Why am I still single? (when I don’t want to be)


I shared a message recently around the idea of singleness being good. And marriage being good too. The idea was to really put the value back on singleness and to deal with the cultural romantic idol we have that meeting the right person will somehow complete us. That when we get married, life will begin and all be lived happily ever after.

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The insidious pull of extremism (why too much of anything is bad)


Excess often has a delayed reaction. Think of those moments where you very slightly over indulge - a delicious Sunday roast in Shoreditch, finishing the chocolate eclairs at the park that the kids half-touched or downing the last of the milk because you’re going away on holiday.

Cue 30 minutes later or so and you’re normally regretting the decision you made. Because life is all about balance.

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Happiness makes for a cruel master


Comfort has become something of a secular god in recent times. Its perhaps better marketed twin, happiness, is frequently stated (by people who I often admire) as the ultimate goal in life. Find your passion, find what makes you happy and go make your dreams happen etc.

But I do find this line of thinking to be somewhat limiting. Because all of us know deep down that happiness is forever fleeting and is so often here one moment and gone in the next.

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The problem with big data


Today the world is full of statistics, trends, analyses and conclusions. Now more than ever we are being bombarded with data around the current health crisis such as infections, death rates, economic impact and recession.

One thing has become clear though, that even accurate data can be bent out of shape through the context it is given. It’s not just what is being presented but what is not being presented that taints the claims of truth being made.

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How to stay on the top of your game (a conversation around mental health)


Often when we think about mental health, we may conjure up images of perhaps the more negative side of the mind such as anxiety, depression, eating disorders or many other things. But having a healthy mind is not just as narrow as overcoming certain issues but is all about the way in which we interact with the world on a daily basis. If physical health is full of nuance, growth, learning and development then so is our journey of mental health.

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Say yes to what you really want by saying no to what you don’t


Saying no is difficult in the world we live in. People are asking of our attention, our time, our resource and so on at increasing rates. It’s human nature to want to say yes and there is an underlying fear in the workplace and generally throughout life of being someone who is unreasonable.

We don’t want to offend people but ultimately the end result of overcommitting is that dreaded combination of over-promising and under-delivering. If you have an enthusiasm for new projects (like I do) then you may be particularly susceptible to this.

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Why pressure is a good thing


If you’re anything like me, then you feel slightly stressed, tired, stretched and at the limits of your life. Welcome to being a vaguely useful human being. Or adulting as the kids call it nowadays.

The pressures of life can weigh us down, keep us stuck in one place and make life truly miserable at times. However, I have come with alternative news in this blog post. I really do believe that pressure is a gift.

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The underwhelming power of consistency


Possibly the most underrated quality in today’s world is faithfulness. We tend to under-appreciate those who remain most consistent, simply for virtue of the fact that they are always there.

They’re the people who rock up when no one else does. They’re the people who you don’t have to chase. They’re the people who you just get used to relying on. They’re low maintenance, frequently high capacity with a lot to offer and often go unnoticed.

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A no-nonsense guide to becoming less anxious


I’ve been thinking a lot about how we talk about mental health as a society. Whilst there have been great moves in creating an environment of openness where people can talk about what they’re facing rather than burying their feelings, it also feels like no one is talking about some of the basics of recovery. I would call it personal responsibility.

If those words are triggering to you, then I suggest not reading further.

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