And so we come to after Christmas, that period when we slow down the eating and drinking, take stock, wonder what promises and resolutions we might make – and which ones we’ll actually keep – for 2016. 2016! Where did that come from? If you do make a resolution, back it up with a plan.

So Christmas, the time for giving and for eating and raising a toast to life, to your family and friends. To make of it what you will, to celebrate for whatever reason you see fit. Huzzah! You might have presents to give? I know I do, fiancee is getting a cracker of a gift sometime

My mother would often talk about “doing Christmas differently this year”. Then Christmas would come along and it would seem like it was very similar to last Christmas, and the Christmas before that, which was identical to the Christmas before that. One might say everything was the same, exactly the same.

There is one critical thing in your practice of meditation; your practice of mindfulness; in developing the mindset you want; in living free of your own mental limitations. In the Bright Path Ishayas’ Ascension it’s called “innocence”. I’m sure I’ve written about it before, but it’s such a simple skill, a simple attitude, a simple

I appreciate that sometimes life isn’t that rosy. I know that something, no matter what you do, you just get stuck in a funk – a bad mood, a depression, a whatever. I know that. Got hit by something yesterday, a big case of the grumps.

My meditation teacher loves t-shirts. One of his current favourites simply says “Be Whole Assed”. Do you get it? In other words, his t-shirt is saying “don’t be half-assed”.

What do you want from life? Do you want to struggle, to strain, to push and to stress? Or do you want to be calm, clear, and content, simply enjoying each and every moment? So many people live a struggle. Why? The first thing to realise is that you do it to yourself.