Thank you to all those of you who came to this weekend's retreat. It was a really lovely, relaxing weekend and i think we all learnt a great deal.

During the course of the weekend, one thing kept coming up; 'I'll be happy when... i get married... i have children... get a promotion... or move abroad'. If you say this, you're actually putting off being happy. It's almost like your happiness is 'on hold' until you 'arrive'. As my good friend, Fran Fowler, (author of 'Your Life Sucks') said on Sunday, 'You're never going to arrive!' You see, as we attain our goals, they are merely replaced with higher, more challenging ones. It is human nature to keep setting higher goals due to an inherent desire to grow. As William S. Burroughs famously put it in 1953 'When you stop growing, you start dying'.

So, where does this leave us?

I believe goal-setting and growing to be incredibly important, but our lives must be balanced with relaxation, fun and above all, passion. Far too many people push their passions to one side, thinking that they are not as important as more serious goals, such as saving up for a house, paying the mortgage or advancing in their careers. If you do this, please ask yourself: 'Does this make me happy?'. If it does, then that is great and you need read no further.

If it doesn't: I challenge you to make a list of all the things that make you happy and to tick at least one off everyday! You never know, you may even realise that you have already been making time for some of the things that make you happy. Either way, compile your list and take some time to reflect. I know it seems very simple, but i think you'll find that some of the most effective exercises are!