Harper

"You're imperfect, and you're wired for struggle, but you are worthy of love and belonging." - Brené Brown  

I haven't felt inspired to write in a long time, today felt different. This morning I was listening to an article about how we change over time. How the details of who we were at 4 or 9 are often lost to us. The little explorer who climbed trees, or the child that loved reading books, making pillow forts and hiding in cubby houses. These past selves remembered mostly by those around us, adults, friends, teachers, some influencing or shaping our lives. Bearing witness to the little personalities, confident or shy, even daring or a little wise, that went on to become fully fledged adults. But in adulthood we shift and change too, moving through different chapters. We can be so different at 16 to 25, changing again as we move through our 30s and 40s. At each stage, shifting tastes and perspectives. Our inner stories and sense of self adapting, perhaps on the surface unrecognisable to the person we once were. Who can tell which self will be staring back in the mirror at 70 or 82? Are w...

Emotional intelligence is an essential aspect of leading a full life.  Our society excels at technological intelligence, but emotional intelligence still lags behind. The world would be a different place if we all learned a little emotional intelligence. I try to teach and model aspects of emotional intelligence to my students in every lesson.

Humans instinctively crave a sense of meaning and belonging. As well as a sense of mystery and connection. A link to the sacred, unconscious and unknowable dimensions of life. Which is probably why we created gods, religion and mythology in the first place. They gave us word and worlds to describe the great unknown, as well as security and stories we could share across generations. Acting as a guide with fables and cautionary tales on how to live. In the west we seem to have successf ully reduced and replaced these ideas with materialism, technology, mass marketing and conspiracy theories. While none of these factors are necessarily negative in their own right, the current situation leaves much to be desired socially. We have managed to take the mystery out of life, even reducing meditation to Mindfulness (TM). While this may be comforting for some, it is depressing for others.  Then there is the polarisation of identity politics and the isolation that comes from ...

This quote from Stanislav Grof does a lot to clarify the difference between spirituality and religion. I don't believe in religion or some man in the sky, but I do believe there is a place in a human's life for spirituality. If there wasn't why would we have created gods in the first place? “To prevent the confusion and misunderstandings that in the past have plagued discussions about spiritual life and have created a false conflict between religion and science, it is critical to make a clear distinction between spirituality and religion. Spirituality is based on direct experiences of ordinarily hidden dimensions of reality. … Spirituality involves a special relationship between the individual and the cosmos and is in its essence a personal and private affair… By comparison, the basis of organised religion is institutionalised group activity that takes place in a designated location (temple, church, synagogue), and involves a system of appointed mediators...