growth – Damon Ashworth Psychology

Are You Playing the Right Games in Your Life?

A fascinating book that I read recently was The Status Game by Will Storr. I have enjoyed reading a few of his prior books too, including Selfie and The Science of Storytelling. In it, Storr says that it is impossible to not be part of some hierarchies. In other words, we can’t go through lifeContinue reading “Are You Playing the Right Games in Your Life?”

What’s a Better Life Goal than Happiness?

When I type ‘Happiness books’ into Amazon.com, over 60,000 results appear. Happiness is clearly a popular topic. However, when I hear people say to me in therapy that they “just want to be happy”, I find it hard to write this down as a goal for them to achieve in therapy. The problem with strivingContinue reading “What’s a Better Life Goal than Happiness?”

What Are the Secrets to Living Longer?

During my summer holidays, I read an interesting book called The Blue Zones: 9 lessons for living longer from the people who’ve lived the longest by Dan Buettner. Buettner travelled to five geographical areas around the world where people lived healthy lives for the longest time. These five areas included Sardinia in Italy, Okinawa inContinue reading “What Are the Secrets to Living Longer?”

20 Fascinating Paradoxes About Life

What is a Paradox? According to the Oxford dictionary, a paradox is a noun that has two meanings: 1. A seemingly absurd or contradictory statement or proposition which when investigated may prove to be well founded or true. 2. A person or thing that combines contradictory features or qualities. I love paradoxes because they areContinue reading “20 Fascinating Paradoxes About Life”

The Little Things That We Do Matter Over Time

“Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.” – Lao Tzu I love the above quote by Lao Tzu. It highlights that all of the little choices in life are important, especiallyContinue reading “The Little Things That We Do Matter Over Time”

The World Became Much Less Abundant in 2021

From 2020 to 2021, the global resource abundance plummeted. The drop of 22.6% was double the previous most significant one year drop of 11.3% in 2010. While this highlights the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic globally, look at how our current value is still 448.5% higher than it was in 1980: Yes, it isContinue reading “The World Became Much Less Abundant in 2021”

Why Do We Not Celebrate the Positives?

Recently, an article released in The Age newspaper was titled “Dip in thefts, drugs and family violence but police say drop in crime may not last”. In 2021, the number of recorded offences in Victoria, Australia, dropped by 12.6% over the previous year. As a result, the police recorded 70,000 fewer offences. It was theContinue reading “Why Do We Not Celebrate the Positives?”

How Do We Not Build Up More Regrets?

Those who did make a significant change in their lives reported being happier two months later than those who maintained the status quo. Their happiness was even higher six months after their decision.

What Are the Virtues and Faults of Your Personality Style?

You may not be the right fit for everyone or everything, but no one is. What is more important is to first try to understand yourself, change what you would like to and are able to, accept what you do not want to or cannot change, and then find the places and people that love and appreciate you for who you are.

What Psychological Strategies Can Improve Your Sporting Performance the Most?

I’ve played a lot of sport in my lifetime. When I was six years old, my first basketball game was on the Diamond Valley mini-courts in Victoria, Australia. My most recent game was this week at Wan Smol Bag in Port Vila, Vanuatu. So that means I’ve been playing organised sport for over 27 years now.Continue reading “What Psychological Strategies Can Improve Your Sporting Performance the Most?”