What if instead of having to live your one life one day at a time, you could sample every life you could possibly have? Would you be happier? Would you find “the one?” The life in which everything fits? We don’t have a problem owning our smaller decisions, because the consequences are limited. But bigger decisions can be harder to own, to find peace with them.

Perhaps some of us may have heard the quotation from publisher Emilie Buchwald that “children are made readers on the laps of their parents.” Children practise what they see, so if they see us reaching for books - novels, stories, plays or poetry - then bit by bit it becomes an interest and enjoyment for them too.

Many of us will remember some of our first books as a child. But how can we give that same joy of reading to our children? In this podcast episode, Ciara Mannion shares with us titles of great books that your child will find hard to put down.

I grew up looking after kids. In my extended family, there were always kids knocking about - there still is even to this day! With so many children about, it meant that once I reached 8 years old or so I was put in charge of entertaining the little ones, along with my older cousins.

This week marks 3 years of Hearts+Minds! What started as an idea over coffee between friends - to develop an online platform for women that goes beyond the superficial, and aims to uplift and inspire women wherever they are in their daily life - has now blossomed into a fortnightly podcast, weekly blog posts and countless events where women can find community and friendship.

Have you ever stopped to wonder how our memories are made? Life is so busy these days; we’re always rushing from one hasty activity to the next, only to fall into bed at the end of the day, tired and worn out.

Our guest on this episode feels she has done a good day's work when her clients look in the mirror and fall in love with themselves! Mercy of Miss Mercy Make-up Artistry has had a long and successful career as a make-up artist. Her passion is making people good about themselves.

When we think of Easter at this time of time of year, with spring in the air and the end of winter we can be joyful. But it is also a feast that speaks of who God is and who we are. God who has died for us and we, his children who are so loved.

About a month ago as I was making my way down to bed, I began tapping on my phone to set my alarm for the next morning. Suddenly the screen froze completely. Realising quickly that frantic continuation of the tapping wasn’t going to fix it anytime soon, I did what any good IT expert would do … turned it off and on again. Unfortunately, nothing.

It happens all of the time. We try not to let it bother us. We blame ourselves for not being where or who we think we should be in life by now. We feel left behind. On this episode, our guest Gobnait O'Grady reminds us that the “University of Life is our best qualification”.

We are a storytelling nation. Perhaps it comes from the bardic tradition when stories were passed down from generation to generation. Novels tell stories and we all love them, especially those ones that contain the insatiable capacity to remain lodged in our memories long after dry facts have passed over us. Stories impact us because they embody life and tell us truths in an entertaining and unforgettable way.

The earthquake that struck Haiti in 2010 was the most devastating natural disaster ever experienced in the country. In this episode, Denise O’Mahony describes her experience at the centre of a logistics operation to bring relief to a devastated people.

It seems as though our world is in a constant state of flux. Everything has sped up in a way that forces our brains to deal with an unprecedented rate of change in almost every aspect of our lives; from family dynamics, to personal relationships, to our workplace or even the modus operandi of our work.

2022 brought with it some great films and documentaries. Here are a list of our top-rated ones from the year just gone.

We set ourselves goals and resolutions for all kinds of areas in our life: ways we want to improve personally or professionally. These are great things to do. But perhaps we could also reflect on the ways in which we can have a positive impact on the world we live in. After all, the way we live has consequences for everyone around us.

Grace Hoffman is a Fellow at the American Council on Women, Peace, and Security. In this episode, we talk about how her studies in Trinity College, Dublin influenced her professional and personal journey to the current position at the Defense Security Cooperation University.

Christmas is a time when everyone takes a break from work, study and routine to be with family and friends. There's no other time when everyone does this in unison, and that's why it really is ‘the most wonderful time of year’. This special time, however, can be hard-earned!

Sometime back in the summer I noticed a photograph on the front of a newspaper. It had been a very warm day and the picture showed the Henry Moore marble sculpture in the front Square of Trinity college, Dublin. Reflected in the marble was the figure of a young woman lying out in the sun reading.

When we think of the word or virtue of diligence we automatically think of someone who is hard-working and gets things done. But the etymology of the word suggests that it means a lot more.

Technology has helped in the invention of so many wonderful things that make life easier and more efficient. However, it’s fair to say that we are now learning that some of these ingenious inventions have left a negative mark on the environment.