Quality time, sometimes shortened to QT, is a phrase that refers to moments of greater value than other occasions, usually spent in the company of people who are most important to us. By contrast, time which is deemed to be of low-quality is when we are not available to our loved ones, such as time spent at work or being distracted by daily chores and other activities. Of course, there is nothing to say that you cannot achieve a period of quality time when you are on your own or in the company of colleagues rather than friends or family members, for example. Nevertheless, to most people, the idea of quality time is one that is bound up without distractions where your total focus can be given to the people around you. As such, it tends to be associated with holidays and other periods where there are fewer demands on our attention.
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First published in 1992, The Five Love Languages is a book that is entirely focussed on the most intimate relationships held between adults. It looks at five different paths whereby love, affection and even romance are followed, which are referred to in the book as 'languages', hence the meaning of its title. The five so-called languages are spending quality time with one another, exchanging gifts, physical touching, words of affirmation, and acts of devotion. The last one is sometimes also referred to as acts of service. The idea of the book is that it is a guide to self-counselling that individuals and couples can follow in order to re-establish higher levels of affection and love in their relationship. In it, the advocated approach is that a person will look at the way their partner expresses his or her love with others, and an attempt is made to use the same 'language' subsequently. The original version of the book had the sub-title “How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate” although this was dropped from later editions.
To many people, the purpose of life is very clear. It has been laid out clearly either by their parents, teachers or religious leaders. For others, it is much harder to work out. In fact, many philosophers have argued for centuries about what the true purpose of life is. There is a distinction between what the purpose of any life is and what it means to an individual, of course. Some people believe they have found a purpose in their life if, for example, they do a job that they find fulfilling. To others, the purpose of all human life is to work towards a higher purpose that is bigger than any individual. Broadly speaking, the latter is a spiritual interpretation of a life's purpose.
