Category Archives: Uncategorized

Sometimes it is harder to hold back your tongue (I should know out of all people) than saying something that you may regret later under the ‘banner’ of being honest. There are definitely circumstances for speaking up and conversely occasions for ‘holding your horses’. Try to assess which case it is before action. It is definitely not […]

Sometimes that is all is needed especially when it is a genuine apology and the receipient has accepted it.  There is no need to linger on providing multiple reasons plus going through your mind different scenarios with numerous what-ifs.  Make it a clean-cut and sincere appology and go on with your life.

January is approaching to the end (one more week to go). I am not going to pop the tough question on New Year resolution. I suggest adjust it if you found it a bit tough to keep up instead of giving it up completely. Don’t be dismayed. Adjust and make it achievable with a stretch. […]

This Monday due to my hectic schedule and a small element of absent-mindedness, I double- booked myself.  I ended up forfeiting a ticket to a play(theatre) for 17 pounds (non-refundable and I did not have time to pass it onto someone else).  It was not a huge sum but I was not happy about it and […]

On the subject of better communication, heavy weight in the coaching world Sir John Whitmore suggests in his book Coaching for Performance (p.47) that the WHY question should be discouraged as it may imply criticism and evokes defensiveness. He recommends replacing it with “What were the reasons..?”

Today I had a coffee with my friend Thomas who is the owner of an optical store in France. I spotted a lovely pair of glasses on the table and it actually belongs to him (no surprise there as I usually carry a copy of my book with me for a similar reason:>). He was […]

Yesterday morning I went to my weekly Pilates class and spotted a classmate who did not come to the class for a long time. I caught up with him after class and mentioned to him about my book. He said he needed to leave the gym soon and I urged him to wait for me […]

A few suggestons to politely remind someone who has forgotten to do something for you without coming across as a pain in the neck. 1) “As a gentle reminder, ..” or “As a kind reminder, ..” 2) “As a quick follow-up, …” 3) “As a positive confirmation, …”

In order to transform negative energy into a positive one, we must practise speaking in a positive tone. To start, we can avoid using the word NOT. For example:- 1) Replace “It is not my job” with “My job is actually…” 2) Replace “It is not my problem” with “Perhaps someone else can help you […]

A few people told me that they felt that January was the toughest month of the year. There are numerous reasons why one would think that way, but let us focus on some simple ways to counter that. 1) Light at the end of the tunnel: Based on the time line, we are actually at […]