Emotional intelligence, General

Did you make the right decision?

On a day when the results of the EU Referendum are announced, I ask, “Did you make the right decision?” And what did you base that decision on? Or are you still unsure of the right move, as so many of us are? Well… time will tell, I guess. Meanwhile, [...]

Emotional intelligence, General

I love being married

“I love being married. It’s so great to find that one special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life.” Rita Rudner OK, so let’s assume that it’s not our express intention of upsetting our partners. Actually, let’s go one step further. Let’s assume that we’d really [...]

Brain, General

Mastication is good for you!

Mastication is good for you after all! Hey! Mastication doesn’t make you blind, it makes you brainier! Let me explain… When I was at school we learnt that however many brain cells we’re born with – that’s our lot. As we age, we lose them at a rate of knots, [...]

General, Health

Your 2 minutes could help end poverty in Africa

Your 2 minutes could help end poverty in Africa No kidding! I’m temporarily breaking the mould for another week and sending this same message out a few times – I want to give everyone the best chance of making the huge difference I think we could make between us. So please [...]

Brain, Emotional intelligence, General

Positive psychology? Are you sure?

Here’s a hilarious talk by Shawn Achor, psychologist, about positive psychology and what it can do for us.   What does positive psychology tell us about optimism and happiness? Here are a few points from “Pursuing Happiness: The Architecture of Sustainable Change”, by Sonja Lyubomirsky, 2005. You’ll find loads of references [...]

Emotional intelligence, General

Ideacide -v- courage

Ideacide -v- courage – what’s that about? What a difference 132 years makes What have John Humphreys, Elton John, the last 132 years of Leicester City Football Club and “Ideacide” got in common? Short answer – me! I taught John Humphrey’s daughter, Catherine, at Gillotts, here in Henley, when I [...]

Emotional intelligence, General, Health

What cost, improving self-esteem?

After Arnie’s ‘paperless classroom’ debacle, resulting in ingenious, entrepreneurial teenage crims hacking the provided iPads in order to sell them on… California gets it wrong again! This time in the name of improving self-esteem. Perhaps they thought those ingenious, entrepreneurial teenage criminals needed a boost of the stuff? The intention [...]

Brain, Emotional intelligence, General, Health

We all stand together

Years ago, when I was teaching, I arranged Paul McCartney’s “We all stand together”, otherwise known as the frog song, for the school steel band. It was a great song to choose, and it bounced along beautifully. And so did the kids. Do you belong? Did you know that feeling [...]

General

Order! Got a new job!

I hear the Speaker’s job is up for grabs in the House of Commons. Wish me luck!   [...]

Brain, Emotional intelligence, General

Who are you this week?

It might seem like a strange question, except that who we are – changes over time. Not a lot of people know that! The environment continually shapes and changes the neural networks in our brains that make us who we are. And how we process the information reaching our brains [...]