Wise Wednesdays

Do you sometimes feel like you’re a problem-solving machine? Whatever problem life throws at you, you get your teeth stuck right in there and gnaw relentlessly until it’s solved? Perhaps you’re like a serial killer of problems… When people called me “intense” I knew exactly what they meant. I could stay focused on one thing for hours if not days or more. I wouldn’t give up until there was a resolution, whether it was a maths problem, an argument or a holiday dilemma. But you know what cuts into that plan? Illness. This month, I’d planned a biggish trip (the first in two years) and then cancelled it because of a positive Covid test. In an instant, the problem was out of my hands.   The most fun I had was noticing how my thoughts changed with the fever. High fever brought up critical thoughts of how I should have stayed indoors and how silly it was to plan a trip. When the fever dropped, my thoughts switched to how cosy it was to be in bed, grateful that I could take time off and tha...

If you have a slightly unusual background, you might feel like a perpetual outsider. And that’s actually an asset to groups you’re part of. Change comes from diversity. So one thing I'm proud of in 2021 is owning my weird. Last Friday, I found myself in a traditional British pub, talking spirituality and personal development with others who are equally passionate about those things - and it felt like home.   But thinking back to 25 years ago, each of those 3 things would have been a bit weird to some... Spirituality – I remember the first time I went to a meditation session in 1998 with two friends. No one else came. Meditation was weird…But holding on to a spiritual practice, even if it was seen as woo woo or irrational in scientific institutions I was part of, has been the backbone of my mental health. Personal development – I bought my first self-help book at Waterstones at 17 during a difficult relationship. My friends used to joke about my shelf-help obsession (and who’s the w...

Ram Dass once said: You think you’re enlightened? Go spend a week with your family!... Whether it’s colleagues, teams or family, communication can be tricky even if you’re super self-aware. Developing strong communication that helps you share your ideas, reduce conflict and lead your career and life in a way that feels fulfilling is worthwhile work indeed. In fact, the Buddha made it one of his core teachings alongside meditation. And the holiday season is perfect for expanding your self-awareness. A client put the challenge thus: how do you know when to speak up and when to hold back? You can check in using 5 guiding questions to distinguish between speaking as a creative and powerful act versus when it’s just an automatic habit or anxiety that doesn’t serve you. But first, let's talk about vibe. CREATE YOUR COMMUNICATION MICRO-CULTURE (OR VIBE) I believe prevention is better than cure. So to be a powerful communicator, you need to create a certain vibe around you. Some people mi...

HOW I FOUND THE DEEP WEALTH I WAS LOOKING FOR [IT’S Wise WEDNESDAYS ] It was a week before the conference. We were supposed to finalise a fantastic agenda to inspire hundreds who were working at the frontline of public health. Improving health and reducing inequalities was the mission. But how do you do that?... It was around this time that I’d started to wonder whether waiting for the perfect policy or the right leaders to come along would really cut it for people who want to improve their lives right now. So short of a revolution, what could be done? That’s when some of the pieces of my research and personal experiences started to come together. I had learned a few things from my PhD too:   Part of us is wired for a psychology of scarcity (of not enough) This can be triggered by the environment into counterproductive behaviours (overthinking, overdoing, overconsuming) Unless we transform our way of thinking, we just repeat the same patterns and stay at the mercy of the environmen...

When I was preparing for a big career leap, I had the sense that it was best to keep it quiet.   I only told a few people on a need-to-know basis… I quickly understood that some people just didn’t get what I was doing.   The idea of not continuing to work to get to the next rung on the career ladder was failure in their eyes. To them it seemed like I was giving up – that I couldn’t cut it, perhaps. At best, they thought I was burnt out and just needed a break. Once or twice, I even said I was going on maternity leave because it felt more acceptable. I joked with a sympathetic colleague that I was going on baternity leave to give birth to a business… And so I learned that failure is in the eye of the beholder. ONE PERSON’S FAILURE IS ANOTHER PERSON’S BID FOR FREEDOM This isn’t a motivational piece with practical tips or mindset tricks on how to turn failure around.   It’s a deeper questioning of our assumptions around meaningful life decisions .   Your life choices m...

During the pandemic, some people asked me: do you miss working as a doctor or in public health? It can be a little awkward because I loved my career as a doctor and public health advisor to governments. I worked very hard in my career. But at some point, I had to face the reality that it didn’t fit anymore. And the truth is I’m happy with what I’m doing now. My vocation has always been around helping others – service – but also doing it in a way that’s aligned with my strengths and passion. And these can evolve and change over time. Trusting your own evolution so that your career is an expression of your vocation and not the other way around is an act of courage.   Here are 3 types of trust that can help you let go of your current career while strengthening your vocation: See it on Linkedin or Instagram and share your thoughts or read on. 1) Trust in the impossible: When you have a vision of a new life or career during a meditation or powerful coaching conversation, the vision ...