http://www.thepunch.com.au/author-bios/michael-rooke/ Michael Rooke is the principal and founder of AttitudeWorks, a boutique consultancy that specialises in developing the emotional intelligence of teams and leaders. His clients include Macquarie, Contact Energy (NZ), Origin Energy, NZX and the Westfield Group. Michael’s qualifications include a Bachelor of Education (Adult) and a Diploma in Training and Assessment Systems. Check out http://www.attitudeworks.com.au for Michael’s blog and you can join the AttitudeWorks community at http://www.facebook.com/attitudeworks.au  en Copyright 2013 The Punch penberthyd@newsltd.com.au penberthyd@newsltd.com.au Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:00:10 +0000 Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:00:10 +0000 Politics, opinion, world news, sports news, latest news, views, Barack Obama, Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, Nathan Rees, Malcolm Turnbull, Peter Garrett, Barnaby Joyce, Australian, federal politics, opinion polls, election, The Punch, thepunch, punch ExpressionEngine 1.6.7 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 15 http://www.thepunch.com.au/images/punch-logo-rss.png http://www.thepunch.com.au/ 144 70 Politics, political opinion, world news, sports news and the latest news and views updated live, daily on The Punch - Australia's best conversation. Search The Punch keywords http://www.thepunch.com.au/search/ http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/choice-not-chance-determines-your-happiness/ Miranda Kerr claims to read affirmations every morning because they make her feel “more centred and inspired”. One such affirmation is “I came here to be me” which Kerr describes in her self-help book Treasure Yourself as giving herself permission to be authentic, self-expressed and unafraid to present her true self to the world. It’s easy to be cynical about the quest for people to better their attitudes, especially when they are supermodels who appear on the surface to be perfect beings already.  Surely Kerr should have no fear expressing herself? And can reading these statements make any difference? Self-help often gets a bad rap. As a society, we agree that it’s good to improve our intellectual minds through traditional education. However, many people draw the line here and are unwilling to accept there’s any work required on our emotional selves. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Michael Rooke) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/choice-not-chance-determines-your-happiness/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/choice-not-chance-determines-your-happiness/#item9071 Thu, 26 Jul 2012 20:00:55 +0000 Michael Rooke | Author bios | The Punch