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When I first got my dog, I read a lot of books on effective dog training. They all said the same thing: Praise the behaviour you want, and pay no attention to the behaviour you don’t want. It’s interesting that when it comes to how we treat other people, we often do the exact opposite. We criticise behaviour that we dislike in an attempt to perfect the other person, and forget to praise the things they are already doing well.

Life has a certain rhythm and pace that many of us who live in concrete jungles have lost touch with. The easiest way to literally get back to the roots of life is to watch a plant grow. You don’t have to grow one yourself, especially if you’re like me and don’t have green fingers. More accurately, we could all have green fingers if only we had the time. And that is the crux of this post. We’re in so much of a hurry that we need to slow down.

Much of what you want in life can be yours if you form the right habits. The good news is that it takes only 30 days to form a habit. This means that you can change your life in just 30 days. Once a habit is formed, you don’t have to think about it any […]

An Arab proverb tells us to “Trust in God but tie up your camel.” This reminds us that we should have faith that everything will work out, but at the same time do what we can to ensure a favourable outcome. “Tie up your camel” means we must act too A well-known story tells of […]

I once heard someone say that if you can read, but don’t, you might as well be illiterate. That sounds a little harsh, but there’s some truth in it. Just as a car cannot run on an empty fuel tank, you won’t get very far in life if you don’t constantly feed your mind with quality input.

I’ve always loved reading so I’m lucky in that reading is a joy for me. If you’re not a natural reader, perhaps you could start by reading a book a month or even one every quarter. As with so many other things, reading is a habit and once you start you’ll find it surprisingly easy to keep going.

When you reach a crisis or decision point in your life, it is natural to get opinions from other people as to what you should do. While this helps to provide perspective, remember to take your own counsel. And make sure that the final decision is yours and yours alone. Why you should take your […]

Success at work and life depends to some extent on relating well to people. And most people will decide whether they want to associate further with you based on their first impressions. Here’s how you can make a great first impression on others. How the make a great first impression 1. Dress smartly People see […]

Cash seems such an old-fashioned idea these days, with credit cards, debit cards, internet banking and even cheque books. Yet spending cash only has been the timeless advice of financial gurus. I was a big fan of the cashless lifestyle, until I decided to try a weekly cash budget just for fun. I was amazed at the result. Read more…

How many times have you said something that you later wish you hadn’t? I often have. The spoken word has power to heal or to hurt, and we so often use it for the latter. When I realised how hurtful I could be, I learnt to write it down before I blurt it out. 10 […]

You often hear people say things like “I’m trying to lose weight” or “I want to stop smoking”. The problem with these statements is that they practically doom you to failure from the start. Instead of focusing on what you don’t want, focus on what you really want. Why you should focus on what you […]