The fundamental flaw of New Year's resolutions

Happy 2013 everyone! So the world did not come to an end [although apparently there is still a chance for the apocalypse], and now a whole year of possibilities stretches before us, blank as an unpainted canvas. It feels like a new beginning, even though the whole...

The next-best Christmas story*

A somewhat unexpected and unconventional Christmas story has captivated the minds and hearts of the Icelanders this year. Just over a week ago, a prisoner escaped from Litla-hraun, this country’s only maximum-security prison [although the “maximum”...

50 things I have learned in 50 years

It’s my birthday and I am 50! That’s kind of crazy. Like everyone I know, I had these preconceived ideas of what people were like when they were 50 – they were OLD. But! Here I am and I feel a lot younger than I felt when I was … er, younger....

My secret for a happy Christmas

Christmas. Season of cheer and goodwill. The time when we are all supposed to love one another, to cherish one another, and to make each other feel special. That message comes at us from all directions – movies, TV commercials, adverts, songs. Happy families,...

A map of hell

The other day I was listening to a podcast [again] – this time Outlook from the BBC. They were interviewing a woman whom they billed as “one of American’s most respected mental health professionals” – a Dr. Marsha Linehan, who has created...