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Ken Robinson- I love that man- on how to escape education's death valley...19 mins of sanity and humour

Fabulous- this made me laugh and cry simultaneously...

This beautiful blog article by Anne Wareham feeds the soul- and punctuates a lot of what labyrinths do for me...

If you do nothing else today- watch this- a glorious reminder of the power of human connection served by technology...12 mins of sublime music

Gianpiero Petriglieri on getting stuck and how it helps you grow...thoughtful and insightful article I think

'What does dead mean?' a book for children who have experienced the death of someone they know...This books tells simply what death is- and helps children to understand. See the video...

Sally Beamish, the composer, showed me this on facebook with this message:

"..This almost defies description.

The guy flying the 3 kites is in his 80's. He's Canadian. He goes to the Washington State International Kite Festival every year. His skin is like leather as he normally flies with his shirt off. He is deaf, so when he flies we hold our hands up and wave them for applause. He flies 2 with his hands and the 3rd one is attached to his waist."

Thank you, Robin Shohet...

“you still must have

chaos within yourself to

give birth to a dancing

star” NIETZSCHE

Here comes the sun- in Madrid Unemployment Office...worth every second..

Thank you Val, for 9 minutes of beauty and a reminder of the 'moment'- and I am sure the voice is Bert Hellinger- the father of Family Constellations...

Henry James didn't work, but here's what he said:
"Sorrow comes in great waves..but it rolls over us and though it may almost smother us it leaves us on the spot and we know that if it sstrong, it leaves us stronger, inasmuch as it passes and we remain.."

Henry James on sorrow and being human..

The wise Seth Godin on why empathy takes effort but why it's worth it..don't 'walk on by' as Roy Orbison sang...

Meet the Landfill Orchestra- let's not waste people or music...

8 mins of Ruby Wax on TED hitting the nail on the head- to be seen....

Feeling very angry today- Chuch of England laity for a start- here is a good way of handling anger from Twitter @changeguerilla...

Great quote from ProjectEve today on Twitter:
'You can't start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading the last one..'

Rise up and Dance! One Billion Rising on Sat Feb 16 in London- join us!

There is always a space left when people who matter to us die- that's a good thing..Matthew Parris on the death of his father...

A visceral but fabulous piece' When David heard that Absalom was slain' by Eric Whitacre and the choir Polyphony..thanks to Nicki Whitworth...

Victoria Field on loss, poetry and inter-generational links...inspired me to read those poems..

And another goodie on Twitter from @PartyofSunshine "..You just cannot keep telling the same story without continuing to live the same circumstances..."

Carrie Foster on 'Making a living is not the same as making a life'...a good thought-provoker...

I weep for Syria..and Aleppo...

A really good article about losing her mother and others, Lesley Garner on not responding to everything and how 'knowing' makes no difference...

DON'T CRY, though I did, SHARE THIS and BE THERE on 14 Feb 2012...

I like this from Twitter:

'We met for a reason- either you're a blessing or a lesson'

Thank you @PartyofSunshine

The radical power of generosity- linking personal transformation and community change..and on the way, unpicking how economics rules our lives...

Labyrinths: I am learning about how to use and work with this great tool- here is a short video that shows the 12th century labyrinth at Chartres Cathedral being walked...

A great 3 days on business transitions in the Lakes at the Mortal Man...

Meanie copyright people- see Isaacs Lipdub Proposal here..it'll start your day well..

Want to laugh and cry at something very heart-warming and beautifully silly? Here's the thing...

Amazing- from birth to 12- very moving perspective on one child...it really does go this fast...

A beautiful and moving piece by Jonathon Freedland...a beautiful death and memories of his mother...

Sally Brampton link again...

The stalwart Sally Brampton on why there is no point in a life without connection- and a refreshing absence of small talk.

Completely daft! But it just shows that the girl can leave Edinburgh but you can't take Edinburgh out of the girl...or something like that..

The more I think about, the more gardening is an honest metaphor for life...some things live, some things die, some things spread themselves about, others don't..and the pattern of the seasons always gives another chance..

Alistair the Optimist is a brave and truthful man- see his video and read his story..click on the link.

Our Living Life Adventurously video is up on the website and Youtube! Voiced by me (well, never going to be a pro at that!) and with great photos- it captures, we hope, the joy and peace of the programme- do check it out by clicking on the link..

Feeling very blue about the doubledip recession and all that jazz that seems never-ending..then out in the garden there is this fabulous papaver ruprifragum, a vivid and captivating orange. It's taken 4 years from seed. There is a lesson there...

Coming soon! With the magic of some great photos from Peter Murray at La Ferme Loubetas, a new slideshow with voiceover will appear next week- describing the full story of 'Living Life Adventurously' our new programme for women 9-13 October 2012...Hope you can't wait!

Gillian Elizabeth lives in the Ariege in France and writes a great gardening blog as well as being a Twitter bod (@GillyinAriege) and she quoted these lines today which struck home very usefully
"You can’t always get what you want
… But if you try sometimes
… you just might find
You get what you need.
Rolling Stones ‘Let It Bleed’ album, 1969"...

Great photos of 'Living Life Adventurously'- do take a peek...

Take 5 mins for this- a remarkable encounter and very moving. I am struck by the difference in the guy's face between when he introduces the film and at the end of the encounter..how much we can express and how much we can suppress...

And to cap it all..Sarah's poetry collection is called 'You do not need another self-help book'...apologies!

The lovely Sarah Salway, Canterbury Laureate and great friend of ours, reading a poem called 'Dust' from her new collection entitled 'You don't need another self-help book'. Sarah will be leading a new developmental workshop with Alison IN December this year- watch this space!

I love Brene Brown- and this really made me laugh- mass protest against perfection!

And the science has it! HBR article demonstrated the science behind the verifiable conclusion that it IS the small things, happening often (and which we don't pay enough attention to) that generate a feeling of happiness...PHEW..the lottery win is not now needed.

Dory Previn- has died. This is for her.

Slightly pompous framing of Antonia Fraser reading a poem by Harold Pinter about when they first got together...for Valentine's Day. I love the spareness of the language.

Good old Moodscope! This is very funny and also has good stuff in it...

Good old Moodscope! This is very funny and also has good stuff in it...

Good old Moodscope! This is very funny and also has good stuff in it...

WOW- this morning's total is £790- we' ve raised this with all of your help for Womankind Worldwide through our upcoming fundraiser Womens Development Day 'Living Life Adventurously' Sat March 10 in London. Our target is £2000- so keep 'em coming! Come and join us- click on the lick.

Great quote this morning from Martin Luther King-
"You don't have to see the whole staircase. Just take the first step."

Jo Crawford of 'Crafting the Sacred' said a great thing yesterday...How would it feel to finally forgive yourself' Click on link for more...Thanks Jo for permission to quote you.

Sarah says on Twitter this morning..."just because you're not always skipping through tulips with joy doesn't mean that something's wrong with you." Love today's Universe email

What to do when it becomes unbearable...

This link takes you to Ruby Wax's new website, BlackDogTribe. On this page there is a video entitled 'Depression'. If you know someone who has experienced this, are worried about someone who may be depressed or just want to know what depression is- look at this video, it will help.

This is a 4 minute delight- a sharp song by Dory Previn coupled with great stills from MadMen...

Are you 'introverted'- like me? This great little piece takes the sting out of networking- frequently my worst nightmare- and reminds me how to do it safely and get recovery time...

OOps, LINK not LICK! beg your pardon...

Oh, Seth Godin is such good value- here he is, on how you can't get to the next rope until you let go of the one you are holding on to...click on the lick for more wisdom..

A very touching little film..love and positivity in the face of a terrible experience..

The top 5 regrets of people who are dying- sounds hard to take, but flip them round and there's lots to think about that's positive and constructive for us now...

Sally Brampton: a 'from the heart article' about enjoying friends now...

Go on! Treat yourself- fabulous mini workshops led by great people, food, singing, good cause, clothes to swap and lots more- COME on Sat 10 March to our 'Living Life Adventurously' Women's Development Day in central London...see link for more...

Pink snow like marshmallow over the Pyrenees at dawn today-beautiful- like the mountain photo on our header, only with a pink wash...

A fantastic article about perserverance, human dignity, fear, relationships, micrenterprise, creativity...AND sanitary towels. Amazing.

Brene Brown, a really gifted teacher, on defining shame and why it matters..Dark stuff that needs to be called out..it's about 10 mins long..

I have a really nice little red notebook that I got from Patti Horrocks at the end of a workshop- it was going to become my gratitude log- it must be dug out today and STARTED!

A brrave blog that says 'Actually, I'm not feeling okay' and what happened when she said that....

Is there a real you? Julian Baggini thinks not- and it's both liberating, challenging and fascinating at one and the same time...

TfL have published a wonderful little section in their 'Art on the Underground' section. It gives little stories of random acts of kindness on London transport. We're all into well-being! Excellent.

Blue Monday seems to be the focus everywhere...let's give ourselves a break and not look for self-fulfilling prophesies!

This video is really worth a look- great message and very clever...

This really sets the stage for thinking differently about ageing and potential...see Jane Fonda at Ted Talks

This is a good one, I think..
"Never be afraid to try, remember..Amateurs built the ark, professionals built the Titanic.."

Did you know that young men in London between 15 and 34 are more likely to die of suicide than for any other reason? CALM is campaigning to support young men with depression. This article shows the other side of happiness in London.

Be a 'Crazy One' this year and re-discover what you can bring to the world....

Lull yourself for 4 minutes with Nick Hennessey and 2 friends in his kitchen..he's the one on the left. Nick is our tutor on 'Opening the Gate' in November...

Enough of quotes! What about Ginger Rogers at 92? That's inspirational...WOW!

Into quotes at the moment- given my tea consumption this one is particularly apt...Eleanor Roosevelt apparently said " ..A woman is like a teabag; you never know how strong it is until it's in hot water.."

A friend introduced me to these lines from Philip Larkin..
"...what it held stood ready to be loosed with all the power that being changed can give.."
from 'The Whitsun Weddings'

Get into Twitter and the mad, life-saving world of Philip Ardagh's tips..here's one for free..

"Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag, weigh them down with rocks and toss them in a lake. Then rent out their bedrooms"

Today is another day when I remind myself that slowly really does do it- and what I have to resist is the urge to rush. Hard-wired for rushing, me, though...so it's a challenge.

Have a very merry Xmas and enjoy this- from a friend's archive...

Oh no! Caught myself reaching for that extra whatever in the supermarket- the completely irrational 'stock up for Xmas' nerve had been activated, probably by the tinsel!

Suzanne Moore speaks out for the value of uncertainty and urges us to embrace it...YES! Battling the comforts of certainty and the need to be right is tough- but what we need just now...

Meet Lindy Wafula- an exceptional young woman who is determined to make a difference...Stay with it, it's about 18 minutes long..

I in 4 of us will need help with depression or worse in our lives...Ruby Wax talks about what happened to her and what she is doing about it...I love the connection between experience and action!

Moodscope reminded me that the word 'inspiration' is rooted in 'breathing in' and was used in that way in mediaeval English. Good honest draughts of fresh inspiration were available at Aspire last week..In French, 'inspire' still means 'breathe in'..
Check out Moodscope by clicking on the link- I find it really helpful...

Moodscope reminded me that the word 'inspiration' is rooted in 'breathing in' and was used in that way in mediaeval English. Good honest draughts of fresh inspiration were available at Aspire last week..In French, 'inspire' still means 'breathe in'..
Check out Moodscope by clicking on the link- I find it really helpful...

Fantastic evening with Sarah Salway and Andy Piasecki at our 'Re(Connect)' workshop last Thursday- join Srah and I for family history meets creative journaling in February (see Transitions Workshops)- it'll be unforgettable.

Jean and I are off to the Aspire conference today to reconnect with our womens developmnet roots, network, enjoy people and insights..can't wait...

Self-pity is the enemy of contentment...or self-absorption cuts you off from possibilities..

The Sistine Chapel as you will never have seen it, complete with invisible choir.

Sit down, relax and listen to the story...remember how stilling that was as a child? Nick Hennessey in action...Nick will be with us in 2012

What to do if you fall over a dog....