Enabling an Equal Playing Field in the World of Disability
By: Helping Hands TV
The NDIS support that helps a Paralympian live independently, on and off the sporting field.
Preventable Pet Health Problems
By: Bec Harris
According to veterinarian Dr Ewen Blaikie, dental disease, weight gain, and skin or ear issues are among the top reasons pets visit the clinic – yet simple lifestyle changes can make a significant difference.
Why Timeless Human Needs are Key to Engaging the Future Consumer
By: Mark McCrindle
As we look to the future of marketing and the future consumer, the task is to adapt the tools, not truths. By elevating timeless human needs in timely ways, organisations can navigate disruption with a proactive disposition that energises others.
Finding Contentment in Life’s Mundane Moments
I was listening to a podcast recently, and the speaker shared about a near-death experience they had been through. One of the things she mentioned was that we live life in the small moments, the ups and downs, the mundane.
Read more: Finding Contentment in Life’s Mundane Moments
Live in The Present
That line really stayed with me. As someone who has struggled to find contentment over the years, always coming up with the next big plan, it rings true. I think her perspective may be the key to fully embracing rest. I have at times led our family down paths we can’t afford, both financially and mentally, due to my desire to chase the next exciting dream. Living in the present, slowing down to find joy in the everyday moments, could be a key to feeling rested even when life is busy. Continually chasing the high moments in search of meaning can’t lead to lasting peace. It leads to hustle culture and an inability to slow down.
We Don’t Just Live Life On The Mountaintops
If we live for the highs, we never see the beauty in the tiny steps along the way. Life isn’t lived just on the mountaintops. We don’t just live it in the big occasions and grand celebrations. We live life in the laughter of a toddler and the smile of a stranger as you pass them by in the street. It’s in having a great cup of coffee in the morning and waking up thankful for all you have. Life is lived in the day-to-day, when you catch up with a friend or complete a project at work. It’s lived in the fight with your spouse, but then remembering why you still choose them every day. Every single day is made up of a thousand small moments, some good and some bad.
Contentment can be found in the day-to-day, the mundane. There can be joy in the good and the bad, not just the highs of life. It’s in learning to slow down and truly live in the small moments that we can embrace rest.
Article supplied with thanks to Lorrene McClymont.
About the Author: Lorrene McClymont is a writer and photographer from Hope Images. On her blog ‘Moments to Rest’, she shares about rest, faith, and family.
Feature image: Supplied (Lorrene McClymont)
The Easter Reboot
By: Sam Chan
I live in a house with too much stuff. That means when friends come over, my wife and I move the stuff from our living room into our bedroom. But when the friends leave, we have to move the stuff off our bed back into the living room.
We never get rid of the stuff. We keep shuffling it around. Nothing changes.
Is that how life feels? Like we don’t get anywhere?
Every year at New Year’s Eve, there’s the promise of a fresh start. But by Easter time, the world is back to where it was. Worse, I’m back to where I was. I’m the same person. My life hasn’t gone anywhere.
Why can’t I be better? Sometimes I blame the universe. The universe itself isn’t getting any better. The universe is like my 20 year old car, which leaks oil onto my driveway. It creaks and groans when I drive it. That’s because its parts are grinding away and falling apart.
If this universe isn’t getting any better, then what chance do I have of getting better? But what if there’s another way?
If you ever have any computer problems, then what you need is a 14 year old in the family. Whenever my wife has problems with her computer she calls our son, who simply turns off her computer, counts to 10, and then turns it on. Taaa-Daaaah! In other words, our son reboots the computer, and it works again.
That’s exactly what Easter offers us. A reboot. Because something in us — and in our world — is deeply broken, and we can’t fix it on our own.
The Easter Reboot
Maybe we know some of the facts of the Easter story? Jesus Christ, God himself, becomes one of us. He dies on a cross on Easter Friday. But he also rises back to life again on Easter Sunday.
What we might not know is that, when Jesus rose from the dead, it also rebooted the universe.
You see, when Jesus died on Easter Friday, it shut down the universe. Jesus, the Giver of Life, gives up his own life for us. God, the Maker of the Universe is dead. The lights are turned off. But when Jesus rises from the dead, back to life, on Easter Sunday, it reboots the universe. The lights are turned on again but … brighter than they were before.
It’s a reboot!
Recently, as a doctor, I did a refresher course on Cardiac Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). So much has changed in CPR since I was a junior doctor many years ago. The biggest change is the invention of the Automated External Defibrillator (AED) pads. Now, almost anyone can place AED pads on the heart attack victim, and the pads shock their heart back to life.
We Can Reboot the Heart!
But Jesus does something even better than this. When Jesus rises from the dead, he kickstarts a new life for us and the world. Yes, Jesus rises from the dead with a new and better body. But he also begins the project of restoring this universe into a better universe – his Kingdom, which will be filled with his love, mercy, peace, and justice. And there’s the promise of a new life for us – which Jesus calls Eternal Life – which begins now and continues into the life-to-come.
Christians believe we need this supercharged reboot because our chief problem isn’t only that we’re ageing and crumbling. It’s that we’ve cut ourselves off from God, the source of life and all goodness. Being cut off from God shapes us on the inside and means that our hearts don’t naturally move toward what is true, good, and beautiful on their own.
But when Jesus rises from the dead, it kickstarts the universe back into the direction of what’s true, good, and beautiful. And if we put our trust in him, Jesus also kickstarts our “hearts” back into the right direction.
So how can we receive this supercharged rebooted life? The Bible tells us to respond to Jesus’ call.
Take the Call
Whenever I receive a phone call from a number that I don’t recognise, I ignore it. But recently I took a call from a number I didn’t recognise. I’m glad I did. It was a person reaching out to me who I hadn’t been in touch with for a while. By taking his call, I got connected with him, and received an unexpected boost.
In a similar way, Easter is God’s way of reaching out to us, offering us a reboot. God is initiating a connection with us. We can respond by accepting God’s Easter call, maybe in a prayer, and connecting with him. We can ask Jesus to kickstart our heart in the right direction.
For a long time, I’ve found New Year’s Eves to be depressing. My family and I watch the fireworks on our screens. But it’s never impressive. I’ve also been too lazy to go to the city, to fight the crowds, to see the fireworks in person. I’m locked in a cycle of being a victim of my own apathy.
Last New Year’s Eve, friends offered us free tickets to see the world famous fireworks at The Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge. At first I said no because I didn’t want to be in the crowds and heat.
But my family snapped me out of my cycle of half-heartedness and said “What are you thinking? Someone is offering us free tickets to see the fireworks. We have to go!” So we went. And I’m so glad we did. Imagine missing out on the fireworks when all I had to do was accept the tickets?
Every year we can stay locked in our cycle of apathy and sometimes even despair. How can we ever break out of this and become a better person?
Easter offers us the chance of a supercharged reboot. We can be filled with Jesus’ Spirit of resurrection – his life and power. We can have a new life – Eternal Life – which empowers us to a new and better life, both now and in the life-to-come. All we have to do is take the call.
About the Author: Sam is a theologian, preacher, author, evangelist, ethicist, cultural analyst and medical doctor.
Article supplied with thanks to Espresso Theology.
Feature image: Canva
More Than Your Job: Finding Identity Beyond Your Career
By: Telana Sladen
For many people, introducing themselves sounds something like this: “Hi, I’m Sarah. I’m a teacher,” or “I’m Mike, a builder.” Our work often becomes closely tied to who we believe we are. But is our job really meant to define our identity?
Michelle Moriarty: Why We Grieve Over Celebrity Deaths
By: Bec Harris
When news breaks that a beloved celebrity has died, many people are surprised by how deeply it affects them. Even though we may never have met the person, the sadness can feel real and personal.
Convoy Of Hope: Bringing Relief and Rebuilding Lives After the Lismore Floods
By: Helping Hands TV
When floodwaters reached a catastrophic 14.5 metres in Lismore in 2022, the city faced its worst natural disaster in recorded history. People woke in the night with water in their homes, forcing thousands to crawl onto roofs and wait to be rescued.
Sitting With Difficult Emotions: 5 Ways to Stay Present When You’d Rather Run Away
By: Michelle Nortje
Most of us would rather do anything than sit with painful feelings. We scroll, snack, overthink, or keep busy, because sitting with sadness, anger, or shame can often feel unbearable.
The Loneliness Antidote You’re Overlooking
By: Jenifer Chu
We’ve all heard it: we are currently living through a “loneliness pandemic.” It sounds heavy, and it feels heavy. Even if your phone is blowing up with notifications, it’s still possible to feel like you’re drifting on an island.
We talk to people every day who feel that quiet ache of isolation. Usually, the advice is to “call your mom” or “go on a date.” But there is a massive, underrated secret to feeling connected that doesn’t involve a three-hour heart-to-heart: The Power of Weak Ties.
What’s a “Weak Tie”?
In the 1970s, a sociologist named Mark Granovetter realized that our social lives aren’t just made of “BFFs” and “Family.” We also have “Weak Ties”—the people in the lobby, the dog park, or the office kitchen.
Think of your Weak Ties as your “Casual Cast of Characters”:
- The barista who knows your “usual” coffee order.
- The neighbor who waves while you’re both struggling with grocery bags.
- That one person at the gym who always wears the cool leggings.
- The “work friend” you only talk to near the microwave.
They aren’t the people you’d call to help you move a couch at 6 AM, but they are the people who make you feel like you belong to the world.
The Surprising Value of Casual Conversation
You might think these 30-second interactions are “pointless,” but they are actually micro-doses of social caffeine. Here’s why they kick loneliness in the teeth:
- The “I’m Not Invisible” Factor: A shared laugh with a stranger or a “Good morning!” from a neighbor reminds your brain that you exist and that you’re part of a community.
- Expanding Your World: Our best friends usually agree with us. Weak ties are “bridges.” They introduce you to new music, different perspectives, and local news you’d never find in your own social circle.
- The Low-Pressure Zone: If social anxiety feels heavy, these casual interactions are a safe, low-pressure way to build confidence, one “hello” at a time.
- Community Vibes: When you’re a “regular” somewhere, you’re part of an ecosystem. It’s the difference between being a ghost in your city and being a neighbor.
- They Create a “Social Safety Net”: There’s a concept called Social Capital. Having 50 weak ties means you have 50 sets of eyes and ears in your community. If you lose your dog, need a reliable mechanic, or want to know if the new Italian place is actually good, your weak ties are your best resource. Knowing you have a network to lean on—even for small things—makes the world feel like a friendlier, safer place.
- They Fight “Ambient Loneliness”: You can be in a room full of people and still feel lonely if you don’t feel part of the room. Weak ties turn “the public” into “my neighborhood.” When you recognize the mail carrier or the guy who walks the golden retriever, the physical space around you stops being a background and starts being a community. This shifts your mindset from “me against the world” to “me in the world.”
How to Collect “Weak Ties” (Without Being Weird)
You don’t need to be a social butterfly to do this. You just need to be 10% more present.
- Put the phone in your pocket: You can’t have a “micro-moment” if your eyes are glued to TikTok while waiting for your latte.
- The “Nice Weather, Huh?” Strategy: It’s a classic for a reason. One small comment opens the door.
- The “Compliment Cannon”: See someone with a cool hat? Tell them. It takes three seconds and leaves both of you feeling better.
- Show up twice: Go to the same coffee shop at the same time two days in a row. Boom—you’re now a “regular.”
- Join “Low-Bar” Communities: Look for groups where the focus is on a task, not just “socialising.” A local run club, a community garden, or volunteer for an hour for a cause of your passion.
- Practice “Micro-Recognition”: If you see someone in your building or neighborhood for the second or third time, upgrade from a “nod” to a verbal acknowledgment. “Morning! Busy day for the building, huh?”
The Bottom Line
At Centre for Effective Living, we know that deep relationships are the bedrock of a happy life. But don’t sleep on the “little guys.” Those small, casual “hellos” weave a safety net that keeps us from falling into the gap of loneliness. So, next time you’re at the checkout, skip the self-scan. Talk to the human. Your brain will thank you.
Article provided with thanks to Centre For Effective Living
Jennifer MPsych (Clinical), PGDip ClinPsych, BA(Hons – First Class) is a psychologist who understands that a good therapeutic relationship is the starting point of any meaningful work with her clients.
Feature image: Canva