The great advantage of being human is that we can employ rational thought and resolve to change our circumstances.

As a species, we tend to be doers, forever shaping and reshaping the world to better suit our purposes.

Joy acts like a trampoline, everything that touches it bouncing right back off it.

Too often we forget that an ideal partner is someone who enhances an already full existence.

When the going gets tough, the prospect of delegating half your responsibilities to a willing volunteer, either to play a supporting role or take over the breadwinning, certainly holds allure.

Having lived a full and stimulating life before I had my kids, I've relished every minute I've had to spend with them and felt a degree of confidence in dealing with their trials and tribulations to date.

We invest less in our friendships and expect more of friends than any other relationship. We spend days working out where to book for a romantic dinner, weeks wondering how to celebrate a partner or parent's birthday, and seconds forgetting a friend's important anniversary.