Welcome to this new series of Soul Food which is on the topic of Relational Intelligence. Life is all about relationships and we’ll be looking at a whole range of skills and insights to improve our relationships - at home, at work, at school, in our neighbourhoods … wherever we find ourselves. Relationships are built, … Continue reading Soul Food Episode 31 – Listening
Have you noticed that life tends to move through seasons and cycles? Walter Brueggemann, an Old Testament scholar, notices that even a life of faith has cycles of what he calls: orientation, disorientation, and reorientation. Orientation is when everything is going well. Life is good. The sun is shining, We are experiencing a great deal … Continue reading Soul Food Episode 30 – Reorientation
As we prepare to enter another new year, how are you feeling? One of the words that I hear a lot nowadays is ‘uncertainty’. There is a lot of uncertainty about the future. After all, who knows what next week will look like, let alone next year! We are living in turbulent times. There is … Continue reading Soul Food Episode 29 – Clarity
Have you ever felt overwhelmed? I sure have! Sometimes the pile of things I’d like to do is so big I can’t even see the top of the pile let alone ever get on top of the pile. Life seems to keep giving us more and more - more opportunities, more invitations, and more challenges. … Continue reading Soul Food Episode 28 – Overwhelmed
Hi everyone and greetings from Melbourne, Australia! Who would have thought that “the world’s most liveable city” would become “the world’s most locked-down city.” Yes, we were locked down for over 250 days during this COVID pandemic. We are just coming out of lockdown 6.0 and it sure feels good. It feels like we are … Continue reading Soul Food Episode 27 – Reboot
Nice to hear that golf courses are open again here in Melbourne … A few years ago, I was sitting in a nice cafe overlooking a beautiful golf course. I was enjoying a delicious cup of coffee, reflecting on my life, and writing in my journal. I have played a fair amount of golf over … Continue reading Reflections on the Game of GOLF
According to a DNA test I did with Ancestry a year or so back, I am 64% Scottish. I always knew I had Scottish relatives on my mother's side (see my BLOG post on 'Douglas') but I had no idea the Scottish roots were this strong. As a result, I've been doing some more research … Continue reading My Scottish Roots
Lockdown is a good time to catch up on a bit of family history … Say hello to my great-grandfather and my great-granduncle, James and John Douglas. Looking like something out of Peaky Blinders, I can still see some family resemblances Both were born in County Down, east of Belfast in Northern Ireland (an area … Continue reading The Douglas Family
Whoever thought of 'Low Power Mode' is a genius. When this option pops up on my phone, I always hit 'Continue', never 'Cancel'. It's super helpful. Phone battery life is a precious resource. If you don’t manage it carefully, you might find yourself unable to make calls or take photos ... just when you really … Continue reading The Genius of ‘Low Power Mode’
Today is the beginning of a new day and a new week. Only a few days ago we experienced the beginning of a new month and the second half of the year. I love beginnings, so pregnant with potential and so full of opportunity. What adventure awaits! Recently, I came across this poem by John … Continue reading A New Beginning
I hope you have enjoyed the weekly episodes of Soul Food with Mark Conner which we launched last September. There have been two series so far: Series 1 - Self Care The big idea of this series is that "self-care is NOT selfish"! In fact, the best gift you can give the other people in … Continue reading Soul Food Update
Hi friends. Welcome to this week’s edition of Soul Food. Did you know that we tend to over-estimate what we can do in one month but we under-estimate what we can accomplish in three months? There’s something unique about a 90 day period of time. Entire books and articles have been written about ‘the first … Continue reading Soul Food Episode 26 – 90 Days
Hi friends. Welcome to this week’s edition of Soul Food. Did you know that billionaire, Richard Branson, wears the same brand of jeans and a white shirt every day because it simplifies his packing when traveling? Even former American president Barack Obama wears only grey and blue suits. Why? To reduce decisions about what to … Continue reading Soul Food Episode 25 – Routines
Hi friends. Welcome to this week’s edition of Soul Food. It’s been said that “It’s easier to act your way into a new way of thinking than to think your way into a new way of acting.” Life is made up of habits - things we do regularly, often without even being aware of them. … Continue reading Soul Food Episode 24 – Habits
Hi friends. Welcome to this week’s edition of Soul Food. It’s common to think of life in a linear fashion. First, we have one thing, then another, then another. Most of us like this sort of logical sequencing. Another view of life is to see it in a more circular manner. We all go through … Continue reading Soul Food Episode 23 – Parallel Careers
