Mental toughness – What is it? Do you need it? Have you got it?

In an often challenging and stressful study and work environment, it’s useful to have a level of mental toughness. Clive Leach explains how we can be helped to better manage ourselves and perform at our best.

Coaching conversations – The intention to give attention

In our busy lives it is rare that we take the time to engage meaningfully with each other at the workplace and at home. Organisational coach Clive Leach says that being present and suspending our own agenda and needs for a few minutes is an act of kindness that has benefits for both giver and receiver.

Where Positive Psychology is heading – highlights from the Australian Positive Psychology and Well-being Conference

Positive Psychology receives increasing credibility with mounting evidence that it works. Organisational coach Clive Leach shares his highlights of the Australian Positive Psychology and Well-being Conference.

Learning about and living with your signature strengths

The more mindful we are of our own character strengths, the more likely we will sustain the energy needed to achieve our goals and aspirations. Organisational coach Clive Leach is helping executives, teachers and students to identify and build these strengths.

It’s back to work – but are you really there?

After the holiday break it can be challenging to settle back into a work routine. Clive Leach stresses the importance of balancing both wellbeing and engagement for sustainable success in work and study.

Fighting for the right to flourish

Australia Day is a good time to reflect on why Australians in same-sex relationships are still having to fight for their right to marry and live life at their best. Clive Leach looks at why Australia seems unwilling to embrace this branch of diversity.

It’s Australia Day on 26 January and time to celebrate what’s great about Australia! With a shift in focus to reconciliation, and recognition of the rich cultural diversity of the population it’s a day to embrace citizenship, be inspired by truly great Australians and look positively towards a flourishing future.

Interesting word –flourishing. It conjures up images of thriving, growing strong, blossoming and blooming, bearing fruit, living with abundance and giving back.

A Good Year for Youth?

12 August is International Youth Day and also marks the end of the United Nations International Year of Youth. Not a good end to the year for the UK it seems. But what about Australia? This time last year I highlighted in my blog ‘Celebration, Commitment or Cuts’ both the opportunities and risks faced by young people and the youth services designed to advocate on their behalf and help increase their life chances.

Life chances include having autonomy; engaging in positive social and community networks; accessing education and employment opportunities; being economically stable; experiencing health, well-being and resilience; and living in a safe environment.

The Australian Government shares these aspirations. The first National Strategy for Young Australians was launched in April 2010 underpinned by a vision that all young people should be able to grow up safe, healthy, happy and resilient.

Discover & Ignite Your Strengths – Building Flourishing Individuals & Organisations

When was the last time you really felt ‘in the zone’? When you felt energised and engaged, stretched and challenged, hours passed like minutes, you were living life with purpose and you could taste achievement or success?

Well the chances are that whatever was going on, at work, study or play, you were using your strengths!
 

We know that working to our strengths is good for us and has a direct impact on our overall well-being, resilience and performance.

Creating flourishing youth provision – what might really work?

A new paper from the University of Sydney highlights the potential for positive psychology and coaching to enhance youth services and help evidence their effectiveness in increasing wellbeing in young people.

Have you got kids? Nephews or nieces? Or do you work with young people? Just close your eyes right now and take a minute to think about the young people in your life and what you want for them in the world….

Celebration, Commitment or Cuts? The International Year of Youth

The potential to harness and demonstrate global commitment to young people is in grave danger of being undermined by public sector funding restraints and changing political priorities.

August 12, 2010 is United Nations (UN) International Youth Day. Youth Day was established to celebrate efforts of young people all over the world in enhancing global society and to promote new ways to engage young people in activities that make positive contributions to their communities.

Time for the Real You to Come Out

Events over the last week or so concerning the ‘outing’ of a senior politician bring into sharp focus the challenges still faced by many in the lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) community in being able to live and work authentically.

Five Ways to Flourish!

In February I attended the 2nd Australian Positive Psychology & Well-being Conference at Monash University. It was fascinating to learn more about the evidence-based practice being undertaken in these fields and how it is really beginning to influence social, economic, education, health and business policy. The key take-away for me however was from a presentation by Felicia Huppert from the University of Cambridge Well-being Institute.

Felicia talked about the recent research and work that has been done to define, measure and promote flourishing within the population. The findings add tremendous value to my work as a coach and facilitator but I believe they are equally relevant to parents, managers, teachers, workplace colleagues – in fact anyone who wants the very best for those around them!