Where are they now? Attia

Attia, best known at Medway as “Tia, the son of the Pharaoh”. That was my name for the time I spent at Greenwich studying for a Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Biotechnology as an Egyptian student. Any international students would usually face a lot of major problems and difficulties while studying abroad. They usually face language and communication barriers, loneliness, stress and indecisiveness. However, that was not my case, being alone in a new place made me conquer and overcome many life difficulties that I wouldn’t have been able to handle if I weren’t put in such a situation. 

My experience in the UK provided me with the required characteristics and professional qualifications that are recognised and respected worldwide. It fully prepared and equipped me to face the real and practical issues of life. Not to mention that it contributed in optimising and enhancing my career prospect. It also entrusted me the qualifications needed for paving my career path. It exposed me to new research, technology, cultures, backgrounds and intellectual challenges and helped me develop my sense of achievement and independent thought.

Communication skills were one of the most important skills I gained this year, because having to communicate in another language increased my confidence levels and improved my communication skills. Working on my project taught me that there is no shame asking for assistance and that there is no such thing as a single-handed success. I gave total trust to my team members and work partners, as well as my helpful supervisors in Greenwich who helped me stand up on my feet and deliver my project professionally. 

My stay in the UK wasn’t just about studying all the time. I got actively involved in many extracurricular activities; such as photography, sports, and TABLEtalk where I went on trips, took pictures, attended meetings and gatherings, participated in competitions - and actually won! I met the most amazing people, and learned about different cultures. 

I believe that my life has dramatically developed throughout the time I spent in the UK; I learned how to adapt, solve problems and manage tasks. I also gained experience in working in labs and in the field. I became able to work as a part of a team, to develop and present ideas. I learnt about the art, culture and history of the country. All these circumstances made me have a better understanding and appreciation for people of different race, culture, religion, background and history. I thankfully got the opportunity to witness a completely new way of life. 

Now I work as a university assistant lecturer and currently I am perusing a PhD to achieve my ultimate goal of being a professor. I will achieve this by working harder and developing my weak points, improving my strengths and skills, seizing the available opportunities in order to follow my dreams. 

I cannot forget the great friends, and the sweet memories, as well as the lifetime adventures I had during my stay. Thank you, Lynne, for your continuous support, love, and care you always gave us. It wouldn’t have been the same without you.

10 Keys to Happier Living - Meaning

''Having a sense of purpose, understanding why

we're here and feeling that what we do matters

are what 'meaning' is all about.''

''What really matters? What's the meaning of my life? Why am I here? What's my purpose? How should I live my life? How does what I do make a difference? These are BIG questions ...''

Discovering meaning and defining our purpose gives direction to our lives. Finding meaning is not so much about an end destination, it's more about the journey itself.

What is it that makes

your life meaningful?

Psychologist, Michael Steger, says that meaning has three distinct elements ...
Significance  ...   a feeling of connectedness, a sense that what we do and who we are, makes a difference.
Comprehension  ...  how we make sense of life, what we stand for.
Purpose  ...  those things that motivate us, that keep us going.

''While having a sense of meaning is associated with higher well-being, the search for it isn't.''  
So, what does this mean?  If we lack a sense of meaning, but the journey to finding meaning is a rocky one, what then should we do?

''Rather than focusing on what's missing in life, one of the best routes to developing meaning is to find ways to help others, concentrating on something beyond ourselves.''  Which takes us full circle to the very first of our 10 Keys  -  Giving.

Neurologist and Psychiatrist, Viktor Frankl, believes that meaning is not something we are born with, rather ''something that must be learned, discovered or created.''  Such discovery comes through creative or significant work: achievements, good deeds and random acts of kindness.  It is also found in valued or elevating experiences, such as friendships or a deep appreciation of music, arts, nature, etc.  And finally, through suffering and the ability to reflect and grow from negative experiences or suffering and the attitude we take towards situations we can't change.

Try this exercise ...
Write the following 'Life Priorities' on individual pieces of paper, then place them in order of importance to you, with 1 being most important and 21 being the least important. Take your time and consider these carefully.

Scroll to the end of this post to read the
significance of this exercise

For many people around the world, myself included, the most important source of meaning is spirituality - faith in God.  Personally, my faith helps me answer some of those big questions of life; yet, even in those times when I lack answers and understanding my faith in God gives me hope and comfort.  Other aspects of well-being associated with faith are, a sense of community, of social and emotional, as well as spiritual support; and times of reflection, meditation and prayer.

Further reading ...

'Purpose Driven Life' by Rick Warren
The Purpose Driven Life is a manifesto for Christian living in the 21st century ... a lifestyle based on eternal purposes, not cultural values. Using biblical stories and letting the Bible speak for itself, Warren clearly explains God's five purposes for each of us.

'The Search for Significance' by Robert S. McGee
This best-selling book has helped millions of readers learn how to be free to enjoy Christ's love while no longer basing their self-worth on their accomplishments or the opinions of others.

'Life Priorities' exercise ...
The top seven priority areas are those that matter most to you, they are your essentials for meaning.  The bottom seven are those things you are most willing to forego.  Those in the middle seven are the 'nice to haves' in terms of meaning; but they shouldn't take all your energy and attention away from the top seven.

Quotes taken from '10 Keys to Happier Living' by Vanessa King

Thought for the week ...

10 Keys to Happier Living - Acceptance

''Acceptance - being comfortable with who you are.''

''How you know and treat yourself

is central to your well-being.''

Not one of us is perfect, but by being tough and critical of ourselves we undermine our own sense of self, our sense of well-being.  In the world of social media there is a tendency to share updates and images that tend to idealise life.

''Comparing ourselves to others is one of the most toxic things we can do for our happiness and it stops us from nurturing what's unique and best about ourselves.''

** How good a friend are you to yourself?

** How do you find and nurture the best of you?

In this month of 'stress awareness' and indeed, in the months to come, can I encourage you to begin to exercise greater self-compassion ...

>> listen carefully to how you encourage others in comparison to how you might speak to yourself.

>> be willing to forgive the mistakes you make.

>> focus on your abilities and strengths and the things you like about yourself.

>> take some rest when you need it.

>> congratulate yourself when you get it right.

>> write yourself a letter of encouragement to open and read when you're feeling low.

>> be ambitious but don't set yourself unrealistic or unattainable goals.

Understand that self-compassion is not the same as self-indulgence, which is excessive or unrestrained gratification of one's own appetites, desires, or whims; nor is it the same as self-esteem, which is confidence is one's own worth or abilities. Self-compassion is about treating yourself with the same level of kindness and concern as you would your very best friend.

''Part of developing more (self) compassion is being able to receive it.''  So, consider how well, or not, you receive compliments, encouragement and affirmation from others.  If you find this difficult, ask yourself why, and maybe seek out someone to talk to about it.

Quotes taken from '10 Keys to Happier Living' by Vanessa King

10 Keys to Happier Living - Emotions

"Emotions, positive and negative, are part of what makes us human and have helped us survive as a race. They are signals that something's right or wrong  -  they help us communicate this. But there's more to them than meets the eye  ...  Emotions are evoked by events happening in real time or they can be triggered by our memories or thoughts of past and future situations. And they are usually about something which. at some level, matters to us."


"It's believed that whether they feel good or bad, emotions evolved to help our ancestors survive. Feelings described as good, pleasant or 'positive' evolved to motivate us to approach and take advantage of potentially safe opportunities and to signal that things are going well. In contrast, feelings we'd call 'bad' or 'negative' motivated us to avoid potentially harmful situations. So even though unpleasant emotions don't feel great, they can still be helpful."

We owe it to ourselves and our own well-being to learn to understand and manage our emotions.

"Our awareness, understanding of, and ability to, communicate and manage our emotions and the needs they represent is important for our psychological well-being."

Emotional intelligence is the ability to accurately identify and express our own emotions, to identify emotions in others, to re-direct and use emotions wisely, to understand the transitions between conflicting emotions and to manage emotions in a positive motivational sense.

Rather than simply emphasise positive emotions it's important to state that we should never feel bad about feeling bad.  It is simply not realistic to think that we can come to a place where all we feel is positive and wonderful. Life is full of stresses and challenges. It would greatly assist our long-term well-being if we sort to improve our own emotional intelligence.

"Gratitude, being thankful and appreciative, is a simple but powerful force for happiness and well-being. It helps to train our brain to notice and appreciate what's good, so balances out our natural focus on what's wrong. It's an emotions that connects us to other people and the world around us."

Gratitude is a positive emotion that we can practice daily until, like riding a bicycle, it becomes second nature. Gratitude is "not about inventing or making up good things in our lives, it's about noticing what's already there."

Quotes taken from '10 Keys to Happier Living' by Vanessa King

A Cracking Easter Weekend!!

My Easter weekend began Good Friday morning with a Taize service at St Mark's.  Then it was off to London to meet up with students and go to see the Passion Play in Trafalgar Square.  The weather was fabulous and we enjoyed the walk from Victoria along The Mall, before joining thousands of others waiting for the play to begin.

And so the play begins ... with the Jewish people under Roman rule

The triumphal entry in to Jerusalem

The Last Supper

Judas betrays Jesus

Jesus prays in the Garden of Gethsemane

Jesus is arrested  ...
and led away to the cross

The Resurrection

It was a wonderful depiction of the final week of Jesus' life, his death and resurrection. You can see the whole play on the Wintershall website ...
https://www.wintershall.org.uk/passion-jesus-london

Following the play, we headed off to Edgware Road for a scrumdidallyumptious Lebanese meal. Aiste, Basel and I shared a platter for two, and still managed to bring food home :-)  I was too busy eating to take any photos!!!
So needed the walk from there, through Hyde Park back to Victoria.







I know some of you went to the English Festival in Rainham on Saturday. If you have any photos you want to share, do please send them to me :-)

Easter Sunday is one of the most significant days in our Christian calendar. It's a day filled with JOY and CELEBRATION, therefore it was unbelievably sad to wake up to the news of church and hotel bombings in Sri Lanka, and so many lives lost. Places I knew personally from my visit there just three months ago. I know that innumerable churches and faith communities around the globe were lifting up prayers for the people of Sri Lanka.

At St Mark's our service was marked with 8 adult baptisms. What a wonderful time it was!!  For me, it was made extra special through the privilege of sponsoring two of the candidates  ...  Kesia and Samantha.

A wonderful weekend was then brought to a close with our traditional Bring & Share Lunch and Easter Egg Hunt. With copious amounts of scrumptious food, 64 mini chocolate bunnies hidden around the house, delumptious desserts and a relaxing hour and a half watching the 'BFG'.

A weekend filled with four of my very favourite things ... 
Faith, Friends, Food and Film :-)

How marvellous!!!