group of person sitting indoors

The Power of Connection – Thriving Together in the Face of Challenges

In our lives, there’s a thread that binds us all, a common truth that transcends cultural, geographical, and temporal boundaries: connection. As social beings, our journey through life is enriched when we share our burdens, joys, and tribulations with others. Picture this: you’re navigating the unpredictable currents of life, faced with challenges that seem impossible. In moments of solitude, the weight of these challenges can … Continue reading The Power of Connection – Thriving Together in the Face of Challenges

two women sitting on ground near bonfire

The Power of Active Listening: A Musical Approach

Do you find solace in music? How do you engage with your favorite tunes? Why do I think that active listening is very similar to a musical approach? During my teenage years, I found joy in memorizing the lyrics of beloved songs—a practice I continue today. Mastering lyrics becomes effortless when I immerse myself in the melody, replaying the same song multiple times. This parallels … Continue reading The Power of Active Listening: A Musical Approach

mad formal executive man yelling at camera

The Pitfalls of Arrogance: Why Humility Triumphs

Arrogance, the trait of overestimating one’s abilities or importance while underestimating others, is a human characteristic like many others. While it may sometimes be mistaken for self-confidence, arrogance often leads to negative consequences in personal and professional relationships. Let’s see why arrogance has a destructive power and why embracing humility is a far wiser choice. The Destructive Power of Arrogance Arrogance can act as a … Continue reading The Pitfalls of Arrogance: Why Humility Triumphs

opened book on tree root

Looking Underneath the Surface: A Review of George Eliot’s Middlemarch

We all love a good hero story. They supply us with inspiration and hope. Many follow a typical narrative structure that we have become familiar with. An individual, against all odds, overcomes immense trials and tribulations to achieve their goal. From ‘rags to riches’ stories to the spectacular feats performed by our favourite superheroes, these tales continue to be pervasive in our culture. But what … Continue reading Looking Underneath the Surface: A Review of George Eliot’s Middlemarch

yellow geometric staircase in contemporary apartment

The Dramatic Triangle and The Role We Play in It

Why are some relationships harmonious and happy and others seem like a struggle? Why does a personal or professional relationship that seemed good suddenly become difficult? The explanation can be found in the dramatic triangle and in the role played by each of us, according to the theory of Stephen Karpman, a transactional psychologist. Let’s look at an example. Suppose that you spend the day … Continue reading The Dramatic Triangle and The Role We Play in It

bees on purple flower

Why Collective Intelligence is Powerful

Alone we go faster, together we go further – African proverb To understand why collective intelligence is so powerful, I would like to invite you to think about bees. I find bees fascinating insects. They are hard-working insects. All day long, bees look for and carry nectar from flowers to their beehive to produce very useful products for us as well, like honey and royal … Continue reading Why Collective Intelligence is Powerful

two man playing baseball during daytime

Why Sports Make Me Feel Alive

I’m going to do something risky here. First, revisit a topic that my brilliant colleague Jack Canfora recently covered inspirationally and beautifully in Why Sports Help Me. And secondly do something I’m not qualified to do by giving a sports recap. But as Wise and Shine is a community of writers and readers, I’m thinking you all will be generous enough to go with me … Continue reading Why Sports Make Me Feel Alive

yellow petaled flower in white mug

How to Find Your Inner Motivation at Work

“How’s at work?” it is a question that is often asked to us by our loved ones and when we answer, we probably think about the difficulties we face or the discomfort/distress we feel towards our work. If this is your case, don’t worry because you are not alone. The work environment has changed a lot in recent years and has become a source of … Continue reading How to Find Your Inner Motivation at Work

How to Identify a Narcissistic Personality

The common definition of narcissism is the pursuit of gratification from vanity or egotistic admiration of one’s idealised self-image and attributes. Narcissists are people who believe to be unique, superior to others and masters of a wonderful existence that no one can imagine. As a result, they may be bullies and arrogant. They need constant admiration and always want to be the best. Therefore, they … Continue reading How to Identify a Narcissistic Personality

How To Find Courage Through Chaos

By Ellen Jayne | The dawn of a new decade, a fresh era, daunting dreams and prodigious plans—2020 forecasted a favorable year. Jump to July and 2020 has been a whirlwind of woeful world events. Did anyone else feel like they were concurrently downward spiraling with the world’s events? I had, too, until I realized I couldn’t live like that anymore. Continue reading How To Find Courage Through Chaos

SnapDragon Speaks: On The Unwritten Page.

What is with us humans? Why do we have a tendency to trivialize other people’s problems, but when they happen to us, it’s the end of the effing world? We compartmentalize for our friends: Hey, at least you don’t have to worry about: the political nature of Academia; gas prices; sibling rivalry; no buffer zone; working in retail; limited vacation time; being too skinny; student … Continue reading SnapDragon Speaks: On The Unwritten Page.

What would you do? – Situational understanding

Ladies and Gentlemen! I stand before you here in this P.O. Amphitheatre to posit a scenario for us to ponder. We are a social species that (for the most part) behaves in accordance with a set of unspoken rules and expectations. I present before you a hypothetical situation that requires your judgement. I encourage you to consider: the contextual circumstances the perceived expectations of appropriate … Continue reading What would you do? – Situational understanding

Does Burnout Subdue Empathy?

Provided by Scherezade Ozwulo   Originally posted on The Introverted Christian    Ever since I could remember, I always had an affinity for older people. I, myself had an “old soul” and found it easy to relate to those not in my peer group. Older folks (seniors) told the best stories of childhood reminiscence and weaved real life morality tales that left ingrained webs that … Continue reading Does Burnout Subdue Empathy?

The Isolation “Method”

   Did you ever care about something or someone and then sh*t happened and you got hurt? What was the first thought that came through your mind in that moment? Was it something similar to “I’m not doing this ever again”?    It seems that whenever we get hurt physically or mentally by something or someone, we tend to drift towards this “never again” area. … Continue reading The Isolation “Method”