If it's real, then listen up...

A Degree from the University of Life is surely one of the most highly regarded qualifications out there.

However, if you’d like to become a Doctor, then get to school and study!

That said, real life experience is one of the most valuable natural commodities, not just in terms of selling books, but in passing on experience and inspiration to others.

We all know that some cheat by exaggerating exam results. Remember Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s recent press conference views on cheating – cheating by TV show contestants on Alan Sugar’s The Apprentice.

And what about those that concoct stories of total desperation, reaching rock bottom, how drugs or alcohol almost ruined them; how Bi-Polar disorder has tormented their every waking moment. My empathy and compassion go to all genuine sufferers however there are a lot of ‘fiction writers’ out there.

Why is it now fashionable for people to self diagnose and promote themselves as victims of such horrendous circumstance. Maybe some feel that their lives are so empty that they resort to elaborate tales to make them seem more interesting. Those bona fide personal biographies are an interesting and valuable resource, especially when they've been written by those who have decided to channel their experience where by constructively passing on positive energy.

Whether it is given or just taken, the only way you ever receive anything from another, is when there’s actually something to give - no matter what it is, and that includes positive energy. But if it’s not real in the first place, then it can’t be worth much, can it? It stands to reason, that kind of inspirational stuff isn’t put there, it’s just there.