Think About It Archives - Page 92 of 97

Prepare For The Worst And The Best

Posted on June 26, 2020

It is always important to maintain a positive perspective. To this end, one should prepare for the worst and the best and not prepare only for the worst.

In the headline, I’ve modified the popular idiom of, ‘Hope for the best and prepare for the worst’. It makes more sense to me this way.

Taking action, planning and preparing only for the worst seems like only half the answer. Although hope is an excellent thing to have, I thought we should put some action, planning and preparing for the best in here too.

Hope is a great start but by planning, preparing and visualising the best outcome, we may actually help to create it. In addition, it may be more likely to come to pass if some action has been taken.

So let’s hope that things get better. Let’s plan for better days ahead. Why not map out what ‘great’ would like for your life over the next three, six and 12 months? If you haven’t done so already, start preparing for the life that you want. Mentally map what it looks like and how it feels. Review this in your mind daily. Several times a day if you really want the change to happen.

While doing that, also prepare for the worst. Be ready to quarantine at some point, lockdown again, be clear on your finances for the 12 months ahead and especially if household income became impacted. It’s not fun to plan for tough times ahead but it is prudent.

Finally, Do not plan just for the physical outcomes but plan for the mental condition you’ll need as well. Be ready for challenge but focus your thoughts on happier days.

Observe Think About It

Being Right And Wrong

Posted on June 25, 2020

Sometimes you need to rely on the information that you are given. You may even believe it to be true, only to find out it isn’t so. Being right and wrong can add an extra layer of complexity to any situation.

I learned early on in life about the importance of your source. I also learned not to believe everything I read. In addition, I learned that adults make mistakes just like kids.

When I was 12, I read about Ian Gillan replacing Ronnie James Dio in Black Sabbath. I can’t recall which magazine it was in, but it was likely Circus or Hit Parader. The article had his name misspelled as Gillian though, with a second i. However, I was unaware of who Ian Gillan was and so did not know the correct spelling of his name.

I was made aware of the correct spelling though. I went into school the next day, armed with this big, exciting news. Memorising this new name was important so that I could get the story right. A friend of mine laughed at my pronunciation of Ian’s name, given the additional i. The conversation suddenly stopped being about this new change in one of our favourite bands.

The discussion then centred on how to spell Ian’s name. I was certain that I had memorised it correctly. My friend was certain he was correct. As he was a fan of Deep Purple already, I assumed he was correct and I let it go.

I checked the magazine that evening and I had read its incorrect spelling correctly. It was difficult in that pre-internet era to verify something like this without getting to a shop to check the spelling on the album or cassette. As I lived on a farm, far away from record shops, this was a non-starter.

My friend brought in his Deep Purple cassette the next day to confirm that the spelling was with just one i – Gillan.

It’s funny how a person can be right and wrong at the same time, like I was. But it happens. So it is always good to check the original, definitive source, if you can, before using the information.

Reframe your thoughts Think About It Time

Immersing Yourself In Another Person’s Shoes

Posted on June 21, 2020

Sometimes I see a picture of someone and start to wonder about their whole life. Immersing yourself in another person’s shoes is a fascinating challenge.

I know the old saying suggests walking a mile in someone else’s shoes. But is that really enough? I guess it depends on your intent and what you are trying to get out of the experience.

Understanding A Position

If you are trying to understand someone’s position on a topic, it could be a little more complex than you think. Most topics, at their most general, can be distilled down to a binary option. However, as you dig deeper into the detail, there can be dozens, or even hundreds, of nuanced positions.

Just as a person can be summed up in one word, it doesn’t really give you a good understanding of them. A brief bio is more helpful. An obituary can sum up an important figure in half a page of a newspaper. But these are mere snippets from a person’s life. These do not usually fully inform you of how they got to their current way of thinking on various topics.

So this immersion perspective comes from trying to understand a person more fully. A person is constantly absorbing and assessing information which allows them to make minor shifts in perception. Perhaps we need to understand all of these moments of shift to fully appreciate where someone is coming from in their discussion.

Time To Understand

Let’s say the main influencing time in a person’s life could be distilled into one accumulated hour per week. So one hour, times 52 weeks, for a 50 year old means 2,600 hours of influential moments to review. To do so, at a rate of 40 hours per week, would take over one year!

Immersing yourself in another person’s shoes may not be practical. However, we can be kind and listen. People are where they are based on their own experience. This includes all the formal and informal education, and training, they have received in their entire life.

Berating a person for their current opinion, based on their personal journey so far, is not helpful. Understanding how they have arrived there allows you to help them consider alternative views.

Try understanding people a little more today. Listen to their view and allow them to have it. People are often more open to considering a new perspective when it is presented openly as an option rather than in a coercive way.

Health & Fitness Reframe your thoughts Think About It Time

Living To 100 And Beyond

Posted on June 20, 2020

The imaginative people on this planet continue to make progress on so many fronts, especially in the medical field. Living to 100 and beyond is becoming more of a frequent occurrence these days.

And with rumours that 100 is the new 80, it is all very exciting. The perception of ageing is also changing. Many people are still very active in their 70’s and 80’s. Some are surprisingly able through their 90’s and into their 100’s. With all the new replacement parts and better prevention and cures, the idea of ageing is changing.

How many centenarians are there in the UK? Globally? More than many people would expect. (Take a guess before checking the answer at the bottom).

Reaching 100, or beyond, may become less of an issue of physical limitations and more of a mental health and mindset challenge.

For this reason I am angling to reach 160. Aim high! So even if I come up a little short, it will still be quite an impressive run. With that in mind, I am building good habits for the long haul. Both physical and mental habits. I‘ll let you know if I make it. 😉

Living to be 100 and beyond is quite an achievement. In 2018 there were 13,170 centenarians in the UK and 499,198 globally. They’re great numbers to build on.

Reframe your thoughts Think About It Time

Thinking Differently Changes Lives

Posted on June 17, 2020

It feels like there is a lot of upheaval and uncertainty in the world at the moment. Remember that thinking differently changes lives, whether it is with respect to Covid, your job or summer holidays.

Day to day life seems to be changing at a rapid pace. The future may, or may not, look different from what we experienced in 2019. But then again, things have been changing your whole life. So change is not really new. But what might be new is having greater uncertainty as to how this change will play out for you.

In our early years, many people have higher certainty due to social norms (school advancement, activities) and signposting by our parents or carers. From teenage years and onwards, we have a slightly lower certainty as we attempt to do things we want to do (apply to universities or jobs, move house, find new friends or a partner).

Often we decide on the change that we would like to happen in our life. But we did not choose this moment in time and the changes it has dealt us. And we do not know where this road leads. But the thinking that got us this far in life, may need some alterations for this next stage of life.

You are the hero of this story. No one else is coming to save you. You have the strength and mental acuity to shift now from uncomfortable to unstoppable. Be one of those joy filled people that believes thinking differently changes lives. Then make the mindset shift and begin the change.

Observe Think About It

Life Is A Game Of Inches And Millimetres

Posted on June 14, 2020

The Universe is enormous. It is 93 billion light years across and contains two trillion galaxies. Yet, life is a game of inches and millimetres.

We can stand in awe at the size of the Universe. It is equally mind bending to consider tiny differences and how they impact our lives. These small measurements, about the width of your thumb (inch) or width of your baby fingernail (10 millimetres) probably have a disproportionate impact on our lives.

We can see this in sport. Whether it is via the line judge in tennis, a missed shot in snooker, a nine-dart finish or a hole in one, we see how tiny differences can change the outcome.

Additionally we can see this with faces. I hadn’t thought much about this until one day I watched a video with Tony Robbins noting how symmetrical faces were. He continued by mentioning how we can pick up on almost imperceptible differences. We notice something, whether we can articulate it or not. Think about when you see a picture hanging on the wall and immediately you know if it is not symmetrical.

The more accurate you can be, the more likely you will have success. And sometimes it can be a fortunate millimetre or two that makes the difference.

Life is a game of inches and millimetres.

Get better at the refined detail and you will succeed more often.

Action Think About It

Don’t Let The Referee Decide The Result

Posted on June 13, 2020

I like this as a life lesson for all circumstances. I use it with my kids often. In the context of sport, don’t let the referee decide the result, means play so well that a few unfavourable calls won’t matter.

As a rugby coach of 13 year old boys, I have occasionally heard players, from both sides, comment on the reffing standard in a match. These types of comments can sometimes come from adults too when they are playing or watching sport.

My simple response to people is to play better and play harder. Outwork and outthink your opponent. Score many more points than the other team. Then, if a few calls don’t go your way, it won’t matter.

Play so well in every aspect of life that the ‘referee’ that observes your performance can only reward you with a win. Yes, it means practicing more and playing at a higher level at all times. That is fine, because excellence is a worthy habit to strive toward anyway.

Whether it is at work, in a relationship, driving your car, parking or paying bills, etc., don’t let things get so close that a third party can impact the outcome.

Train with enthusiasm and harder than you would play in a game. Then play the game so well that you win convincingly. Don’t let the referee decide the result.

Observe Think About It Time

Where Do We Go From Here?

Posted on June 12, 2020

I had a wonderful conversation with my 11 year old son Thursday night. ‘Where do we go from here?’, seemed to be the overriding theme.

It started after hearing a Patrick Bet-David video where he was saying he wouldn’t allow any excuse to stop him from succeeding. After discussing his words, and our view of his intent, we moved on to the current situation with the statues. After discussing many of the different positions people hold on this topic, we ended it wondering where things will go next.

From there we landed on the subject of Buddhism and the after life possibilities. Where do we go from here, if anywhere? We covered the ‘dead is dead and nothing happens’ perspective. The Heaven and Hell option was then considered. Then we went back to the Buddhist views and wandered around reincarnation for a bit.

Although he would love to know what’s next, he assured me he is not in a hurry to find out.

I left him with the following suggestions while he considers the many different points of view on the subject. Live the longest, happiest, most enjoyable life you can, just in case dead means dead.

Also, be kind to others and generally be good while doing all that enjoyment. Not only is it the right thing to do, it is good karma and should keep him out of the too hot to handle place should that be one of two possible destinations.

Finally, that good karma might help a little should reincarnation be the next level in this video game.

Wherever we go on any of the topics we covered, it is sure to be a fascinating ride.

Gratitude Think About It Time

Fond Memories Of Childhood Are Worth Rekindling

Posted on June 4, 2020

There are so many things to think about, do and keep up with in adult life. That is why fond memories of childhood are worth rekindling.

As we move through life, we see more of the complexities and nuances. There seems to be so much more to do as well. There is work, possibly children, pets, parents and partner. In addition, there is planning for holidays, signing up to activities, organising finances and everyday admin – which sometimes seems ever present.

So reflecting back on those long summer days in childhood is a nice thing. Remembering riding bicycles with friends, swimming together, sleepovers and solo playing can make you feel like you’ve been on holiday.

Was life simpler then or was it just because life is simpler in childhood? Maybe both?

I have many fantastic memories of childhood. Growing up on a farm often meant being creative. Today I was remembering building complex forts, tunnels and secret rooms with hay bales up in the hayloft. They were fun to build and brilliant to play in.

Fond memories of childhood are worth rekindling. What are some of your fondest memories? Can you pull out some forgotten but brilliant moments from the archive? Take 10 minutes and try to remember the names of your friends and the exciting adventures you had.

Enjoy!

Think About It

The Power Of Being A Part Of Something

Posted on June 2, 2020

I remember the feeling of being at a concert, sporting event or community gathering. The power of being part of something could be quite intoxicating. Just being together for the event could move you. And being able to participate in the action built an even stronger connection and memory.

As my friend Juliet would say, a crowd attracts a crowd. Why is that? It could be due to many reasons. Perhaps it is the minor gravitational pull exerted on nearby bodies. More recently, the fear of missing out (FOMO) could loom large. Thinking someone else has got better plans than you do, can be a significant factor. Regardless of the reason, we can say that being part of something can exert a powerful force.

It can be quite fun and connecting to be a part of something. It’s nice to have a shared experience you can relate to with other people. Although, it usually only feels good around a tribe that values that experience.

There are those that value the negative events. And there are those that value positive ones. Most importantly, if you pay attention, you can feel the force. Be aware of what forces are acting on you. Understand the thoughts and feelings helping to form your decisions.

The power of being a part of something can shift with time as your tribes shift or as your values change. Sometimes the impact comes from a shift in societal values or norms.