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206 Reasons To Be Grateful

The adult human body has 206 bones. We tend to take all of them for granted until we happen to lose the use of one or more.

Last week I injured a bone in my elbow, and my right arm is now in a cast. I’m typing this post with my left hand. You’d be amazed how much you can do with only one hand when life leaves you no choice. In fact there was only one thing I realised I couldn’t do with one arm.

You should try it. Immobilize your right arm in a sling for just one hour, and try to get on with your day as usual. It’s a quick, guaranteed way to learn gratitude for a fully functioning skeleton.

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Posted by Daphne on | July 16, 2010 | 7 Comments

Making Peace with Criticism

I hate being criticised. Especially when I feel it is untrue and uncalled for. Especially when I’ve put in lots of effort and yearn for appreciation instead of judgment.

Most of us react instinctively to being criticised: fight or flight. We rant and rail and protest that it’s untrue; or we take cover and stop trying so hard so we don’t expose ourselves to even more negative feedback.

There’s a story about a donkey who was thrown into a well and had dirt shovelled in to bury him alive. He faced certain death until he changed his attitude. Every time fresh dirt fell, he simply stepped up onto the new higher ground. Again and again, until he made it to the surface.

Call me asinine, but I’ve decided to emulate that donkey. Criticism will not bring me down, but raise me up. As my wise mum says, “Become better, not bitter.” Bring on the dirt!

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Posted by Daphne on | June 11, 2010 | 25 Comments

When Big Egos Collide

I was in an accident today – not the physical kind that leaves visible injuries, but the emotional kind involving two big egos colliding into each other and leaving shattered friendships all over the ground.

One of those big egos was mine, I blush to admit. It’s now sitting back in an armchair wrapped in bandages, pondering what just happened and assessing the damage done.

Why do friends fall out over the smallest thing because of big egos? And what can we do to salvage the wreck?

photo credit: tibchris

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Posted by Daphne on | April 21, 2010 | 9 Comments

Fundamental Nature Of Man – Good or Bad?

Do you intuitively trust or distrust other people? This boils down to whether your world view is Lockean or Hobbesian.

Many people regard strangers with suspicion rather than trust. Those of us who choose to believe the best of others (Lockeans) are regarded as naive by the other camp (Hobbesians) who consider themselves ‘worldly-wise.”

Let me introduce you briefly to John Locke and Thomas Hobbes, and explain in simple terms their opposing beliefs about the nature of man. Then you can choose which camp you want to belong to.

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Posted by Daphne on | April 6, 2010 | 12 Comments

Personal Integrity (Staying Sane in the Midst of Chaos)

One of the reasons I keep blogging is that somewhere someone sometimes breathes just a little bit easier because of what I write. This post is in response to a reader’s email on how to maintain personal integrity in a challenging workplace.

Office politics, power play, personality conflicts, conflicting instructions… the best of us get plagued by these at some point in our lives. The fortunate ones escape such situations eventually, but for some the option to leave is not viable. How then do we go through each day maintaining personal integrity and sanity in the midst of chaos? Here are some suggestions.

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Posted by Daphne on | March 5, 2010 | 14 Comments

Seven Proven Ways to Live A Happy Life

There has been a lot of research into how to live a happy life, and these are just some findings I came across.

“Proven ways” refers to generalised results suggested by these studies and until you try each one out for yourself, it remains unproven for you as an individual.

So why not try a few and see for yourself which really lead to a happy life?

photo credit: waffler

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Posted by Daphne on | February 6, 2010 | 24 Comments

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