Having just returned from another father and sons' camp I am convinced of the need to heal the tremendous father-son wounds in our Australian families. Men are grappling with many unresolved issues and are finding it difficult to integrate their own lives, let alone their son’s.

To hear people say they don’t have any friends is very sad.  We often have men’s wives say, “I wish my husband would join your Men’s Group because he just doesn’t have any friends.” Finding companionship is such an important social need for all humans. Men, in particular, often experience isolation for many different reasons both at work and even in their own home.  Men’s inability to express their feelings, develop intimacy and their fear of not presenting the ‘macho’ male image, all contribute to loneliness.

There is no doubt that boys need male role models throughout their lives. Many fathers are role models for their sons even though they may never know it. Boys often take on their father’s mannerisms, beliefs and thoughts in later life – but often not until into their mid twenties.

Over the last 20-30 years, the role of women – as wives, mothers, and workers, has changed. Women are now demanding very different things from their husbands and partners. Terry Melvin, Manager of Mensline Australia  considers that women are for the first time in history insisting on real emotional intimacy in their marriages. And men are coming up short.

It has been said that the ‘love of money is the root of all evil.’  However, most people feel it is the ‘lack of money’ that causes all of their problems!  Here are ways of budgeting that help people do a lot more with their money. 

A characteristic that great leaders have in common is an awareness that they’re meant to do something with their lives - a sense of destiny.  In a study of 490 eminent people, a sense of destiny was found to be a common trait.  In this article, Philip Baker examines the life of JFK and draws out leadership attributes from his life which can enhance our own personal impact and sense of destiny.

A large number of people who have divorced, often say they would have made different choices if they had prior knowledge of the real cost of divorce to their lives. RIC BENSON looks at the issues when considering a divorce.

Many families are struggling because parents often have to work longer hours for fear of losing their jobs.  In a tough economic climate where companies are restructuring, downsizing and striving to remain competitive, it can be the family that is losing out. Psychologist, Glenn Williams, founder and CEO of Pro-Fam Australia, gives a personal and poignant insight into how the work-place can impact on family life.

It seems that most men are reluctant to bare their inner souls and to openly address the bigger questions of life --- the ones we all ask, perhaps mutely, but only occasionally share, and then only with those we know well and trust. I suspect this is partly because Australians in particular are coy about baring their souls philosophically. So at the risk of not being published again I emerge from my cocoon to ask, “What is the ultimate purpose of our lives, our work, our careers?” Dust to dust, ashes to ashes?