The greatest wisdom is seeing through appearances

There’s a quote attributed to the teachings of Atiśa Dīpaṃkara Śrījñāna, known generally as Atisa, one of the reformers of Buddhism from around 1000AD. It goes; “The greatest wisdom is seeing through appearances.” I’ve not heard it said much recently,… Continue reading

With the id and super-ego fighting it out, should Prince Albert have played down his recent acquisition?

In an article in the Riviera Times, New jet for Prince Albert II, written by Nancy Jane Carragher, it is explained that Prince Albert II has just ‘secured’ his latest private jet, a Dassault Aviation Falcon, worth up to 50… Continue reading

Is Paul Gascoigne well advised to go public?

Alcoholics in crisis provoke strong responses among the people around them. Some feel great sadness and sympathy for the individual; others are angered that they could have allowed themselves to get into this condition; and still more are fearful, as… Continue reading

It’s all a question of attitude – a tribute to Zig Ziglar

One of a generation of motivational speakers, Zig Ziglar, died last week at the age of 86. When I began to perform myself in the late 1980s, it was often tapes by Ziglar that I would listen to as I… Continue reading

Elevator pitches – engaging others in social talk

“I never know quite how to introduce myself…” “People never seem prepared to listen to me when it’s my turn to explain what I do…” “Well, I’m just one of those boring…” “I come away thinking that they haven’t really… Continue reading

Leadership – a question of nature or nurture?

This month, I’m involved in helping run a summer school in Oxford, the Adaptation Academy, for senior staff involved in climate adaptation projects. My strand embraces the human dimension – self-development, leadership, politics, and communication. Following a leadership tour of… Continue reading

What’s in a personal value and what are mine?

In his address to Stanford Graduates in 2005, Steve Jobs said; “And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition”. When we have an intuitive response to something it is often our personal values that are being… Continue reading

How do you facilitate?

It’s interesting how a random question from someone who doesn’t know you, can make you sit up and think for a moment. I’m a facilitator, but that probably means all kinds of different things to different people and maybe it’s… Continue reading

If this WAS your last day, what WOULD you do?

Existential psychotherapy is a philosophical approach to therapy that works on the basis that conflict within a person is due to that individual’s confrontation with, what are called, the four ‘givens of existence’. These givens are: The inevitability of death… Continue reading

Psychotherapeutic treatment can cure Cyclothymic Disorder

A new and quite extraordinary, indeed unprecedented, scientific study of cyclothymia has shown that it can be cured using a powerful combination of two different forms of psychotherapy. WHAT IS CYCLOTHYMIA? Most people are aware of manic depression, often refered… Continue reading