Fiona Parashar

I’ve always loved the early mornings, although it hasn’t always made me popular with family and friends. So I was intrigued recently to find that getting up with the lark has proven scientific benefits, not just the emotional ones I enjoy. Here are five advantages to being an early bird that might entice you to try it.

What started as a casual diary in my early teens is now a daily ritual, as essential as the caffeine that accompanies it. I’m talking about writing a journal, my life enhancing way to juggle my obligations and wants. So imagine my delight when I discovered that the practice can create personal and spiritual growth. The question is, how?

As a managing director, leadership coach, and parent, I’m always open to advice that can better inform my approach, attitude and style. After all, what might start out as helpful nuggets could easily become the guiding principles in all areas of life. Here are four gems that have made a significant difference to me as a leader over the years.

For years, the thought of joining Twitter filled me with dread. I was convinced it would upset the balance of life. My privacy would go out the window, and, worse still, I’d probably be judged, abused or ridiculed for saying the wrong thing.

I was wrong.

It turns out that Twitter is so much more than I realized. I had a pleasant surprise in store. It fuels, nay turbocharges, one of my greatest passions: learning.

Never in our generation have we needed resilience so much en masse, as we find ourselves in times of austerity, budget cuts, unprecedented job losses, divorce numbers, mental illness escalating and on it goes… Resilience: How to Navigate Life’s Curves, edited by Senia Maymin and Kathryn Britton, is a collection of some of the finest articles on the subject selected from Positive Psychology News Daily.