In my last article I talked about the recent death of my father and how struck I was by the extreme reactions when, in response to the greeting, ‘How are you?’ I replied calmly and gently, ‘I’m ok but my father has just died.’ ‘Initially I was shocked by some extraordinary reactions, including panicked exits and wildly off-key remarks, but then my professional research-self kicked in, and I began to test what was going on. At first, I thought it was about culture, gender, a

In my Thanksgiving article last November, I wrote about gratitude and grief prompted by the phrase: ‘Grief is love with nowhere to go.’ It resonated deeply because my father had become extremely frail 18 months before and I was already grieving for him. ‘I’ve learned much about grief over my lifetime: it’s impossible to live a full life without experiencing many losses and endings including the deaths of loved ones. There is no neat timeline for when we are ‘done’ and the way

Two weeks ago, I gave a TEDx talk at Warwick Business School. It was the fascinating theme, ‘Jigsaw’ of this year’s event that attracted me to say yes: ‘Jigsaw imagines the world as a puzzle: made up of pieces that appear separate but reveal a deeper story when joined together. Speakers might explore how overlooked fragments influence the whole, or how reframing a single piece can change the entire picture. Jigsaw asks us to step back, zoom out, and reconsider the connectio

Every year this week, following all the excitement of Christmas, I go into my stillness and do a ritual to mark this special time. This is my chance to reflect on the year ending: its quintessential flavour, its high… and also its low… moments. And then, as the New Year approaches, I turn my head, Janus-like, and create my 3 Wishes for the year to come. I write these 3 Wishes in my journal and these become my personal vision, guiding my choices and actions for that year. Th