Making Sense Of Life

Disappointment. We all experience it. We all know what if feels like. We have all at some time or other said and done things when disappointed with our circumstances or other people that we have later regretted. But what are healthy ways to handle disappointment in our lives? On this podcast I continue my conversation … Podcast #033: Practical ways to find joy through disappointment Read More »

Life can certainly be challenging at times. There are the unexpected setbacks that occur, but more than that there are also the general frustrations of day to day living. What do we mean? When we talk about disappointment we are not referring to major calamities or disasters, but things maybe not going the way we … Podcast #032: How to know joy when life feels tough Read More »

Psychologists, psychiatrists, politicians and theologians may differ in their opinion on many things, But one thing they would all seem to agree on is the importance of hope. “Human beings can live about forty days without food, about three days without water, about eight minutes without air…but only for one second without hope.” Do join … Podcast #031 How can I live with hope today? Read More »

“If you want to be a billionaire, sleep as little as possible.” Donald Trump. “Sleep is a criminal waste of time. A heritage from our cave days.” Thomas Edison. “Every important mistake I’ve made in my life, I’ve made because I was too tired.” Bill Clinton Sleep. So easy to take for granted, but so … Podcast #030 Do you need more sleep? Read More »

What will happen at the end of time? How will the world end? How will our lives end? Where is history heading to? Is there any sense or coherence in this increasingly complex and challenging world that we live in? That is the subject of Hollywood movies and popular science fiction novels down the ages. … Podcast #029: The literal end of the world? Read More »

Religious faith. That is certainly a subject that can polarise and divide opinion between different people!  We live in a world where it seems as though the more committed someone is to their particular faith view, then the more certain they seem to be about life and what others should or should not do.  That … Podcast #028 The God I Don’t Understand Read More »

It’s not necessarily a comfortable subject to talk about, but it is increasingly relevant in the complex and challenging world we live in. Burnout is a state of chronic stress that has profound effects on many aspects of our lives. It covers a wide range of emotions that include physical and emotional exhaustion; cynicism and … Podcast #027 Beating Burnout Read More »

I like to cheekily describe my friend Andy Parnham as a happiness guru. He works part of the week for the charity Livability, that serves people with disabilities, while the rest of the time he acts as an independent wellbeing advisor and coach, running amongst other things, The Happiness Course. This is in a variety of … Podcast #026: The search for happiness Read More »

To be human is to have conflict with other people. You cannot avoid it. Conflict can cause stress, as well as a host of other consequences, such as loss of sleep and even physical illness. But if you’ve had a difficult relationship, you come to realise that just ignoring it is often not the best … Podcast #025: Is there a difficult person in your life? Read More »

Time. Such an important part of our lives and yet so hard to get a grasp of! We all have the same amount – 168 hours or 10,080 minutes a week or 86, 400 seconds a day. But we all struggle and wrestle with it. On top of that time is such a strange concept … Podcast #024: Making sense of time Read More »

According to the futurist and philosopher Alvin Toffler, “The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read or write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn.” The subject of education evokes strong views from all sorts of people. It is multi-billion dollar industry. In this podcast with my co-host Andrew … Podcast #023: What makes for a good education? Read More »

Everyone loves a good story. Stories are part of what make us human. But I am not talking about the novels and classics many of us love to read. There is already a story going on in each of our minds. It is those stories that we tell ourselves about what happens to us that … Podcast #022: The stories we tell ourselves Read More »

In  a world that is becoming increasingly volatile, unpredictable, challenging and complex, the development of grit has arguably never been more necessary. On the one hand, especially in the more prosperous parts of the world, we have never had more access to technology and labour saving devices. At the same time it is incredibly easy … Podcast #021: Grit Read More »

Baroness Caroline Cox founded Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust (HART) in 2004. In the video and podcast below we find out about the inspiration behind the charity and its work in making a difference. HART seeks to reach those who are off the radar screen of the mainstream media and cannot be supported by major aid … Podcast #020: Being a voice to the voiceless Read More »

Caroline Cox is a remarkable lady. 6 July 2016 is her 79th Birthday. She is mother to 2 sons and a daughter as well as grandmother to 10 children. But she is no ordinary grandmother who likes to sit at home knitting, baking cakes and watching television. She has been accused by some of being a secret … Podcast #019: Baroness Caroline Cox Read More »

When many people think of those who are religious, it seems to me they go to one of two extremes. Either  they think of someone who is arrogant and opinionated in their beliefs (especially to those who believe or think differently) or someone who is so nebulous and abstract in their thinking about God that … Podcast #018: Spiritual Maturity Read More »

Death may well be the last taboo subject in modern Western society. The comedian Woody Allen is humorously quoted as saying, “I’m not afraid of dying. I just don’t want to be there when it happens!” And yet while we try to put the topic out of our minds, a clear understanding of our mortality … Podcast #017: The last taboo subject? Read More »

They say truth is stranger than fiction. In many ways the life story of Rahil Patel illustrates that. To read about it in a novel would sound implausible, even fantastically impossible. And yet here is his life story with such surprising and unexpected twists and turns. But what has this to do with Harry Potter? … Podcast #016: Harry Potter and the Hindu Priest Read More »

Leadership. What is it? Why does it matter? How should it matter to you and me? And also why whoever you are and whatever you do, you owe it to yourself and the world to see yourself as a leader. These are some of the questions my co-host Andrew Horton and I discuss on this … Podcast #015: Why your leadership matters Read More »

Manoj Raithatha is a man who does not live life in small measures. He has been an English teacher, a BAFTA award winning and Emmy-nominated TV writer and a successful property entrepreneur – so successful in fact that his business at its height in 2007 was turning over £70 million a year and in 2005 … Podcast #014 Filthy Rich Read More »