well-being

Life is for living and enjoying: find your joy

All of us have someone or something that challenges us in our life. We came into a life to learn and these challenges are meant to stretch us and help us to learn. Life is full of ups and downs. But it is always important to remember life is a gift for living and enjoying.

Sometimes the stetch for a learning can feel excessive to the point where you can feel quite down. We have all been there, such as parental disapproval, a lover walking away, a job lost or a sick child. But the key question is;

How do you pick yourself up and get back into the flow of life and experiencing joy? read more

By Alison Wem, ago

ABC of love: l is for 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

Grieving over the loss of a loved one?

All of us experience grief at some point in our lives. When we experience it for the first time, it can come as quite a shock. It is often not talked about so it is hard to know how to deal with it.

When someone you love dies it can leave a big hole in your life. It can feel like life is no longer worth living. If there has been an illness and anticipation of death, you may have had the opportunity to say the important things you wanted to say such as how much you love each other or maybe forgiveness for a perceived wrong. read more

By Alison Wem, ago

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 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

Rumi’s Reflections: Alison Wem’s Journal – Day 12

Everyone is overridden by

thoughts; that’s why

they have so much

heartache and sorrow.

Jalal al-Din Rumi

Having a strong intellect and the ability to reason things through is valued in society. Yet I observe the pressure the school system puts on our young people to ever obtain higher grades. I do wonder if we are robbing them of their childhood. It should be full of natural curiosity and discovery. Yet there is little time at school or perhaps at home to allow this to happen.

As a child, I enjoyed lovely days of ‘messing around in the garden or park’ looking at flowers, plants and insects, building camps and playing with water. Are children still able to regularly do this and come into bed tired and dirty? read more

By Alison Wem, ago