Last week, my younger daughter left on an extended work trip, leaving us with no kids at home for the first time in almost 24 years. This prompted me to do some reading and thinking about empty nest syndrome. As I usually do in these situations, I made a list of practical ways to cope with what can be a challenging time for many parents. … Continue reading Coping With Empty Nest Syndrome
Is charitable giving in your plan for the holidays? Many organizations would welcome a gift of your time, talent or treasure. And research shows that helping others is good for you. Read on to learn about the helper’s high and how you can reap the rewards of giving to others. Continue reading Charitable Giving and the Helper’s High
So I just got back from a 2-week trip to Hong Kong. A quick ding dong to say how do you do. I was there to organise several things related to my license that needed sorting. It was the first time I’d gone back since I left my former lover in difficult circumstances over a year ago. It was a very interesting experience indeed. What … Continue reading A Hong Kong Ding-Dong
In our fast-paced world, where self-reflection and personal development have become buzzwords, it’s easy to find ourselves caught in a whirlwind of introspection. We’re constantly encouraged to look inward, understand our feelings, and navigate the labyrinth of our own minds. However, in the midst of this cultural obsession with self-discovery, we may be inadvertently neglecting a crucial element of human connection — outrospection. The Rise … Continue reading Embracing Outrospection in an Age of Introspection Overload
In our rapidly changing world, where environmental shifts and climate change are becoming increasingly prevalent, a new term has emerged to describe the emotional distress that individuals feel when their beloved environments are altered. This phenomenon is called “solastalgia,” and it sheds light on the deep connection between our well-being and the environment. In this blog post, I’ll explore what solastalgia is, its causes, and … Continue reading Solastalgia, the Emotional Impact of Environmental Change
Once upon a time, I knew a man.
I met him at a writing course which he was teaching at Bøler Library.
Today I found out that he has crossed over to the other side.
I felt a strong desire to honour him by sharing a poem he had written.
Continue reading RIP Mr Nils
What On Earth Are You Thinking? What is External Self-Awareness? Most people think about self-awareness the same way they do sex. They believe they’re great at it when, in reality, no-one knows where on God’s green earth the G spot is (or that there even is one). One of the major components for building self-awareness is understanding what other people honestly think about us (including our ability … Continue reading The Three Areas of Self-Awareness: What On Earth Are You Thinking?
What on Earth Am I Feeling? “All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.” – Blaise Pascal Disconnecting the autopilot is the practise of noticing when you’re distracted and then actively bringing your attention back to the present. But there’s a problem. It’s called turbulence. (Namely, your emotions.) This is what happens when a pilot takes the autopilot … Continue reading The Three Areas of Self-Awareness: What on Earth Am I Feeling?
Procrastination means postponing, setting aside what we should do today to a hypothetical tomorrow. Who hasn’t done that at least once in their life? Studies revealed that procrastination affects one in five people. It could concern only some areas (for example study or work) or all the actions of one person. What is procrastination? Steel’s 2007 studies tell us that procrastination must be considered a … Continue reading Why Procrastination Is One of Our Internal Enemies, and How We Can Fight It
“The harder we try with the conscious will to do something, the less we shall succeed. Proficiency and results come only to those who have learned the paradoxical art of doing and not doing, or combining relaxation with activity.” – Aldous Huxley Drown-Proofing When it comes to our psychology what’s happened is this. Our hands and arms have been bound together, and we’ve been thrown … Continue reading Stalling: Why Letting Go Is the Key to Regaining Lift
From a specialist point of view, emotions can be defined as a response that originates following the activation of specific brain circuits and manifests at the organic, behavioral, and cognitive levels. They play a crucial role in regulating mood, motivation, and behavior. Emotions are often linked to body reactions. I am sure you have heard the idiomatic expression ‘butterflies in one’s stomach’, that defines a … Continue reading Why Learning to Recognize and Understand Your Emotions is Important for Your Wellbeing
I would like to express my gratitude to you all for being affectionate readers, and active participants to Wise&Shine’ blog life. Without you, my posts on Wise&Shine would have been a box full of words but without emotions and sentiments. To conclude this year, I would like to share with you the lyrics of one of my favourite Christmas songs, Fairytale of New York by … Continue reading Happy Holidays!
When Micheal Jordan returned from the NBA after an extended hiatus his publicity manager was unsure how they should announce the news. So, he wrote a number of press releases for Micheal to choose from. But Jordan didn’t like any of them. He said, “I’ll do it myself.” before picking up a pen and writing down the following message, “I’m back.” That was it. The … Continue reading I’m Back
My emotions come at me in waves. Often I’m strong enough to withstand them – to hold the ship steady – but every now and then they catch me with my shields down. I’m swept away. That happened the other day when the movers came in to pack everything up. Seeing my whole life packed into boxes. That was difficult. But the hardest moment came … Continue reading The Ghosts of My Past
So my muse decided to take a holiday recently. He packed his bags and went to Hawaii or somewhere. And I know he’s been sitting in the sun drinking Pina Coladas the whole time. That smug bastard. Now, I should say I told him to take a break. The problem is, I’ve found it hard to get back into the flow of things. It turns … Continue reading A Creative Leave of Absence
Why nostalgia is important? Nostalgia is a shield against existential challenges. Evoking positive experiences and feelings from the past can help you cope better with the present and the future. January for me is the month to think about what happened the year before. To make a balance, to see what went well and what went less well. What I achieved, and what I would … Continue reading Why Nostalgia is Important?
The Parable of the Second Arrow According to the Buddha, any time we suffer misfortune, two arrows fly our way. The first arrow is the bad event itself, which certainly can (and often does) cause pain. The second arrow is our reaction to the bad event, the suffering we attach to our pain. This secondary pain, he tells us, is always self-inflicted. What you might not have been told, however, … Continue reading Escaping the Emotional Rabbit Hole
The words you use can change your reality. Language actually generates changes in your brains and changes your perception of the environment around you. Language is linked to emotions. Your words are constantly sending messages to your brain. According to neuroscientists Andrew Newberg and Mark Robert Waldman, negative words cause the increase of cortisol, the stress hormone. Therefore, adopting a negative attitude and using phrases … Continue reading Why You Are the Words You Use
Hello there! Welcome back on another Sunday! I want to talk about emotions today; about how weird they are. I am a believer that emotions guide us. I made many decisions based on how I felt and most turned out to be good for me (If you have taken the MBTI test at 16personalities.com, there is a part on decision-making and it turns out, I … Continue reading Understanding Emotions
I write to call myself a writer and be called a writer, because that means more to me than words could ever convey. Continue reading Why I Write
