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 →

My partner and I have just come back from driving again — across Italy. For the past five years we’ve been finding our way around exciting countries such as Cuba and Mozambique. Continue Reading →

Driving around southern Italy and Sicily, my partner and I decided to make a sacred pilgrimage to volcanic sites such as Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius. We drove to the top of smouldering Mount Etna, to see the steam coming out of the ground and look into the volcano’s famed Calderas. 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 →