Burnout or bore out: Reflections for the New Year
There’s no doubt about it, burnout is a real problem, and large numbers of people have pulled back from aspirational careers, putting new boundaries in place, and taking clear and tangible steps to make sure they never land up in the same place of over stretch and exhaustion again. And fair enough. But even as we self protect, I wonder if we are not running the risk of over compensation. It could be that we enter a new year not at risk of burning out, but running a serious chance of boring ourselves out – with only the safest of challenges accepted and only the teeniest of goals...
Read MoreFa, la, la, la, la – It’s Christmas
With temperatures rising by the day, Christmas must be near. While some dream of a snow filled white Christmas, Australian images are of sunshine, BBQ’s and beaches. Though I have lived in three countries, they have all been in the Southern Hemisphere, so this meets with my approval. I’ve never heard ‘sleigh bells ringing’, but if I did, I wouldn’t link it to Christ’s advent. So where do my thoughts go this Christmas season? I remain intrigued by the characters of Christmas. Have you ever wondered what the wise men reported back after their Bethlehem journey? Perhaps it was, “That’s correct....
Read MoreLittle victories…
We sometimes think everything would change if we managed to get a major breakthrough in some troubling area of our life. We long for a slam dunk moment after which success is assured and all will be well. Perhaps its an investment that turns out to be a goldmine, or a new breathing technique that assures us we will be able to say goodbye to anxiety, or a magical combination of foods that mean calories no longer count. We long for that single step which will solve all. And the simple truth is that we are unlikely to find it. Progress in life is most often found through little victories....
Read MoreStory or Plot: On Christmas and Purpose…
EM Foster wisely noted the difference between a story and a plot. “The king died and then the queen died” is a story. It’s a chronological sequence of events. However, it becomes a plot if you add two words, “The king died and then the queen died of grief.” Plot suggests cause and effect. A plot introduces a purpose, a because. It makes a story interesting and draws us in. “So what?” you ask – and fair enough. Too many of us are living stories without plots – lives that have no essential “because” or purpose. They are just a...
Read MoreAsking Questions Like Jesus…
Don’t know if you were ever caught up in the WWJD quest – that’s “what would Jesus do” if the initials don’t immediately speak to you. It’s a good question, and it’s only possible to answer it if we look seriously at the WDJD query – what did Jesus do? When it comes to what Jesus did do, we know a few things for sure – he taught, he healed, he provoked, he forgave, he challenged. He lived, he died and he rose again. And so much more. Part of the so much more that doesn’t always get a look in is the way Jesus asked and answered...
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