Think About It Archives - Page 76 of 85

Babies And Bathwater

Posted on October 23, 2020

Just get rid of everything! That is one way to do things. Although, it doesn’t seem like the right thing to do. With babies and bathwater, one should be discerning with regards to what stays and what goes.

“Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater”, is an idiomatic expression that struck me this morning. In general, it means don’t make the error of eliminating something good while trying to remove something bad.

In addition, it has been interpreted in a more extreme way whereby you should not throw out the essential (the baby) and keep the bathwater due to excessive zeal.

This idiom can be seen in action today with how different people perceive the US President Donald Trump. Some say that it is not just his tone and language (the bathwater) that they dislike on their preferred media channels. They would like to see him go too, despite the many good things he has done for the USA.

Now, anyone can level criticism at him and his policies because nothing is perfect. A person can always find a negative angle for things and people they don’t like or wish to contrast with some idea of perfection. You can even find harsh critics of Mother Theresa.

Throughout life you will have choices. Make them calmly after you consider your bias. And always remember babies and bathwater.

Action Financial Gratitude Health & Fitness Observe Reframe your thoughts Think About It Time

Looking Back At 80

Posted on October 19, 2020

How will you look back on your life? What will be in it? What will have been worth the price you paid? Looking back at 80 is an important exercise to do many times when you are younger.

Imagine you are 80 years old. Can you look back over the span of 80 years and be filled with joy and contentment? There are a lot of tough questions in there. You will have to face your expectations versus reality gap and hope there is positive gap (reality ended up better) rather than a negative one.

It raises some helpful thoughts that should be considered throughout our lives. You might ask yourself the following questions. Am I living a good life? Should I spend more time and energy on family, career, finances, mental health, physical fitness or my community? How can I do more for others or myself? What will I accept or be happy with?

Its going to be harder to achieve anything once you reach your 80’s. There are many that keep going like Warren Buffett. However, you’ll have to have good genes, stay healthy and have a little luck on your side.

You may wish you had worked harder, studied more, saved more money or maintained better fitness. There is still time to change the outcome but you’ll have to put the effort in.

Looking back at 80 should be a delightful experience.

Action Think About It

Don’t Poke The Bear

Posted on October 11, 2020

Have you ever pushed things a little too far? Someone isn’t having their best moment and you antagonise them just a little? Well, ‘Don’t poke the bear’, is what we say in our house.

Sometimes the extra poke is in jest. Occasionally it works too. But often you simply end up antagonising the person further.

How nice it would be if people learned to pull back, relax and chill. If they could give the other person some breathing room and a little head space. Most of us don’t enjoy having a bad moment. Certainly most don’t want it made worse.

We have the opportunity to make things better. We can create a positive butterfly effect rather than a negative one. With that power, why wouldn’t you? With great power comes great responsibility, as they say. Please use it wisely.

Remember this blog the next time things are going a bit wrong for someone. Try not to push them further to the brink. Give them some space. Or have the clear intent to honestly try to make their situation better.

Whatever you do, try not to make it worse for the person. Not even in a jokey or fun way. What might seem fun or funny to you, may not seem like it to them.

Be kind. Don’t poke the bear.

Gratitude Think About It

Wonderful People Are A Blessing

Posted on October 9, 2020

If you have someone wonderful in your life, cherish them. These types can be hard to find. Wonderful people are a blessing and you must remember that every day.

What would be even better than remembering this every day? Ideally you would remind them of how you feel about them every day too. That is somewhat of a two-for-one deal. When you remind them of it, you reinforce that point in your own mind.

Even though I am fortunate to have a number of wonderful people in my life, I am thinking of my wonderful wife today. We’ve had a fabulous time since meeting 26 years ago at university. And today is her birthday. ?

We have travelled extensively together, exploring six continents with open eyes and enthusiasm. She had an exciting career before focusing on raising three fabulous children. In recent years, Roxane has been the main driver behind building our property business which has given us much more free time and financial freedom.

Roxane is a wonderful wife, mother and friend. She is also a determined and excellent businessperson.

Regardless of what is going on and how busy life gets, she is always there to make things a little better. The children and I hope she has a wonderful birthday and she enjoys the very exciting year ahead!

Wonderful people are a blessing. Let people know how you feel.

Health & Fitness Think About It

Have You Considered The Pineapple Recently?

Posted on October 8, 2020

Pineapple on pizza may seem a little loopy, but it is on all the pizza menus. “Have you considered the pineapple recently?”. This seemed to be the overriding question while the family was discussing my blog yesterday.

The Hawaiian pizza, much loved by my eldest son, might have sounded silly at first mention. However, it is a good example of how a strange-sounding idea could become a fairly acceptable mainstream food. Remember that when you stumble upon an idea and you are hesitant about its viability.

There are also fun songs about pineapples, such as Pineapple Princess. My daughter enjoys this one a great deal.

It also reminds us not to judge a book by its cover. The pineapple is a bit prickly, rough and hard on the outside. However, on the inside it is sweet and tender. It is also delicious and healthy. My other son is a real fan and can sometimes eat more than his mouth can handle.

This is where the phrase, “Too much of a good thing”, can be used. Sometimes, the world has its way of telling us we have had more than our share.

The pineapple is also fascinating in how it grows. Do you know how it grows or where it comes from? Or even how or when it got its interesting name?

Have you considered the pineapple recently?

Gratitude Think About It Time

Has Life Become Too Easy?

Posted on October 2, 2020

The Mayflower took 66 days to cross the Atlantic Ocean in the autumn of 1620. Concorde took only 2 hours and 52 minutes to cross. Has life become too easy?

On the Mayflower there were about 30 crew and 102 passengers. You could fit about the same number of people on Concorde.

The ship was challenged by rough seas and difficult winds. The passengers spent most of those two months seated and seasick. One person was washed overboard. Hard to imagine what the dining service was like.

Meanwhile, the Mach 2 turbojet-powered supersonic passenger airliner had seatbelts, champagne and a very good reputation.

Also, in the Mayflower era, it took about 3 months to get a message to a transatlantic loved one. Today, you can simply FaceTime, Zoom or Skype them. With these video calling options, people can actually speak to, see and hear their dear friends and family in real time. Amazing!

There is so much efficiency and so little effort required today. This may be getting our expectations way ahead of our realty. This creates the ER Gap. This can be quite a dangerous place. It can even bring with it various mental health challenges.

Has life become too easy? Perhaps for many it has.

Progress Think About It

Value Judgements And Tradeoffs

Posted on September 28, 2020

Making decisions is easier when you know what you value. We are constantly assessing and prioritising our value judgements and tradeoffs.

Imagine you’re going to the shop with a £5 note. You intend to buy milk, bread and cereal. However, on your way, you walk past a newsstand with the latest edition of your favourite magazine.

Now you need to decide if the food is more important or the magazine. Alternatively you could return home for more cash to consume it all. But that would require more time at this moment. So now you need to create a hierarchy of values.

Do you value your time more now (perhaps you’re in a rush to a meeting)? Perhaps the magazine articles will help you understand a critical subject for a work project. Or maybe your child has been ill and not eaten for three days. Though now they want their favourite cereal and bread.

What item will be most important to you and your life in this very instant? The decisions and tradeoffs need to be made now.

Your views and circumstances may change in six months or six years. Nonetheless, you need to make this decision right here and now.

We are constantly making momentary value judgements and tradeoffs. Remember though, so is everyone else.

Action Progress Think About It

How High Can You Reach?

Posted on September 26, 2020

Some people love to strive. You can see this in many children. Just place the honey on a higher shelf. It’s like saying, “How high can you reach?”. Then watch that child stretch, climb, extend and exert themselves until it is safely in their grasp.

The honey is part of their vision for a better life. They know that the sweet taste and sugar high is just beyond their here and now. Many children carry on with that zest to follow a better vision. This is often in exchange for a little adventure, struggle or sacrifice.

Just like when a child is climbing and reaching, sometimes the outcome isn’t ideal. They may slip. Or they could fall. Sometimes they may reach their goal only to have it slip from their fingers. In their worst case scenario, the glass jar slips from their outstretched hand and breaks into a gooey mess on the floor.

Children learn to carry on and try again. Often they recall the lessons but not the pain of any previous failed attempts. Selective memory can be helpful.

Find a vision that excites you enough to stretch for it. Choose something that will fill you with joy and delight on the path, not just at the destination.

How high can you reach?

Reframe your thoughts Think About It

You Can’t Handle The Truth

Posted on September 25, 2020

Or can you? Are you willing to entertain facts that make you uncomfortable? Perhaps you can’t handle the truth when you’ve already created your desired reality. Some people can adjust the story when new facts come to light. Others cannot.

We know we make initial decisions based on emotion. Most people then search for facts or information, or even simply an opinion, to confirm we are justified in our thinking.

That’s one way to drift through the world. Someone did say ignorance is bliss. A friend once noted that you shouldn’t let the truth get in the way of a good story.

Be careful if you find yourself biased, blissfully ignorant and enjoying the story too much. It may not be comfortable, but you really should go find the people who are saying the opposite and understand what facts they are looking at. Then use your own mind to assess ALL the relevant data and come to a conclusion.

You don’t have to let people feed you their stories. Their agenda in influencing you to a certain way of thinking may not be the best thing for you. Some people are delighted if you are being gullible. You may be a servant to their special interest.

Perhaps you can’t handle the truth. Demand to know your truth. Like in that powerful scene from A Few Good Men.

Observe Think About It

Few Things Are Straightforward

Posted on September 21, 2020

We make snap decisions all the time. There is little time to gather all the facts and then weigh them. Few things are straightforward and yet we often take an immediate view.

Why is that?

Survival instinct would be one reason. Emotional reactions, which are instinctive and learned, is another. They are also much quicker to use to come to a conclusion than any other method.

Bias is another issue. Sometimes we want an outcome to be true so badly that we will ignore strong evidence to the contrary.

Sometimes, some people, take the time to investigate both sides of the story. Of course there is nuance and uncertainty. And certain situations come down to one key element. Those that can recognise their own bias and still make a fair decision are highly regarded.

Judges, referees and umpires all make a career out of remaining objective. We rely on them to interpret the rules and the laws as set out. Both the spirit and the letter of the law can be considered. They gather the key information, weigh it, understand what they want and what is best for the situation.

Few things are straightforward. Learn to take time, gather facts from both sides, remove your bias and then present a calm conclusion. Everyone will benefit from this process.