Observe Archives - Page 68 of 79

Who Guides You?

Posted on December 18, 2020

We have all followed someone else’s advice at one point in our lives. Sometimes it will have turned out well and other times not. Who guides you?

There are many traditional people that give advice that people have listened to over the years. Examples range from the head of your local or national government or religion. In addition, it might be the senior member of the armed forces or your royal family.

You might also have chosen to consider the words in the book of your religion, your local or national media outlet, or perhaps an influential magazine or book. There can be many people putting these printed items together. Though the key pieces will be influenced most by the author and senior editor.

Then, of course, there are friends and family, neighbours, teachers, professors, doctors, and other members of the community. Finally, there is also the voice inside your head. Sometimes this intuition or inner voice will be the most influential or powerful. Other times, we bury it, subordinate it or completely ignore it.

All of the above have their own angle, bias, desired outcome and experience in life, through which everything is filtered. Be conscious of that. In the end, it is your life. The voices you let steer your ship will have a significant impact on the joy, pain, challenges, success and gratitude in your life.

Who guides you?

Action Gratitude Observe Time

Festive Festivities

Posted on December 17, 2020

Environment shapes your experience and mood. We drove through London’s West End this week to experience festive festivities. There were amazing lights and decorations on many streets and buildings.

We went in after school one evening. Thankfully it was dry and a pleasant temperature for this time of year. We drove by some historic sites like Harrod’s, all decked out in it’s Christmassy lights. Always a brilliant sight. The Natural History Museum looked its usual, wonderful, gothic self. The V&A loomed large as it does.

Fortnum & Mason was a lot of fun as it was decked out as an advent calendar. Carnaby Street was cool as it should be. Regent street was regal in its lovely silvery lights running the whole length of it. Hamley’s toy store was a wonder with its many floors. Then there was Saville Row, The Burlington Arcade, The Royal Arcade and The Piccadilly Arcade. All lit up in a festive way.

Our favourite area was Old Bond Street with it’s peacock and diamonds approach with feather replicas and well proportioned lights. The shops looked sufficiently seasonal in a less is more kind of way. There were few people and fewer cars and little noise. All were joining to make this a great street on which to end our evening’s walking tour.

Festive festivities like this help get us in the mood for Christmas.

Festive festivities at Fortnum & Mason — Festive Fortnum & Mason

Action Gratitude Observe Time

What Makes The Difference?

Posted on December 16, 2020

With so many varying factors in any given situation, it is often hard to say what led to what. What makes the difference?

Like watching those coin pusher arcade games, you never know which action will bring the result. It looks like everything is on the edge and the next coin will bring the jackpot. Despite never seeing someone win at one of those machines, don’t be disheartened. In life, that level of persistence and optimism can pay off handsomely.

Whether it is buying a house, emigrating or building a career, you need to keep trying and pushing through. Sometimes it takes an extra phone call or document or meeting. However, you won’t necessarily know which one will move you forward.

After the event, if you are fortunate enough to get there, you may look back and think you see the key moment. Though it may simply be a memorable moment, not a defining moment. All the other little things, combined together may have been more important than that memorable event.

All the grinding on the pitch, gaining meters, wearing down the opponent and getting field position may have been the critical work. The final play to get over the goal line was brilliant, necessary and euphoric, but set up by all that came before.

It may seem obvious, but what makes the difference?

Gratitude Observe Reframe your thoughts

We Are Easily Pleased

Posted on December 15, 2020

This must be true. If not, we would hold out longer for a partner, best friend, house, furnishings etc. We are easily pleased, which allows us to move on to other things more quickly.

Obviously not everyone is easily pleased. Some people are very particular. In addition, many things are very pleasing so it is easy to be pleased by them.

It makes me think of those two words, ‘It depends’. It may be that we are in a hurry. Or perhaps this type of item holds no interest for us. Alternatively, it could be, ‘good enough’. It may not be that pleasing, but it will do for what we are going to use it for.

If this wasn’t the case, we could spend hours, days or weeks, trying to find the right sandwich for lunch. Fortunately, we can assess things quickly and make decisions at lightning pace. We can also upgrade things much more easily than before. So sometimes it is more about expediency than pleasure.

Acting pleased can be a whole other story. Receiving gifts that weren’t really on our radar can be challenging. Being surprised is one thing. However, convincing people that we love it may be something entirely different.

Thankfully, we are easily pleased.

Observe Think About It Time

The Randomness Of Life

Posted on December 14, 2020

Look at your best friend, current job, the industry you’re in and your home. Is it exactly as you planned it? The randomness of life is fascinating.

I will guess that most people in their early twenties have barely given a thought to these aspects of their lives. This is especially true if they were asked to project out to when they would be 35 years of age.

How did you find your current best friend? The average person meets about 10,000 people in their lifetime. There are 7.8 billion people on earth. How fascinating that you have a best friend from such a small sample size. And let’s assume that you met half of those people, about 5,000, before the age of 30.

What random event, word or phrase, got you interested in doing your current job? Have you ever wondered which random events occurred earlier in your life to point you into a career in X? You came to be in a certain industry also, which may, or may not, have been by choice

Now consider your home, the location you are in, the type of property and the style of it. You may have looked at only 4-20 properties before selecting one. And those were just the one’s available at the time, that you went to see.

The randomness of life is fascinating.

Action Observe Think About It

Searching For Clues

Posted on December 10, 2020

Do you have an obsession for solving mysteries, assessing situations and understanding interrelated details? Searching for clues seems to be something a great many people enjoy. Perhaps everyone does. Is it in our DNA?

So many TV shows, books, movies, careers, and relationships have an element of seeking the detail, nuance and unknown. Whether the theme involves mystery, romance, insurance, law, accounting, acting or discovery, there is a requirement to find information and piece together a story.

I have been a fan of the private investigator ?️‍♂️ world since I was a young lad. I started with the Encyclopaedia Brown books, moved on to Magnum P.I. and then to many different storylines after that.

Figuring things out tends to fit very well with our minds natural inclination to find solutions. Fascinating when you think that life is one giant puzzle and the mind is the ultimate enigma machine.

Mysteries are similar to a 30 dial (or more!) combination lock. You need to get all the information correctly lined up in a row to solve it. That can be either fun or frustrating, depending on its importance, its difficulty and your mindset.

There are still many great mysteries to solve including those of space, history, the oceans and our minds.

Until those are solved completely, we will remain searching for clues.

Gratitude Observe Time

A Great Movie

Posted on December 7, 2020

I do enjoy an entertaining film. Although my tastes have changed somewhat over the years, there can be real power in a great movie. Think back to the last movie that you saw that could be considered as such.

We watched something very enjoyable on the weekend called Green Book. It has a 91% score on Rotten Tomatoes and although rated PG-13, our 11 year old was able to enjoy it too.

I thought it was a great movie for so many reasons. There were many instances where I found cause to laugh out loud. It was great to see two people on very different paths in life, showing respect and appreciation for each other. It was also great to see their mutual concern and professionalism.

We all enjoyed seeing how the two men grew from the comments and prodding from each other. There were many moments in the film where you could pause and reflect and feel the situation. That is one kind of film I really enjoy.

Over the upcoming holidays, try to watch a great movie. One that is enjoyable, entertaining and has some valuable messages in it. Maybe it will be one you have already seen, or something you’ve had on your list. If Green Book wasn’t on your list, may I suggest that it gets on there.

Action Gratitude Observe Reframe your thoughts

Winning Is Everything

Posted on December 5, 2020

Winning is often seen as the ultimate goal. To win something can show competence or dominance. When winning is everything, you can go a little mad.

It is amazing how we, as people, can get caught up in winning. There is a lot wrapped up in its significance. Victory is particularly important when your life is on the line. In days gone buy, triumph in a duel, or a shootout at high noon, often meant the difference between life and death.

If you have to fight til the death, there is so much more on the line. Think of military battles where people were killed on the field of battle or became a prisoner and suffered torturous conditions until they succumbed. Or consider losing in court, in the thousands of years before now, when death was often the prescribed result. The stories of Socrates, Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette and Anne Boleyn come to mind.

Fewer contests or situations exist today where winning is so important and losing could be fatal. However, sometimes, some people act as if victory is the only acceptable result. And because of that, they put winning ahead of fair play, sportsmanship and the rules. Cyclist Lance Armstrong and sprinter Ben Johnson come to mind.

Have you ever wanted to win, or support the winner, so desperately that you would even accept a little cheating? Think back to taking a test, playing or watching sports, an election or referendum.

Sometimes you go mad and winning is everything.

Observe Reframe your thoughts

I Am Unique

Posted on December 4, 2020

There are about 7,800,000,000 people on planet Earth at this time. So many people and yet I am unique. I have differences to others. Although I have similarities to other people, when you consider all of my physical characteristics and my vast realm of thoughts, on the whole, I am unique.

You are unique too. It seems everyone has a different DNA, even if ever so slightly. People have a different set of fingerprints too. There are also all the different experiences we have had and the different thoughts, interpretations and perspectives that brings.

At the top of the pyramid we are all the exact same. We are all humans. So none of us are different from the top level perspective. We are all absolutely the same in that regard. Now sometimes people use their senses to play spot the difference. So a dividing of the humans begins.

Many groups are formed, theoretically, by age, sex, height, eye colour, hair colour, skin colour, religion, education, birth place, geography, political views, wealth, career, and relationships. This only covers a tiny portion of the ways we can split ourselves into unique groups and divide ourselves.

If you continue to split yourself into sub groups, however, you will conclude that you are absolutely unique. There is no group of people who are exactly like you in it.

So say it with me. I am unique.

Gratitude Health & Fitness Observe Reframe your thoughts Time

Early Morning Benefits

Posted on December 3, 2020

It’s a brilliant time to be awake. Sometimes I forget how nice it is to start a day so peacefully. Early morning benefits include hearing the birds sing and the calmness of the house.

I was up earlier than usual this morning. Something to do with a very large cardboard box, the top bunk and gravity. Let’s just say having an unexpected conversation with my daughter a little after 4 am has brought about a lovely, though unintended, consequence today.

With a dark and calm house, my senses were heightened. Not only could I hear the lovely singing from the birds, but I noticed our kitchen clock ticking away with every second. I also noticed some headphones were not shut off as they made a sound every so often. Not often enough to track them down, but just enough to remind me I still hadn’t found them.

I’m enjoying this calm before the storm. I’ve been able to read, write and consider some things without one interruption. No need to do something, prepare anything, respond to someone or go somewhere. It is great to have this time to wake up and start the day at a pace often reserved for the fourth day of a holiday.

By 06:50, I have written my blog and the kids are heading down to the kitchen for breakfast.

Enjoy your early morning benefits.