In a recent study of Police in the U.S.A. it was discovered that the stress of the job was having a detremental effect on the health of the officers. The study factored out social and lifestyle differences between the Police and the general populace and found that lifestyle did not account for the difference in life expectancy. It was later discovered that it was the influence of stress that was causing the trouble. You can read more about it here: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06... Read Full Story

In a recent study scientists have discovered that those older people who exercise regularly tend to have ‘healthier’ brains than those that don’t. You can read about this story here: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090629132254.htm Read Full Story

One of the problems with professional sports people is that they seldom understand what it feels like not to be fit. When you are not fit any amount of exercise can be painful and exhausting. I well remember the first time I went running after a long absence from the sport. I could only run about 200 yards and then I have to give in and walk back home. I felt sick, dizzy, embarrassed, unhealthy, desperate, etc. I’m glad I kept going – although even now it’s pretty hard work.... Read Full Story

I was sad to hear the news about Michael Jackson today. I’ve grown up having him around and it’s going to be strange now that he is gone. I’ve heard lots of people describing how he had a tortured life but I tend to think a little differently. I think he had quite a lot of happiness and success in his life. We all have things that we wish were different. Things that have gone wrong or where others have treated us badly. Some of us have to face much tougher times than others ... Read Full Story

On a training day this week I was challenged over what personal effectiveness actually means. What does it mean to be personally more effective? I think this was an important question that forced me to think things through again about what I think personal effectiveness is all about. You see the person asking the question had spent a lot of time working with her team to get them to be more effective in the workplace. They had examined proceedures and how they interact with customers etc, they... Read Full Story

There is a great temptation to always think that the worst is going to happen to you. You know the kind of thing – you have to see the doctor, you have to see the boss, your wife tells you she wants to have a talk about something, etc. It’s easy to think that something is wrong and you are about to have your world turned upside down. Then you discover that in fact your test results were fine, the boss wanted to thank you for doing a good job, your wife wanted to talk about holiday... Read Full Story

My youngest son asked me the other day: “why do you go walking?” He meant why do I get pleasure out of slogging my way through an area of wilderness. You should know that I love to go walking on Dartmoor and from time to time make some of my children go with me. At the time he asked the question we were just trying to climb a very steep hill and we didn’t seem to be getting anywhere with it. My answer was simple enough – because I enjoy it. I tried to explain to him th... Read Full Story

This is one of those months where everything seems to get tough: the weather is bad, summer seems a long way off, winter colds are hitting you hard. It would be easy now just to give up. This is why it is so important to keep going. What really makes the difference between a success and a failure often comes down to simply keeping going. At that very moment when you feel like giving up, others on the same journey will feel like giving up as well. What makes you different (and hence a success)... Read Full Story

There is nothing magical about making a new year’s resolution. If there were then we would all be fanstatically rich, extremely healthy and have very deep and wonderful relationships. It would be nice to think there was some cosmic world force that would make things happen for us just be saying we want it. Sadly there isn’t. Even God doesn’t respond to the trantrums of his spoiled children as they demand wealth and happiness. I believe God does answer prayers but that is a s... Read Full Story

There is nothing magical about making a new year’s resolution. If there were then we would all be fanstatically rich, extremely healthy and have very deep and wonderful relationships. It would be nice to think there was some cosmic world force that would make things happen for us just be saying we want it. Sadly there isn’t. Even God doesn’t respond to the trantrums of his spoiled children as they demand wealth and happiness. I believe God does answer prayers but that is a s... Read Full Story