Life Lessons

Articles and views on the life lessons or skills we may be learning. Opportunities to learn our lessons are repeatedly presented to us in the form of people and situations. Once a lesson is learnt these learning opportunities are no longer presented. Analyzing our life to date helps us to understand the particular lessons we may be learning.

Black Friday: do you like to receive gifts at no cost?

Black Friday is nearly upon us again. Where has that year gone…

Is your inbox filling up with offers for Black Friday. Mine is without doubt. Have I been so click happy all year that I am now on so many email lists that I lost count?

My inbox is so full that I am finding it difficult to sift out the work and family emails from those that offer me a gift. It is driving me crazy.

When someone comes into your life unexpectedly, look for the gift that person has come to receive from you. To come into someone’s life is a privilege and comes with a purpose. read more

By Alison Wem, ago

Remembrance Sunday: what is the value of remembering the past?

On Remembrance Sunday 2018 in the Tower of London around 10,000 candles were lit in the dry moat to remember those who fell in World War 1.

The event started with smoke drifting as in the battle fields of France.

A single flame was carried from the Tower. The flame was passed across the field, slowly the candles were lit to represent those who had fallen.

Eventually the whole Tower was circled with light. It was a moving display with the candle lighters creating shadows on the Tower walls like a tableau of soldiers in ‘no-mans land’ and haunting music was playing. read more

By Alison Wem, ago

Feeling tired? Take this simple action to balance your energy

Remembrance Sunday for the end of World War I is this weekend. Personally I had not fully appreciated the scale of the losses and the impact on many communities. I was moved by a map of Newcastle which showed a red dot for each person who died. I was amazed at how many there were in each street. Some households must have lost father and sons. I cannot begin to imagine how you cope with such overwhelming losses.

The ‘Shrouds of the Somme’ exhibit by Rob Heard installed at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London conveys the scale of loss at the Battle of the Somme. There is a sea of shrouded dolls with each one representing an individual whose body was not found after the battle. The figures go on and on and is a poignant reminder of the impact of war. read more

By Alison Wem, ago

Life is for living and enjoying

Everybody’s life has its ups and downs. Even in the hardest of lives you can take pleasure in small things.

In a the middle of a busy business day I stepped outside for a few minutes to get some fresh air. Unexpectedly I was given an amazing display of a hawk soaring and swooping in the sky.  I could feel the air rushing in his face and the power of his wings guiding the air current to send him soaring above the hills. It was exhilarating and energizing just to watch.

Of course the hawk was hunting totally oblivious to his audience.  He was doing it with such energy and elegance I am sure he was having a wonderful time. I had to smile at his prowess. read more

By Alison Wem, ago

Menaca Joji: My journey from East to West

Menaca Joji

Guest author Menaca Joji shares her story of how she came to leave her beloved Sri Lanka and family in search of a safe home. This early experience has shaped the person Menaca is today. After successfully practising dentistry for over 20 years and building a practice in London, she now advises dentists on their client skills and how to build a successful business.

Menaca’s story reminds you that it is often through some of your greatest life challenges, you get the opportunity to meet some good and caring people. read more

By Alison Wem, ago

Life Lessons: why do you feel you have been somewhere before?

Many scientists believe that Man was much as we are now, in physical and neurological terms, as when we first appeared on Earth some 200,000 years ago. It is not know how we came about, but whatever it was, it brought the abilities of intuition, compassion, empathy, love and self healing.  Since those times humanity has been learning life lessons in order to lead better lives. A life lesson might be learning not to shout when annoyed, or to listen or to love oneself.

One lifetime is not long to learn such fundamental lessons especially if there is more than one. It seems very inefficient to spend a lifetime learning a lesson only for it to be lost when that person dies. In nature plants bloom, die and rise again the following spring. Taking a lead from nature, increasing numbers of people believe that while our bodies die our consciousness or souls survive death and go on to live another life. read more

By Alison Wem, ago

Life lessons: do you know what yours are?


Life lessons are not about owning big houses or flash cars but about our personal qualities and our ability to relate to others. They may include such lessons as learning to listen to others or defining and holding your boundaries. Our individual life lessons do not come to us neatly catalogued. We must endeavour to understand what they are so we can modify how we handle a challenge to gain a better probability of learning the lesson. Many of the challenges in our lives are not just bad luck but situations we have in a sense asked for to help us learn a lesson. read more

By Alison Wem, ago