Posts by Sue Watson

“Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.” Mark Twain I was lucky to find a support person who encouraged me at my first full-time position.  I had left school in year eleven as a…

“I find the best way to love someone is not to change them, but instead, help them reveal the greatest version of themselves.”  Steve Maraboli My life has certainly changed over the years, especially with relationships – both those of family and friends. The relationships change and alter as we all develop, change and grow. …

“Books … they’re kind of a compulsion for me. To find a great bookstore is a great thing.” Philip Seymour Hoffman I have purchased so many books over the past few months.  Books are also a compulsion for me and at the recent conference, three new books were purchased and are sitting patiently waiting for…

“Libraries store the energy that fuels the imagination. They open up windows to the world and inspire us to explore and achieve, and contribute to improving our quality of life. Libraries change lives for the better” Sidney Sheldon I love my local libraries (and yes due to living in a border town – I access…

“The world needs specialists and highly trained people with advanced degrees, no question about it. But the world also needs diversity and versatility. It needs people who know as much about our value system as they do about our solar system. Roger Smith I like to think of myself as a generalist – one who…

“The social brain is in its natural habitat when we’re talking with someone face-to-face in real time.” Daniel Goleman Telehealth is an amazing opportunity for both the clinician and client.  It means that we can continue to work together despite distance or the inability to leave the house during times of being unwell.  This was…

“Give freely to the world these gifts of love and compassion. Do not concern yourself with how much you receive in return, just know in your heart it will be returned.”  Steve Maraboli The people who staff the various helplines are doing a wonderful job.  And did you know that some are volunteers and not…

“Be willing to ask!” Abhishek Ratna Who can help you?  Well, that depends on what you are seeking to solve or find out about. There are a range of people in the community who are available to assist.  For those seeking mental health support, there are a range of options, and the choice is always…

“If you are a professional, the speed with which you react to a potential problem separates the men from the boys.” Yanni What do you imagine when you hear the words “being professional”? For me – that means owning up when you drop the ball and take your part of the blame.  Both of these…

“These mountains that you are carrying, you were only supposed to climb.” Najwa Zebian Mindfulness has been a tool that I have used for many years, and it has been very beneficial when things aren’t going so well in my life. For those who know me, I love to read, and my collection of mindfulness…

“A journal is your completely unaltered voice.”  Lucy Dacus This past weekend, I spent some time in Melbourne attending the “mindheart CONNECT: creating resilient lives” conference.  There was a range of speakers from both Australia and internationally and it was a wonderful reminder about self-care and utilsing a range of techniques to be the best…

“I think tapping into one’s power and one’s potential is a very frightening thing.” Viola Davis For those not following along at home, I am currently in Melbourne attending a conference “Mind Heart Connect; Creating Resilience Lives. This conference talks about approaches such as mindfulness, mediation and Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT/Tapping) becoming embraced into mainstream. …

“We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails.” Dolly Parton I really tested myself this week and whilst it was difficult – I am happy that I decided to go with the opportunity. It may be surprising to you, BUT I have a fear of public speaking.  Reflecting to my primary school…

“Flexibility is the key to stability.”  John Wooden Flexibility of thoughts is not an easy task.  Too often, people have entrenched thought patterns and rules, not only for themselves but also for others.  Words such as “should” or “have to” are often precursors to these demands and show that the people are very stringent in…

“Personal finance involves numbers, graphs and logic, right? Yes and no. It does include all those things, but it includes so much more. Money and personal finance tend to be more about feelings and attitudes than the numbers.”  Tamara Hull This week’s discussion is about funding options for therapy/counselling.  There is always a cost of…

Everyone thinks I’m a nice guy, which is not a bad way to be perceived.  Matthew Morrison How we value things is really interesting and what constitutes value also adds another layer to this question. I think that you are all aware of our recent purchase of a dog in recent times and how we…

“A person who is truly cool is a work of art. And remember, original works of art cost exponentially higher than imitations. Just take a look at the the coolest people in history. They will always be a part of history for being extremely original individuals, not imitations.”  Suzy Kassem This week’s discussion is on…

“The struggle you’re in today is developing the strength you need tomorrow.”  Robert Tew Keeping well is an artform and for me this includes self-care.  I gave a chat to a group of young people earlier this year and explained that self-care has seven domains: social, mental, physical, spiritual, emotional, recreational and environmental.  We discussed…

“A question of proof. That’s a good title for a detective story, if you ever write one.”  Nicholas Blake This quote reminds me of fact checking the stories that we often tell ourselves, the stories about of our negative thinking and thinking errors.  Searching the evidence to see if our thoughts are actually true, or…

“It occurred to me that no matter where I lived, geography could not save me.”   Isabel Wilkerson I try to buy locally when I can, however, sometimes it is unfortunate that I cannot access goods or services from a local source.  When this happens, I have no choice but to look out of our…