Some colleagues can be extremely irritating, even when they do not mean to be. Do you work with someone who makes a habit of picking apart every idea you put forward, while constantly pushing their own? It wears you down quickly.

However annoying someone is, you cannot simply stop speaking to them at work. That does not mean you have to sit there quietly while they dismiss your ideas and offer poorly thought-out ones in their place. There is a better way to handle it, and it starts with one simple phrase.

The phrase

The next time they criticise your idea, or pitch a weak one of their own, say something like: “That sounds quite interesting. Could you write it up in an email for me?”

Why it works

Asking them to put their idea in writing has several benefits.

It makes them think it through. To write it down, they have to explain the idea properly. That gives you a much clearer picture of what they actually mean, and often shows them the gaps in it too.

It takes the heat out. The conversation moves to a calmer, more objective place, away from a clash of personalities.

It gives you time. Instead of reacting on the spot, you get the space to read what they have written and decide calmly how to respond.

How it makes you look

Rather than sparking workplace drama, you show that you are happy to hear people out. If it happens in a meeting, it also shows that you respect everyone else’s time by not letting one debate take over.

The result is less frustration for you, and more careful, constructive thinking from them. Both of you come out ahead.

Health and wealth both matter. We need each of them to move forward in life. But they do not carry equal weight, and it is worth being clear about which comes first.

“Health is wealth” may sound like a tired old saying, yet it still holds a central place in all our lives. One simple question settles the matter. Can good health help you earn money? Almost always. Can money buy you good health? Only rarely. You might argue that a lot of money can buy the best food and the finest exercise equipment, and that this buys health. It helps, but it is far from the whole truth.

What good health is made of

Good health comes from a mix of the genes we are born with and the habits we live by, especially how we eat and how we live day to day. Modern life is full of things that work against it: endless distractions, unhealthy routines, long hours sitting still, sleepless nights, careless eating and much more. Together they can quietly wreck an otherwise healthy body.

When money arrives too late

Only a small share of people recognise these threats and stay alert enough to remain fit and well. Most realise it too late, or not at all. That is when the savings of a lifetime start draining away in an attempt to buy health back, and very often it does not work. Many illnesses today have no lasting cure or remedy. However much is spent, the outcome may not be a full recovery.

Health that builds wealth

On the other hand, a person blessed with good health, who looks after it throughout life, can work hard and work smart, earn well and secure a good future for the family. Building wealth is a sensible goal, but money’s place in our lives should always be weighed carefully. A wise person understands what comes first and works toward a healthy balance.

Good health, combined with clear thinking and steady effort, can make you financially comfortable. But however rich you become, money may never be able to return you to full health once it is lost.

The question to keep asking

In a world full of distractions and bad habits, it is more important than ever to ask yourself honestly: is money really more important than health? Looking back with regret will not fix things later. The wisest financial plan for you and your family starts with investing in your health today.

Sometimes life simply needs a shake-up. Our routines turn repetitive, and the days start to feel flat. We have all had moments of being bored out of our minds. But have you ever noticed that you have a choice? You can stay bored, or you can act. A dull day can turn into a good one in a matter of seconds. Here are ten ideas.

1. Bring the people over

Bored at home? Make a few calls, invite a handful of friends round, and put the music on. The evening has just begun.

2. Make your own cinema

Stuck at home on the weekend with nothing planned? Put on a film and grab a bowl of popcorn. Your living room is now a theatre.

3. Take yourself on a road trip

Tired of the same old routine? If you have a car and a free day, pick up the keys and head off on your own for a while. Few things feel as refreshing as a little time on the open road.

4. Lose yourself in a book

On your own and restless? Make a hot drink and pick up a good book. Within pages, you will be somewhere else entirely.

5. Call an old friend

Got time on your hands? Ring someone you have not spoken to in a while. Catch up over coffee or a film, and watch the hours disappear.

6. Go for a late drive

Nearly midnight and wide awake? A quiet drive through empty streets can make you feel wonderfully alive. Just keep it safe.

7. Finally make that plan

Nothing on tonight? Call the friend you keep promising to meet and go out for dinner.

8. Turn up the music

No one around and nowhere to go? Do not worry. Put on your favourite songs and let yourself get lost in them.

9. Pick up an old hobby

Truly bored and ready for something different? Go back to an old pastime. Dust off that guitar, sketchbook or racket, or head out to play the sport you used to love.

10. Interview your grandparents

Ask them about their lives. You can be sure they have had some wild experiences you have never heard about, and they will love that you asked.

Our lives are made up of a tangled web of paths that carry us from one stage to the next. For some people the way ahead is wide, smooth and well signposted. Many of us, though, find it hard to work out where to go next. Choosing the step that leads most directly to a fulfilling life, and to a sense of purpose, can feel anything but simple.

The good news is that there are many ways to find that next step. If you long for a life that truly satisfies you, it is worth asking the question seriously.

Listen to your inner voice

Often a quiet inner voice will tell you that it is time for a change. Pay attention to it, and trust yourself. In the end, you are the one who knows what is best for you.

Look back before you look ahead

We grow most when we allow ourselves to stretch past the edges of what our lives have been so far. When you are trying to see your next step, it helps to review what you have already lived. The choices you have made and the dreams you have held on to can show you what you no longer want, and hint at what you might enjoy doing next. Think, too, about creative ways to use your skills and feed your passions.

Picture the future you want

Imagine your ideal future, then make a list of ways you might bring it about. This can help you choose a sensible next step that fits what you really want. Quiet reflection, keeping a journal, taking a class or trying other creative activities can all spark ideas about which step would bring you the deepest satisfaction.

Be fearless, and keep it simple

Once you are ready to trust your own voice and set fear aside, finding your way forward becomes much easier. Underneath the fear, the doubt and the hesitation, a part of you already knows which step to take.

If you let your next move be as simple as placing one foot in front of the other, you will notice something reassuring. The next step is always the one right in front of you. All you have to do is lift your foot and set it down on the ground ahead.

We live surrounded by a dense web of opinions. In the middle of it all, the thing that keeps us steady, focused and centred is a clear sense of our own objectives. An old saying puts it well: look toward the sun, and the shadows fall behind you. When my aims are clear, I stop blaming, complaining and making excuses whenever I hit a failure or an obstacle.

A world that wants our ratings

Everywhere we go, we are asked for feedback. A restaurant hands us a form. A website asks for our comments, which helps them improve. We rate songs, review shows and share our views on everything. Feedback is a valuable tool for making things better. But somewhere along the way, giving it has become a need. Opinion-making now has a controlling share in our minds, our feelings and our thinking.

We can no longer simply enjoy a flower for being a flower. We have to judge it against the one we saw last week. Many of us have even lost the knack of enjoying a favourite snack without comparing it to the stall that does it best, and making sure everyone around us hears our verdict.

And yet, as eager as we are to judge, we are deeply sensitive to the judgements of others. Our peace and happiness depend largely on what other people do and say about us. Worse still, our big life decisions start to follow whatever is trending.

Clarity changes everything

When we are clear about what we are aiming for, feedback helps us grow, but careless remarks and bad behaviour do not shake us, and setbacks do not stop us. Our enthusiasm no longer depends on anyone else’s approval. Our strength comes from keeping our attention fixed on our purpose.

Picture this. You plan a long drive with your family because you want to spend time with them. The plan changes, and you end up going out for dinner instead. If you remember that the real aim was time together, not the drive, you enjoy the dinner fully. If you forget, there is a cloud over the evening, however good the food.

Objectives as a filter

When my aim is to inspire the people I love, I avoid habits that would do the opposite. When my aim is to keep good company, I let go of relationships that drag me down, even if it means stepping away from a group. When my aim is good health, nothing can push me into an unhealthy lifestyle, even when people tease me. When my aim is peace of mind, I stop replaying painful memories and focus on what they taught me.

Once you are clear about your purpose in life, decisions stop feeling so hard. Even the big ones become easier. Commit to the activities and relationships that match your objectives. The success that truly matters to you will find you, and one day you will look back and feel proud of the way you lived.

Scarcity lives in the mind. It is a fearful cycle of negative thinking. Say the word and most of us think of money. But scarcity takes many other forms too. We can feel short of time, of love, of good health, of brains, of sound judgement or of willpower. The good news is that we can retrain our thinking toward abundance, and in doing so open up a whole new world of possibility. First, though, we need to recognise the traps so we can avoid them.

What scarcity does to the mind

When we think and feel in terms of scarcity, the mind fixes itself on everything we want and do not have. That fixation often weakens self-control. It uses up the mental energy we need to spot opportunities and make good decisions. Willpower runs low, and we become more likely to give up.

People caught in this state tend to deal only with what feels urgent, while ignoring the important choices that will shape their future. Nobody wants to spend most of their life feeling that way. The first step out is simply noticing that you are in it.

Signs to watch for

In yourself, or in someone you care about, scarcity often shows up as:

• Hoarding, and clinging to old belongings
• Overworking
• Constant complaining
• Wasting time, and living amid clutter
• Being unable to say no
• Going without, even when there is no need

The biggest trap: “this is how it will always be”

Believing that your circumstances are fixed may be the most damaging part of the scarcity mindset. We shrug and say, “Nothing can change,” rather than changing how we look at things and going after our own happiness. That belief drains our energy, chips away at our self-respect and turns life into a heavy load.

Remember that nothing lasts forever, the hard times included. An abundant outlook treats life as an adventure: sometimes frightening and uncertain, but an adventure all the same.

Growing an abundance mindset

• Pay attention to what you have, not to what is missing.
• Appreciate more, out loud and often.
• Get organised, so clutter stops shaping your mood.
• Spend time with people who already think generously, and let it rub off on you.
• When you face your greatest loss, remember that it may hold your greatest opportunity.

When almost all your income comes from one job, your finances are more exposed than they may seem. Losing a job is one of the hardest things anyone can go through. It touches every part of your money life. And as the economy keeps shifting, it is wise to accept that job loss is a real possibility for almost anyone.

Nobody enjoys thinking about it. But it pays to stay ahead of the situation. The best protection is income diversity: having more than one stream of money coming in. It lowers your risk and can carry you through a difficult patch.

Live on the main income, put the rest to work

The smartest approach is to cover your normal living costs from your main salary, and to use any extra income, from freelance work, a side project or other sources, to strengthen your position in advance. Here is where that extra money does the most good.

Pay down debt

If you have loans, use your additional income to clear the ones charging the highest interest first. The fewer obligations you carry when a job ends, the better off you will be. You will not have to worry about the damage that missed payments can do to your credit and your peace of mind.

Build your emergency fund

Extra income is a great way to grow your safety net. Whether you keep that reserve in a high-interest savings account or look for better returns through other investments, a solid cushion will help you get through a period without work.

Keep investing in your future

Setting aside part of your income for the years ahead is also a sound move. You might build up your retirement savings or create a portfolio that pays you a regular income. That can take time, but it is worth the effort. Once you have some passive income coming in, it becomes yet another stream that can support you if your job ever disappears.

If you have started to sense that your job may be at risk, it is not too late. Preparing now can do a great deal to soften the blow.

Staying young has less to do with the calendar than with how we choose to live. Here are ten simple, slightly playful habits that help keep the heart young.

1. Forget the unimportant numbers

Age, weight and height are figures for your doctor to worry about. That is what you pay them for. You do not need to carry them around in your head.

2. Keep cheerful company

Spend your time with people who lift you. Constant grumblers have a way of dragging you down with them.

3. Keep learning

Pick up something new: computers, crafts, gardening, anything at all. Never let your mind sit idle. A busy, curious mind is one of the best defences against the slow fading of memory.

4. Enjoy the simple things

A cup of tea, a walk, a good conversation. Small pleasures are often the deepest.

5. Laugh, and laugh hard

Laugh often, laugh long and laugh loud. Laugh until you are gasping for breath.

6. Let the tears come, then move on

Sad times will come. Bear them, grieve properly, and then carry on. Be fully alive for as long as you are alive.

7. Fill your home with what you love

Whether it is family, pets, music, plants, books or hobbies, surround yourself with what you treasure. Let your home be your refuge.

8. Look after your health

If your health is good, protect it. If it is shaky, work on improving it. If it needs more than you can manage alone, ask for help.

9. Skip the guilt trips

Travel to the market, the hills or across the world if you like, but never journey back to the place where guilt lives.

10. Say “I love you” whenever you can

Tell the people you love that you love them, at every chance you get.

And keep one thought close: life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. Share this with someone, and make each day as full as it can be.

Long ago there lived a man called Vikram who had never helped anyone in his life. He was so tight-fisted that even his own mother went hungry.

One day he went to the market to buy some fruit. He haggled with every seller, and still felt the prices were far too high. So he came up with a plan. He would go to a nearby farm and simply take the fruit for free.

Up the tree

Vikram climbed a fruit tree and picked a few. But having a few was not enough. Greed pushed him higher and higher, reaching for more and more. Suddenly his foot slipped, and he found himself dangling from a branch, far above the ground.

The first rescuer

Just then, an elephant keeper came by with his elephant. Vikram shouted for help and promised him half of everything he owned if he would save his life. Tempted by the promise, the keeper led his elephant under the tree, stood on its back and reached up to bring Vikram down.

But at that very moment the elephant noticed a pond nearby and wandered off for a drink. Now the keeper was left hanging too, clinging to Vikram’s legs and begging him not to let go of the branch.

The second rescuer

To their relief, a man on horseback came riding past. The keeper called out to him and offered his elephant as a reward. The rider, just as eager for the prize, rode over to help. And then his horse, too, wandered away, leaving him hanging from the keeper. Three grown men now swung from one branch, each holding on to the other.

The one who asked for nothing

At last a farmer saw the three of them in their terrible state. He did not stop to bargain. He ran to fetch a ladder and brought all three down safely.

What the story teaches

A greedy person does not only ruin himself. He pulls others down with him. Greed makes people act foolishly, as each man in this story did, chasing a reward instead of thinking clearly. And the real lesson lies with the farmer: we should help one another out of care and kindness, not for what we hope to be paid.

The day you graduate, something shifts. You are suddenly an adult on your own, with plenty to prove, and the way you see life changes a great deal. Some of what follows will surprise you. Just remember that it is normal, and you will be fine. Here are a few plain truths you are almost certain to meet once college is behind you.

Success gets redefined

Your grades will not guarantee you success for the rest of your life. Some classmates who struggled with studies will turn out to do very well at work. Real life is far messier than any exam, and what you can actually do counts for more than what you scored. However many sleepless nights got you through your exams, failure will still come calling at some point. Be ready for it.

Friendships change shape

Some friends will drift away no matter how hard you try to hold on. The ones you were closest to may not be around when you most need them, and some may not be ready to help when things go wrong for you. But a few will stand by you through everything. You will learn exactly who you can count on, and you will value those bonds all the more for having lasted.

Your circle shrinks too. In college you were surrounded by teachers, classmates, friends and mentors. Afterwards it is usually a small group of close friends. It feels different, and that is all right.

You may feel stuck

There will be days when you feel you were meant for great things and somehow ended up in a rut. Life will almost certainly not unfold the way you planned it. But if you keep doing the right things, it will lead somewhere good, often somewhere better than you imagined.

Money means something new

In college, a low bank balance meant one quick call home. Now money takes on a whole new meaning. You will be shocked at prices and find yourself grumbling about the cost of living. One week you will feel rich, the next you will feel you have nothing at all.

Responsibility arrives

You will often feel far too inexperienced for what is being asked of you. At the same time, you will be quietly proud of how well you are coping. You may feel too small for the big shoes you have been handed, but you will grow into them.

And a few gentle surprises

Family will matter to you more than ever. You will feel welcomed in places you never expected, by people you never expected. And however much you complained about college, you will miss it: the carefree days and the silly moments, now that life has grown serious.