We get into the 'them' and 'us' mode, based on something we're not even aware of. We now have Trump at the wheel of the car who has no emotional insight whatsoever. This is like having a live grenade in the White House who may go off at any moment and take the world down with him. Happy New Year.
Let's face it: Brexit is a mess. Remainers and Leavers are at each others throats, political parties are divided down the middle, Nigel Farage is actually happy and our Prime Minister is playing her cards so close to her chest not even she knows what hand she's holding. So far, our liberation from European imperialism has been opaque, confusing and angry, and worst of all, it's left a lot of us with a lack of appetite for democracy. But it didn't have to be this way.
As well as protesting we also need to focus on putting good into the world. We need to build bridges between communities. We need to make minority groups feel they do belong in the countries they live in, despite what the hate press and divisive politicians say. This doesn't have to be on a grand scale, even eye contact and a smile can help eradicate the invisible barriers that the far right hate has erected.
The long-term impact of consistent and unrelenting protests will not just have a negative impact on Trump himself, but it will damage the very idea of meaningless prejudice and those who act as a mouthpiece for it.
We need to offer young carers more across the country. We have long known of the heavy toll being a carer takes on children, something backed up by research published recently to mark Young Carers Awareness Day.
Time to Change is a great campaign and over recent years has generated a measurable shift in people's attitudes to mental health problems, with almost 100,000 pledging to do their bit to end mental health stigma.
One thing I learnt this month is that being vegan doesn't mean being perfect. Just because you gave into temptation and ordered a hungover Dominos, or had a bit of your friend's chocolate birthday cake, doesn't mean you aren't a vegan. And in terms of caring for the planet and the animals that live on it, being vegan most of the time - even just some of the time - is far better than not doing it at all.
We all have mental health and keeping well is a challenge. Many of the people closest to us have battles with theirs that we could never even imagine, but being an ally when we are able to, can help stop those feelings of darkness in others. We are so often much stronger than we think we are.
I can't afford to be politically apathetic anymore. I have a daughter, who is almost three, and I need to set an example. I need to show her that if there is something in this world that you think is unjust, the last thing you should do is "suck it up" and ignore it.
I don't want to read books that treat disability as a tragedy, putting the stories in the same category as books about child abuse or people dying from cancer. Books where the disabled character dies aren't terrible, but they can't be the only type out there.
We have our day, every week. A day free of work, when there are no other requirements upon my time or attention. Our mother and daughter day, when it's just the two of us whiling away the precious minutes and hours.
I campaigned to remain in the EU. My heart is with all of those worried by the result. I wanted to stay in the EU. I want a Labour government. I don't always get what I want, frequently great swathes of the country don't agree with me. Unlike David Cameron I don't just walk away when things don't go my way. I've got a backbone... Bring on all the messages I'll get after I vote about how I'm weak and feeble. Send me letters telling me I sold you out, gave in to the man. Nothing anyone can say will be close to how I've tortured myself over this. Let me assure you my conscience has been exercised.
Now, since having my first child when I was 18, I feel as though as soon as I gave birth there was an instant pressure to be a completely different person. Don't get me wrong, I felt different, my outlook on life totally changed and I had a whole host of new emotions and feelings that I hadn't experienced before.
Despite 25 years of increasing acceptance and visibility, too many young LGBT people are entering adulthood severely damaged by the internal and external homophobia, biphobia, or transphobia they face. We need to ensure that mental health services are fit for the next generation of LGBT people
The barracuda was right there; lurking. It was enormous, with great black marks like portholes down its side and teeth that made me shiver. It was side on when I first saw it and about 20 metres away but it flipped in less than a second to face-on and came towards me so fast it was like a blur.
New YouGov data shows that just under half (49%) of Britons believe Donald Trump's proposed state visit later this year should go ahead, while over a third (36%) want it cancelled. The visit, which will see the new president meet with the Queen, has provoked mass protests in the UK and has seen nearly 1.7million people sign the petition calling for the plug to be pulled on Trump's trip. It follows the president's controversial order banning refugees from various countries entering the US.
Negotiating a trade agreement will not be easy. The UK, however, has some real advantages. Trying to take advantage of these strengths, and build on our long standing common interests is worth a try.
Dan and Emily White are the co-creators of The Department of Ability, a comic book that tells the story of a gang of five physically disabled superheroes who use their disabilities to save the world. The comic was born when they noticed that not only was there a huge shortage of relevant heroes for Emily to look up to, but also a significant lack of positive representation of disabled people in the media and in literature.
Prevent in the UK has focused on terrorism from a global violent jihadist perspective, but front-line workers like me up and down the country have always worked on all forms of extremism and have been dealing with a rise in referrals from far-right extremism.
Gucci, GUESS, Zara - what do they all have in common? They all recently launched their own gender-neutral clothing brands. But it isn't just a mere fashion statement - gender-free clothing works in harmony with our own individual lifestyles. As the CEO of GFW Clothing, making sure things are inclusive for everyone is at the very core of my work, values and ethics.
The people who are being barred from entering the United States as refugees and immigrants or visitors are actually representatives of the frontline warriors against terror. They are the ones who have suffered more than any other group of people and whose brothers and sisters are currently taking arms against the forces of terror from the icy mountains of Afghanistan to the burning deserts of Iraq and the violent plains of Syria.
As we spent time with the families of these murderers, one thing was clear: their lives had appeared normal up until the point they killed someone, with no warning signs of what was to come. Unlike men, most women who kill have no history of criminality. Their crimes seemed like aberrations, moments of madness.