bond The first pregnancy - the beginning of a different you One of the laws of nature is that women are built so that they can carry babies in their wombs. At the same time with the new life who develops inside you, you go through irreversible inner changes, too. The nine months of pregnancy, which end with the labour, are
ancient Greeks Pride, virtue or sin in love? In love relationships, you show the most vulnerable side of you – most loving, sensitive, gentle, and passionate than you could ever imagine you could be. The same vulnerability can intensify the pride in you. The problem is that excessive pride can be reflected into negative behaviours. Therefore, if you want
achievement The Happiness Safe Haven - the love for the people around you Happiness means different things to different people. For some people, happiness is but an illusion. To me, in order to be happy, you need to choose to be happy and learn how to balance between the things that make you happy. Out of all the things, finding ways of expressing
authentic self A home across two countries Moving to another country can change the perception upon important aspects of life, such as the meaning of home. In time, you understand that one side of you belongs in the country of residence whereas the other side has never left from the country of origins. Reconciling both sides is
blunder How to stay on the funny side of life You can choose to live your life as a comedy. Humour can positively change your perception on life experiences. If you think that life is more about serious matters, please reconsider. You can learn to see the funny side of life. Humour can bring lots of benefits in your life.
mental fatigue How can mothers relax Some people have a talent at relaxing. Others need to learn to relax. Especially when becoming mothers, it may be wise to take time for ourselves ever since the kids are small. A relaxed mind is fit for coping with our kids’ needs as they grow. It is important, yet
gratefulness Time to take, time to give As our parents are getting old, there are some sides of their personality which worsen. The love for them gives us the energy to stand by their side. And we need lots of energy! Maintaining our inner balance can be a challenge and an opportunity for personal growth. You too
childhood stories Don't wait for inspiration to come to you Inspiration, “the divine influence or action on a person”, “the action or power of moving the intellect or emotions”, as defined by Merriam-Webster, can uplift us from the ordinary to extraordinary human beings. It has the ability to energise our inner life to the point where we start taking action
Bible Why we should stay cool in front of others' envy I thought I am a person who is comfortable to have around all sorts of characters. A conversation with a woman who emanated envy towards me proved how wrong I was. In fact, after the respective encounter, I remembered about previous situations when I had been uncomfortable around envious people.
emotions About regrets, forgiveness and joy “No, nothing, I don’t regret anything Not the good that others have done to me Not the bad, it’s all the same to me … Because my life, my joys Today, they begin with you.” Edith Piaf, the song, “Je ne regrette rien” It took a trip to the
aliveness Let's be kind to the emptiness inside Emptiness is one of the feelings that most of us have experienced. Knowing the cause of this feeling is less important. It is more important to know how we can cope with it. Talking about the durability of the new constitution, Benjamin Franklin wrote to Jean-Baptiste Leroy, “…but in this
aliveness Summer epiphany The day when I discovered inner freedom, I felt genuinely happy. Welcome back home After a cold and long Winter, Summer came in May, very determined to enforce its rule on the nature. The air is filled with the scent of lilies and other blossoming flowers. The birds enliven the
Angela Artemis Back to intuition “The only real valuable thing is intuition.” – Albert Einstein There are moments when we can hear it loud and clear, in our inner world. Yet, we don’t dare to follow it, we think that, “Maybe I’m wrong.” Then we regret it. What does it take from us to
alignment What to focus on when friends bail out on you “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets”. Matthew 7:12 It comes a time when we need help and those we previously helped are the first persons we run to. Unlike expected, reciprocity is
identifying How can travelling broaden the mind? “Home, sweet home”. Most of us sigh with relief when we return from a trip. For a day or so, we feel refreshed to be back to our life, the way we know it – with our habits and struggles. Yet, have we ever considered a new destination as a potential
disappointment How can we fight the expectations of the dear ones on us? “If we could see ourselves as others see us, we would vanish on the spot.” – Emil Cioran Others’ expectations on us have a direct effect on how we behave, as shown by a social psychology study done by Dr. Snyder from University of Minnesota and his colleagues. Understanding that our
happiness To help or not to help others “Speak to all people as though they are the wisest, gentlest and most beautiful beings on Earth; for what they believe, they become.” – Heather K. O’Hara The history of mankind is full of lamentable wars and conflicts. In each case, there are stories of how individuals helped others fighting
authenticity A tiny bit of nostalgia can't be that bad We wouldn’t be human beings if we didn’t feel nostalgic once in a while. We easily miss the present by getting lost in the memories of the good old times. Undoubtedly, we need to learn how to stay present to our daily experiences in order to discover the
Boston bombing I am not ready yet When the natural rhythm of life is disturbed by acts of violence, terrorism or forces of nature, the humanity in us wakes up. We feel for the victims, we weep for them, we may even say a prayer for them. At the same time, the tragedy is a wake up
emotional state Negative feedback - an opportunity for personal growth In professional relationships, the purpose of negative feedback is to help the person receiving it to improve specific skills. For example, part of a language teacher’s job is to test the students’ proficiency in spoken and written language. Most of the people I know are uncomfortable with being criticised,
authenticiy When expecting from others, remember the joy of not expecting Expectations on others can put lots of pressure both on ourselves and the ones we expect from. Even the expectations backed up by good intentions, such as “I am sure you’ll pass the exam.”, can cause more stress than calm to the person we want to support. Have you
acceptance of what is Living without desires? Acceptance of what is is a wisdom which most of us have difficulties to swallow. Desires are built on the assumption that the surrounding reality is not satisfactory. We become spellbound to constantly long after our objects of desire. In the best case, we become aware of the fantasies projected
bad performance What is failure? In order to achieve wealth, humankind invented the concept of performance. Charles Darwin’s theory on survival of the fittest is confirmed in everyday life when winners are loved, losers forgotten. Despite all this, with each omission of performance, we have the chance to discover what is truly important for
change Bye bye sufferance, welcome mindfulness! Making changes in life is a complex process, which can cause lots of confusion. Mindfulness, the ability to focus on the present without being judgemental can help us manage the change in a healthier and more pleasant manner. When we talk about change in personal life, mindfulness means mainly wrapping
professionalism How tolerant should we be with others' intolerance? You’ve been hired in an organisation where after the first week, you find out that some colleagues and bosses are xenophobes. What is there to do? Pretend that you don’t see how they belittle you because in their eyes you are less reliable and less professional? You may