It's holiday time and, as many of us will be by the sea at some point, I thought the topic of waves might strike a chord. There is a tide in the affairs of men,Which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune.Omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries.On such a full sea are we now afloat.And we must take the current when it serves, or lose our ventures. William Shakespeare I've just come back from two wonderful weeks in the Algarve; sun, blue skies, alfresco meals, and of course, sea. If you go to the Algarve with an idea of the still, warm bath that is the Mediterranean at this time of year, you'll get a shock a

In the beginning there was powerlessness, because we had no control over the circumstances we were born into, and because there was powerlessness there was compassion, because we suffer for reasons that are outside of our control. But we are also adults and adults take responsibility for themselves. Our problem is that it isn't always clear where powerlessness ends and responsibility starts. This week's tip explores. 'You can't blame anything on your parents once you're past the age of 25' Julian Barnes, in England England A few days ago I had an email from a friend. She was recommending a book, 'Awareness', by Anthony de Mello. Her recommendations are usually g