In the USA, 60% of children drop out of high school (in some areas this figure is as high as 80%). And these statistics don’t count all those who stay in school and are disengaged in education. In the UK the drop-out rate is lower at around 20% for uner 16′s, but still high enough [...]
“Don’t walk behind me; I may not lead. Don’t walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend.” Albert Camus The industrial growth society is beset with opportunities for superficial connection and much of this in the form of business meetings, although the blessings described here apply [...]
‘Blame is an ineffective request for empathy and for consideration of my pain.’ Kelly Bryson Despite being primarily a glass-half-full type, or so I tell myself, I notice I invariable find at least one thing each day that I feel drawn to complain about. I can guarantee it – that I will experience my hackles [...]
‘Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself. They come through you but not from you, And though they are with you, They belong not to you.’ Kahlil Gibran (from The Prophet.) Monday was my mother’s 80th birthday. So, this week seems to me like a [...]
‘Descending, the heart breaks open and the ego loses its moorings.’ Miriam Greenspan. When my children were younger and I was home-educating them, I manned the telephone helpline for the local home-educators’ support group. One of the impressions that stayed with me from that time was just how many of the mothers I was talking [...]
Many of you will be familiar with my fondness for Ken Robinson’s TED talks. I’m very grateful for the pioneer in him that dares to speak from the point of view of children who are crying out for radical change in how they engage with education. Whether that happens through compulsory mass schooling or more [...]
“The objective is not to fill the container to the brim, but to make sure that the big rocks are there and that the container is not so full it can’t accommodate conscience-directed change.” Stephen Covey 1. What do you choose to own and what is merely passing through your life? 2. Which items that [...]
“Life, rather than money, is the appropriate standard for evaluating economic choices and performance.” David Korten (www.davidkorten.org) As a parent, a small business owner and a coach, the theme of competition features regularly as an antagonism. When my children compare themselves unfavourably to others, I want to remind them of their strengths and beautiful uniqueness. [...]
This site seeks to explore the heart and soul of downshifting to a more sustainable, ethical and holistic way of living and working, in keeping with the needs of the planet, humanity as a whole and ourselves as individuals. (read more)
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