There’s nothing quite like being alone in a room full of people! Close enough to hear the conversations. Close enough to see the eye contact between the flirting workers on their break. And most importantly far enough away to retreat to my corner like a pangolin covering itself from a predator!

I still feel kind of anxious and a bit of a fraud though. I guess that imposter syndrome my therapist ...

Happiness comes from within and not from those around you. Understand that life doesn’t owe you anything and regardless of how good you are at something, you still need to work harder than everyone else. Dedicate your life to what matters to you. Don’t waste chances. Aim high and behave like your future children are watching you....

Pain comes from so many places. From the ones you love and the ones you dislike. Should pain hurt us at all? It’s just an abstract feeling. Just an algorithm in our brain. Can we reframe the pain to be nothing or even pleasure. Could pain be our pleasure so we no longer retreat but embrace the bad times, the bad people, the bad words and know that ultimately you can’t really have the pleasure with...

There are so many things I should say,

Maybe don’t do it this way.

Don’t be so impulsive

Don’t be so rash

Don’t let others get in your head

Don’t let your anger flash

Don’t blame others

Don’t make excuses

Don’t do what others expect

Don’t ruin your future

Do be happy

Do make the most

Do congratulate yourself

Do sort your post

For all that I’ve done wrong

There’s things I’ve done well

Well do...

They don’t even realise I’m looking. They don’t even realise I see and hear everything. I’m relatively new to the family but my name’s been called more than any other member of the household. More than mum. More than Dad. More than little bro Tyler (age 8) and even more than the moody teenager Jess - who I believe may actually be nocturnal.

Can you guess my name? I’ll give you a clue: I’m extreme...

Not today sir you’re from the wrong place

Not today sir the colour is wrong in your face

Not today sir you’ve got a stamped history

Not today sir your background’s a mystery

Not today sir you don’t have the money

Not today sir being a refugee isn’t funny

Not today sir I’m not happy with this

Not today sir...I’ve just noticed you’re a miss...

I reach for Meinkampf and begin to finger the pages cautiously. I’ve heard and read so much about Adolf Hitler. An unbelievable unifying leader but also an absolute butcher of the worst kind. A man with the ultimate plan. A man who would allow nothing to stand in the way of his world domination. He had ideas and ambitions rarely matched in the world since his rein.

Now what do our leaders aim fo...