A small selection of books have changed my emotional landscape decidedly for the better. I often find myself citing them to others so decided to get them on paper for easy access and sharing. Changing your relationship with yourself The Happiness Trap — Russ Harris Drawing on the Buddhist tradition…

Some brief thoughts on internal judgements. From a very young age, we are taught the art of judgement. As a child, we enter a world of praise or criticism, reward or punishment. If we draw a pretty picture, if we eat our vegetables, if we share our toys, then the…

Rent and Employment Dewey owes rent money to his friend Ned. Ned’s girlfriend, Patty, explains the problem: ‘We have jobs. We contribute to society.’ Dewey is in a band, but the establishment figure of Patty, does not consider this to be valid work. Dewey responds: ‘Dude, I service society by…

Disagreeing with people is about what you feel, not what you think. Don’t focus on what you’re arguing about, but why you are arguing. Don’t Try and Win “You can’t win an argument. You can’t because if you lose it, you lose it; and if you win it, you lose…

A journey from nothing, back to something again. We can only be aware of external physical reality using our minds, so how can we be sure that anything other than our minds and thoughts exist? …

If you feel like your life is lacking in purpose, pick a new character in the videogame of life to bring that sense of meaning back. In videogames, you often get to design a character: how you are going to look, what special skills you are going to have and…

A Model For Thinking About Stable Relationships In life, it’s not where you go, it’s who you travel with. (Charles M. Schulz) Life is a rickety bridge. When it is a sunny, calm day the bridge is easy and pleasant to walk across. You might stumble occasionally (it is rickety…

A Practical Guide To Maintaining Contentment The Theory Imagine a temple. You’re sitting in the middle. It’s cool and calm. A heavy white stone roof is above your head. Supporting that roof are a number of pillars. This is contentment, this is calm, this is a feeling of wellbeing. To…

A Short Story Jimmy felt a bit sick. He stared out of the stained train window and willed himself to cheer up. But it was tough being an artist. Seven years old and still unpublished, he thought. What if it doesn’t get better? He opened a bag of Smarties and…