This article almost wasn’t written because I’m a perfectionist. Well, a recovering perfectionist actually. Most of my adult life I’ve been nurturing, embracing and wielding perfectionism. Courting it under the misapprehension that it was a positive character trait. Who wouldn’t want to be perfect, right? Come on admit it. You’ve probably dabbled in a little… Continue reading Confessions of a recovering perfectionist – by Paul Jordan
Category: Wellbeing
The lies we swallow about alcohol – by Jo Bega
I’m just back from a winter-sun holiday in Lanzarote. I swam in the sea, visited the volcanic vineyards, whooshed around the island on the back of a motorbike and ate some great tapas. It was fantastic – everything a holiday should be. And I did it all stone cold sober. A few years ago, a… Continue reading The lies we swallow about alcohol – by Jo Bega
Confronting beauty & bulls**t on the road to Santiago – by Simon Dwight
Sweating and tired, I slipped off my backpack and slumped on the wooden pew. I sat looking at the stained-glass window in Bilbao Cathedral for an hour…maybe longer. Though I was physically still, my emotions continued the journey that had started the moment I began the Camino del Norte a couple hundred miles away. Wonder… Continue reading Confronting beauty & bulls**t on the road to Santiago – by Simon Dwight
Finding hope amid devastating grief – by Andrew Ryland
The 19 November 2020 is indelibly etched on my mind as the darkest day in my life. It’s the day that my brother Stuart died by suicide at the age of 51. Having just gone through another Christmas season without Stu (pictured on right), I would say that this has without doubt been the most… Continue reading Finding hope amid devastating grief – by Andrew Ryland
Zuzu’s petals: reminders of what’s most important
In the movie It’s a Wonderful Life, the main character George Bailey faces bankruptcy and scandal. After a life of service and sacrifice, someone else’s negligence takes him to the brink of ruin. On Christmas Eve, in the midst of his angst and desperation, George goes home and sees his family. His young daughter, Zuzu, has… Continue reading Zuzu’s petals: reminders of what’s most important
What I learnt from the barbed wire tree – by Lucy Horitz
I took this photo while out walking my dog Claude, a couple of weeks ago. At first glance, it’s a pretty normal autumnal scene: an old tree, covered in lichen and ivy, surrounded by fallen leaves. But look closer and you’ll notice something extraordinary. The tree has a barbed wire fence, consisting of three separate… Continue reading What I learnt from the barbed wire tree – by Lucy Horitz
Learning from difficult times: 9 lessons in leadership
This post is adapted from a talk I gave recently for Homeless Link to a group of CEOs and senior managers who lead homelessness charities. In the winter 2014/15, I went through a difficult time in the charity I led. We hit a crisis in one of our main residential services due to some… Continue reading Learning from difficult times: 9 lessons in leadership
No such thing as ‘safe space’ – by Jon Canessa
I work at Newcastle Cathedral leading the Lantern Initiative. We seek to be a beacon of light to people experiencing dark and difficult times. Some of this work involves walking in solidarity with people struggling with drug and alcohol addiction. Addiction Addiction is part of the human condition and can be understood as both ‘dis-ease’… Continue reading No such thing as ‘safe space’ – by Jon Canessa
Something better than happiness
In the last 2 weeks I have been struck by the incredibly positive reactions of young people coming back from Christian summer camps. Even from those normally more reticent with their enthusiasm, I have seen faces light up and heard the superlatives flow: 'Amazing', 'brilliant', 'so good', 'incredible', 'definitely going back next year'. These camps… Continue reading Something better than happiness
Colluding with chaos or maintaining healthy boundaries?
In my 20s, I was a member of a church near King’s Cross where we started a community project called Decorating and Gardening to do practical jobs for vulnerable local people. We called it D&G for short and borrowed the Dolce & Gabanna logo. We never heard from their lawyers. The first person we did a job for was a… Continue reading Colluding with chaos or maintaining healthy boundaries?
Grace + Truth 