Monday 10 October is World Mental Health Day, the focus of which this year is the support people can provide to those who are in psychological distress. The objective of World Mental Health Day is to raise awareness of mental health issues worldwide. According to the World Health Organisation, “The Day provides an opportunity for …
E I L N S T
Here’s one for all you Scrabble fans out there. What words could you make from these letters? There are two words which I can spot which form the basis of a good way of relating one to another. The words are related to each other in some respects. These two words say a lot about …
World Water Day
22nd March was designated World Water Day by the UN General Assembly over 20 years ago. Just a quick look at www.unwater.org will give you all manner of water-related information and statistics, particularly relating to the developing areas of the world. So why am I writing a Thought for the Week about water? I think …
Mothering Sunday
I thought I would give this Thought for the Week it’s Christian title rather than the American idea of Mother’s Day which started in 1908. Mothering Sunday was thought to have started when children, mainly daughters, would be given the middle Sunday in Lent off from their domestic servant duties and allowed to return to …
Tidying Up For Visitors
Picture the scene if you will. Your visitor is due in half an hour. You are frantically clearing the dining table of bits of paper which have been put there to wait for a convenient time for you to file, shred or recycle them. The kitchen needs a clear up from last night’s meal, and …
Falling Off The Stage
Anyone who saw the Brit Awards earlier this week, or indeed the headlines which followed, will know that poor Madonna fell backwards on stage during her performance. She said afterwards that she was fine and, quoting the lyrics of the song she was performing, said ‘nothing can stop me and love really lifted me up’. …
Men Have Feelings
Regular readers may remember a Thought for the Week in September focussing on World Suicide Prevention Day. A couple of days ago I read a piece on BBC News which quoted figures on suicide on the UK from the Office for National Statistics. The ONS said that in 2013 6,233 people over the age of …
Gratitude
Being grateful reflects an ability to be aware of the present. It’s easy to have a tendency to long for the things we don’t have, and sometimes that’s right to focus on, for example if you find yourself out of work. Gratitude reveals a level of contentment, and a sense of inner peace. There is …
Being Clarke Carlisle
I was sad to read about Clarke Carlisle this week. He had admitted that he was trying to take his own life when he was hit by a lorry just before Christmas. Clarke had made over 500 appearances as a professional footballer, and was chairman of the Professional Footballers Association. He had also appeared on …
Old to New
Imagine for a moment that you are in a room, and the room represents your life. What does it look like? Is it large or small? How is it decorated? What can you see in the room? There is a door to another room. Now, you may be completely happy in your room and so …