life? Just Follow Your Tears of Joy
I saw a beautiful story the other day about a guy named Francis. Leaving his university dorm one morning, he found a group of friends waiting outside waving balloons. It wasn't his birthday, so Francis was confused. Then one of the friends stepped forward, holding a box. "There's no guarantee these will work," he said,
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
Whatever Your Job is Today, Treat it as a Caring Profession. Here’s Why
For most of us the phrase ‘caring profession' probably brings to mind jobs like nursing, teaching and social work. But this list is far too small. Remove the 'care' element from other occupations and people get diminished, especially the most vulnerable. I discovered this afresh recently when I talked to Sarah, whose everyday life becomes
The Hand That Spins the Galaxies Wants You Here. Introducing The Creed
One autumn morning not long ago, I walked to an Oxford cafe, took a window table, and pulled out my journal. I wanted to craft a statement - a creed of sorts - that would pull together what I'd learned while writing my new book The Making of Us. Something that captured what matters most in
Life has Three Journeys. The Second is the Hardest, But it Can Transform You
In his insightful little book The Second Journey, Gerald O'Collins divides life into three phases. The first is from childhood to adulthood, the third from old age to death. In between is the 'second journey': a path of great restlessness, questioning and even disillusionment that can nonetheless transform us for good. Here's an overview of
A Simple Tool to Help You Make Sense of Life
According to the experts, writing in a journal can help you reduce stress, increase creativity, solve problems, and manage conflict. I’ve also found it to be an incredibly helpful tool for making sense of our personal histories. In this season of New-Year reflection, here are four key themes a journal can help you track to
Seeking Fulfilment Through Your Career? Try This Instead
What a gift it is to do work you love. To get paid for using your talents, and contribute to society. And since we spend so much of our lives working, it makes sense to seek a fulfilling career. But have we gotten things unbalanced? When work becomes our primary source of personal fulfilment—it leaves
My 7 Best Posts on Discovering Your Dreams, Calling & Purpose
Are you at a crossroads? At the end of one chapter and wondering about the next? As you look to the year ahead, why not grab a journal and a pen, and revisit some of these posts from the last few years of my blog. They are designed to help you find meaning, fresh dreams,
The One Question the Dalai Lama Couldn’t Answer. Can You?
I once went to hear the Dalai Lama give a public talk. He spoke on the importance of compassion, then took questions from the audience. The last question came from the MC: “Your holiness—what is the meaning of life?” The audience leaned in as he stared at the ground, quietly thinking about his answer…
Redeeming Generation X
Cynical, nihilist, commitment-phobic, dispassionate. Perhaps no age-group in history has had more negative labels attached to it than Generation X: that often ignored 'middle child' generation between the Baby Boomers and Millennials. As a Gen-Xer myself, I want to shout "We're better than you think!" But as I share in this BBC Pause for Thought