Wonderful or challenging, it is good to reflect on key moments of your life. It could be something many others share as a memory like Woodstock, LiveAid or 9/11. Or these memories could be something personal to you. Perhaps that time your Mom said something inspiring or your brother moved out of the house and you got his room. Whatever the memories are, it is good to reflect on key moments so you begin to understand their impact on you.
You know attributes that you like in others. When you notice something you’re not fond of in others, check if you ever do it too. If so, remember to shift a little. It’s rarely easy, but you have the choice to become your ideal person. Good luck!
What you can see, isn’t all there is. There is a lot going on below the surface. Remember that the tip of the iceberg is only the beginning.
When speaking to someone, remember that you only get the words, tone and body language. What you may not understand is the full meaning. The person may have a completely different experience to you and therefore have a unique point of view on a topic.
If someone has lived through a traumatic event, and they say they know what it means, they may actually know. And not just theoretically. If they have had the full body and complete mind numbing experience, they may be able to relate on closer level than people who haven’t gone through the challenge.
There is so much information being considered and assessed in the back of our mind all day. We are constantly shifting thoughts around in our unconscious mind and occasionally our conscious one.
This massive information flow can therefore make it easier to assess things by feel or intuition. Taking the time to go through all the data and nuance could take weeks, months or years. However, we can make reasonable snap decisions by weighing up the sense we have. Beware though, making emotional decisions this way is not advised. Get key data as well.
The tip of the iceberg is not all there is.
Is quality time what you want or what they want? If one of you isn’t delighted, is it still quality time? It’s time to have quality time defined.
Deciding you are going for a walk with a friend, who doesn’t enjoy walking, might not be the best idea of quality time. Do you both have to enjoy the activity, discussion or company? Or is it ok if just one of you do?
When you spend some of your day with your young child, is it enough to just enjoy being together? Or do you need to enjoy the event too? Is it quality time either way?
Encouraging your child to try something with you might seem like a good idea. You will be expanding their horizons and possibly adding a new, burgeoning skill to their repertoire. This is brilliant if they thoroughly enjoyed it. However, if they were not very interested or engaged, is it still quality time?
Is a shared memory considered quality time, even if it is not a brilliant or positive one? Perhaps they learned a lesson, or you did. If it came from a difficult experience, but something good came from it, does it fit the description?
In summary, life will be different for you with quality time defined.
Are you going to the best spot for the results you want? Have you thought much about it? Where do you fish? Clearly, the best place is where the fish you want are swimming.
Too many times we ask the wrong people or the wrong question. It is often easier to ask a friend what they think rather than ask someone who might be in a better position to answer.
If you want to catch salmon, you are best not to fish in a lake with only trout and bass. And if you don’t know where to catch salmon, asking your trout fishing buddies might not get the best answer.
By all means, do ask your trout fishing buddies though. They may also like salmon fishing, have been salmon fishing or knows a relative or friend who loves it. It’s a good place to start, especially if you are out on the lake spending time fishing.
But don’t stop there. Go online. Find out where salmon tend to live. Watch videos, read articles or call a salmon fishing shop or tour operator. You will get a variety of ideas and points of view. Some will be repetitive, some unique, some useful and some will be of little use at all.
Apply this search method to everything including getting medical information, finding a job, looking for clients and finding a partner – business or personal.
Where do you fish? This can make all the difference.
Nature exists. Science modifies or enhances it. Banana trees are natural. Breast implants are not. Science is not natural. It is not nature in its natural state. Many good things exist due to science and scientists. Although there have been a few less than desirable creations too.
People have greatly benefitted from scientific and medical breakthroughs. Insulin for diabetics is one intervention that is wonderful. Heart valves and pumps are other great contributions that have also greatly impacted lives of loved ones.
If it were not for the scientific discoveries, we would have far more babies, youth and aging people dying than we do. The population of the planet would be far less. Without hospitals, medical interventions, drugs and equipment, life could look a lot more like the 1600’s.
However, these are not natural, nor is it nature at work. Strictly speaking.
Yes, the ingredients come from nature as do the scientists who formulate or create the items. But, it is not nature itself. Science is kind of a form of cheating. We are changing outcomes based on unnatural interventions.
Science does help create a lot of good in the world. And the good seems to outweigh the bad.
Just to clarify though, science is not natural.
Want to know how to succeed? Find several people who are where you want to be and follow what they have done. Success leaves clues. So don’t be clueless. Assess what these people have done and start doing it.
Success might be better described as moving in the direction you want. It can be a final event. You could say winning an Olympic gold medal is success. However, it could be seen in more everyday uses too. You could have successfully applied for a job. Success could be completing a job interview too. Being offered the job would indicate success as well.
Some general ingredients to have more success in your life are as follows. First, you should work hard and not just when you are told or feel like it. Second, set out a plan to reach your goal and what you need to do to achieve it. Then follow that plan daily. Put in the effort, time and energy, while improving your skills, mindset and confidence.
Some of the clues you will notice are having a big goal, a plan of action and some discipline. In addition, you will need to build your resilience because that is also a key to success. Furthermore, you will notice that those that train consistently get better and more consistent results.
Success leaves clues. Look for them.
Take the first offer or shop around? People will do different things in different situations. Finding the best deal can be fun and rewarding but also time consuming and frustrating.
Are you someone that loves to find the best terms? Or if you find a price you think is reasonable, will you stop looking and go ahead and buy? Searching through all the possible options you can think of can be quite an interesting exercise. Some people thrive on it. Others do it out of current necessity. Sometimes it depends on the item, your finances, time available, or your desire to know all of the options.
Buying milk should be quite straightforward. You should easily and quickly be able to compare value based on standard sizes and fairly common prices. You may be a shopper for milk. However you may also be a grab and go kind of person for this product. Given its required nature for many things, and its relative low and stable price, some people wont even notice the price.
However, if you look at airline tickets or holidays, that may be another matter. I have spent too long reviewing some flight bookings. Mainly due to the timing options available. Though sometimes the price difference can be so great that you keep looking as you know what isn’t a great deal.
Finding the best deal is almost like a game. Spending enough time but not too much is the ideal way forward.
What will you be doing? How will the world be coping? What will be happening? Imagine it is July 2025 right now. Are you happy with what you see?
Rather than wonder what you will be doing in 4 years from now, try something different. You can either research what some prognosticators are saying or make your own view. Of course when considering your own situation, it is likely you will have a better idea of the potential.
Who will be in power in the G7 countries? Who will be running your country? What will we know about COVID? What stats will we have? How will different countries be living with this?
Where will you be in your career? What about your close relationships? What will your finances look like? How old will your parents be?
If you have never written this down, you may find it quite an interesting exercise. Every time I do it, I think of other options I would like to have be true. In addition, when you look at things in the long run perspective, you tend to reduce emotional decision making. You also, get a greater sense of what could be possible for you. Also, you are more able to use facts and data rather than stories and unhelpful self-talk.
It is July 2025. Describe it.
