Illustration: Sturt Krygsman

IT’S that time of year again when we make resolutions, and each year I make the same one: to stop my chronic procrastination. An estimated 20 per cent of people do it constantly. And it’s been proven to have an adverse ­effect on health and certainly the hip pocket. Continue Reading →

Breakdowns echoes the self-destruction of many business, celebrity and political elite in recent times, including sporting greats Lance Armstrong and Oscar Pistorius. Continue Reading →

Eric Lobbecke 

I WAS chatting to a work colleague the other day and I asked whether she’d dealt with a difficult situation. “No,” she said breathing out with a sigh, “It’s all just too hard.” I asked what she meant: “I’m tired. I’m over it. I just haven’t got the energy to deal with it.” Continue Reading →

Person in lotus position levitating with a rat running under them.
Artwork by Sturt Krygsman

IT was the weekend from hell. An impossible amount of things to do and worry about. Two major stories due in, a removal van coming to take away several pieces of furniture and deliver new stuff, a daughter arriving back from abroad needing airport pick-up, and a close friend in crisis. There was going to be no time to eat or sleep if I were to get through. Continue Reading →

I HAVE a spiritual teacher in India. This year, when I was with him at his ashram, I sought a private audience to discuss my concerns. Continue Reading →

As a busy year draws to an end it’s worth considering why so many of us struggle to find time to set aside distractions and “stop and think”. Continue Reading →

I WAS at a social function recently and saw a face in the crowd that was not only familiar, but also filled me with warmth. She saw me, too. We nodded affectionately across the room, hinting that as soon as we had finished our conversations we’d embrace. Continue Reading →

I NEEDED a few plastic knives and forks. As an eco-conscious woman, I would never buy plastic cutlery but I had to offer five sets for dinner out of respect for a family’s religion; too hard to explain.
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THERE is a fear that I’ve just looked up that many of us probably have. Soteriophobia — the fear of becoming dependent on someone else. Continue Reading →