happy

Friends: 3 characteristics of a good friend

A friendship can strike up quickly between you and another person or it may grow over time.  Both are valid approaches to establishing a friendship.  At some point you will realise they are important to you.  Your relationship may display many of these characteristics;

  • challenge you making the relationship exciting and fun.
  • stay with you through the good times and the sad times.
  • supportive of each other – your hopes, desires and fears.

Often conversation bounces backwards and forwards between you with each of you listening and giving a considered reply.  Good friends love you and can feel as comfortable as an old pair of slippers!

You feel able to ask them for their help and they are there for you if your world comes tumbling down. read more

By Alison Wem, ago

Feeling sad when everyone else is happy?

Sadness often goes hand-in-hand with loneliness. You can feel lonely in an unhappy relationship, family or city. Humans are tribal by nature so loneliness is the hardest of conditions. I experienced loneliness as a widow in my 40s. With two children life was very busy but inside I had an aching loneliness. I count my blessings that I fell in love again and my husband came with a large, boisterous and loving family.

Over Christmas and the New Year festivities many of us have enjoyed time with friends and family – even if there were some irritations along the way. Sadly many have spent this time alone. Or a person who normally lives alone, who has spent time with people, is now faced with going home to a lonely life. How daunting is that? read more

By Alison Wem, ago

Are you experiencing the full potential of love?

Love comes in many shapes and forms

Whenever anyone speaks of love, they are often referring to romantic love between two people. I believe that love is infinite and can come in many forms. If romantic love was the only form of love, it would be quite exclusive and in limited quantities. It would be a hard world with only this type of love available to give and receive.

Fortunately for us love comes in many forms – parental, family, friends, pets, yourself. All of the important people in your life are available for you to love. In my view love is infinite and the more of it in your life, the richer it will be. Some people believe that you cannot possibly love a step or adopted child as much as a biological child. I disagree with this view. I think the choice is yours to decide how much you open your heart to love a person. read more

By Alison Wem, ago

Christmas is nearly here: feeling panicky?

Sadly preparation for Christmas can send many people into a panic. All those presents to find for the people most important to you in your life. How will you find something that brings joy, sends your love and shares some truths on life and living.

Don’t make it hard for yourself. Help is at hand. 

Here are a few inexpensive books that make great presents for those who are curious about life. Be the person to ignite your loved ones curiosity and help them to achieve a greater awareness of who they really are. read more

By Alison Wem, ago

Feeling jaded?: Mother Nature can assist

So often we are so busy with our lives – work, partners, family and friends that we forget to do something for ourselves. I am as guilty of this as anyone else. Since I stepped out of corporate life, Your Soul Family has been with me on holidays, festivals and family time. I have never been strong with defining my boundaries and I needed to take a look at how I was living.

At the beginning of July my husband suggested a trip to France to look for a new home. France is a large and beautiful country. On previous trips we had narrowed down the areas we were interested in. At the last moment we decided to go camping, something I have not done since my 20s. We bought some kit and the tent only arrived the day before we left. We had no time to practise pitching it before we needed to do it for real to sleep in it. read more

By Alison Wem, ago