Scott's Thinking - Page 135 of 173

Live And Let Live

Posted on January 25, 2021

It is easy to try to tinker with the lives of others. Sometimes we want to make unsolicited suggestions to other people. Live and let live is not just a useful proverb, it is a philosophy I try to follow. And sometimes I am successful….

Why do we do this? There are many different reasons. There always are. Let’s look at a few examples.

We can start with easy things like our favourite colour. If I like blue and you like green, I think nothing of it. Although, I might ask you why you like that colour, or which shade you prefer. However, I am unlikely to try to convince you that you would be better off liking blue.

Now lets look at favourite music. Clearly there is an incredible array of music to choose from. You might find classical to your taste. I prefer Rock. There is not a lot of crossover. So if we are on a car journey, we may need to take it in turns or find a compromise, like pop music. We may try to sway each other to change musical taste out of convenience. However, it would be rare to see a full on switch.

People perceive things differently. This could be part DNA and part environment. And there may be many other reasons. But as long as the other person is not hurting anyone, live and let live.

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When The Stars Align

Posted on January 24, 2021

You push and grind and patiently wait. One part of the puzzle is all it will take. Twisting and turning until everything’s fine. That’s when the stars align.

I love the visual I get when I think of stars aligning in space. I see maybe 10 or 12 massive bodies of matter moving into a straight line with millions of miles between them. It’s quite awesome to behold. It’s like giant tumblers inside a massive combination lock.

All the tumblers need to be in the correct position for the magic to happen and to unlock the mystery. When the stars are in just the right position, the world is your oyster.

It is such a wonderful feeling to have everything working out. Think about how many millions of things have to be working together for an amazing day to happen. Your arms, legs, heart, head, speech, movement, temperature, community, etc must all be in ideal conditions. Simultaneously!

That may be why it feels so special when those types of things happen. Whether it is for a minute or a whole day, it is simply the best feeling. Everything is in unison and giving off a glow. It might convince some of a magical force in the universe.

There is a powerful beauty when the stars align.

Action Observe Progress Reframe your thoughts Time

Looking Back

Posted on January 23, 2021

Did you spend your day well? What about your week? How well did you spend your time in 2020? Or 2019 for that matter? Looking back is a useful exercise, especially if you do it well before the final curtain.

There are days that seem to slip through my fingers. Like yesterday. I had planned out the whole day before going to bed the night before. From my alarm ringing in the morning, until my head hit the pillow in the evening, I was scheduled.

But some random events threw me off course in the morning. Then the afternoon was all playing catch up. But then a couple of other unexpected situations arose. Some of these I could have averted with slightly better communication and time management. However, the others were just a little dose of, “That’s life”.

I really only got back on track at 7pm. Yet, I had missed so much in the day. Even with decent planning, you can be blown off course occasionally. But try to resist. Set your environment up in a better way. Then you can stick to the plan and make great progress.

This is a good analogy for life. You don’t want to get to the end of a time period and wish you had been more efficient with your time and more focused with your intent.

Looking back helps us look forward.

Action Health & Fitness Reframe your thoughts Time

Get Moving!

Posted on January 22, 2021

We all need to move in life. It is very good for our bodies and minds if we get the heart rate up. The blood in our bodies needs to circulate. Get moving!

I can sit on a comfy chair for hours. In addition, I find lying in a comfy bed very relaxing. And some mornings I can find it a little more difficult than others to get up and out of bed. This has almost nothing to do with my body and nearly everything to do with my mindset in that moment.

There are days that I slowly get my running clothes on, secretly hoping for a torrential storm to give me a reasonable reason not to go. However, I can’t recall a time that I wasn’t delighted with going, once I was seven minutes into the run.

The physical and mental health benefits of exercise are many. Going for a walk or run, or doing some press-ups, star jumps or squats all have beneficial qualities at zero cost to participate.

I know it’s easier to stay under a blanket and in a warm house. However, your mind and body don’t get the true benefits for doing that.

Start today. Do something for five minutes. And commit to doing that same thing for seven days straight.

Get moving!

Health & Fitness Progress Reframe your thoughts

The Minister Of Fun

Posted on January 21, 2021

We should have more fun. You might be having enough fun with whatever you are doing. But more could be good. The Minister of Fun was a position my friend created and held at University to ensure students had a great experience.

Perhaps countries should have a cabinet role with this title. We hear all about this happiness index and how much wealth one needs to improve their happiness. We also know that some people are struggling a little more now due to events of the past year (i.e. covid).

So if we are going to take our mental health more seriously, perhaps we need someone focused on good times. Obviously there would be some funding for fun activities. And we would need to ensure the activities were environmentally friendly.

Just in writing this, I feel that we could be on to something. Imagine what progress that would indicate. The potential for that government portfolio is enormous. People love fun so it is a definite vote getter.

Perhaps we need to get this note under the nose of our leaders and ask that something be done immediately. It wouldn’t matter what the story involved, if the journalist had to quote The Minister of Fun, we would all be in a great mood.

Action Gratitude Progress

Talkin’ About A Resolution

Posted on January 20, 2021

We are three weeks into the new year. How are things going? How are you feeling about nearing the end of the first month? I’m talkin’ about a resolution.

Several weeks ago, billions of people made commitments to themselves about what they would do better this year. You were one of those people.

Were you serious about it? Or was it simply wishful thinking? A serious goal requires a serious plan. Something written out with a strategy and a plan to execute.

If you didn’t have it on 1 January, you can create it now. Write out what you will do this year. Then write out what components of those goals will be done in each month. By writing out each month and the milestones you will reach, you are preparing your mind to achieve the goals.

Get this information in your planner. You will do amazing things with some planning. It will make the work easier and increase the probability of success. Each milestone is critical along your road to success. You need to be a little obsessive, not laissez-faire.

You will need some emotion, passion and energy. Get sparked and drive hard toward your goal. Achieve something in January.

I’m talkin’ about a resolution.

Action Observe

Changing Teams

Posted on January 19, 2021

The way people shift from group to group fascinates me. Not only due to the values based decision making but also the prioritisation. Changing teams is an interesting study.

Let’s use a simple example using sport. Let’s say I start following baseball. Somehow I become a supporting fan of a specific team, like the Pittsburgh Pirates. While watching I will become even more engaged with some players more than others. I was a huge fan of Willie Stargell, MVP of the 1979 World Series.

I then decide to go to a game that sees them square off against the Chicago Cubs. This happens to be my friend’s team.

So throughout the day, I feel closest to my friend. This friendship deepens as we head to the ballpark to watch our favourite sport of baseball. But in the stadium our allegiance shifts. He cheers vigorously for his Cubs while I cheer for the Pirates. My priority is now to my team and he feels the same for his team.

Let’s say Willie then hit a home run. My friend is unhappy and lets me know it. I defend Willie. The conversation moved from big picture to individual from the start of the day until now. Friendship, baseball, game, team, player.

We leave the ballpark and head home. Some soccer fans are celebrating the result of their match, on the streets. My friend and I are laughing again as we got over the game, remember our love of baseball and unite against the soccer fans and their chosen sport.

Changing teams again.

Financial Observe Time

Education V Entertainment

Posted on January 18, 2021

This battle for our minds was brought up a few times in a room I was in on Clubhouse on Saturday. Education v entertainment was a good way to express the point.

How you spend your time is important. What you do with it is your business in a free society. So you can choose to educate yourself further or you can decide to enjoy the vast array of distracting fun things to do.

Fun things satisfy our desire for that moment. Though it takes longer to get a result when learning. So which one will you choose? Which one is more important overall?

The great thing about education is that you get to keep the knowledge. With entertainment you keep that memory of fun. Though sometimes we forget about the fun we had.

I believe the folks talking about these two words would like more people to be educated. That’s a great ambition. Though it can be difficult. Being entertained is so nice. And it is usually easier than trying to learn and become educated.

We, as the adults of the world, need to help children getting accostumed to learning. Hopefully they will enjoy it most of the time too.

Education v entertainment. On balance, which one are you focused on?

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Enjoying Lockdown

Posted on January 17, 2021

There are some elements of this whole thing that have a positive component for me. I understand other people may not feel the same. Enjoying lockdown depends on your circumstances and your mindset.

We’ve had some impact on our business but fortunately not too severe. And I am conscious some people have had a terrible experience and worse. These are very sad circumstances and my heart goes out to people who have been impacted in a seriously negative way.

However, today’s post is about trying to find the silver lining in a challenging time.

So some of the things I am grateful for in this time of lockdown are as follows. I get to spend time with our lovely kids at breakfast, lunch and dinner. I grew up on a farm so when school was out in the summer, we would work on the farm all day but eat meals together as a family.

Also, there is no running around to all kinds of events, sports, social engagements, etc. I don’t have to contend with congested roads either. A calmer life can be enjoyed, without the fear of missing out.

The third reason is that currently people are pretty empathetic and forgiving if things aren’t going quite to plan. If things take a little longer or are a little more casual than professional, then that is ok. This is a nice thing to have.

I may not be on a beach in the Caribbean but for many reasons, I am enjoying lockdown.

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Getting Stuck

Posted on January 16, 2021

Sometimes I can’t think of anything to write. Other times, I write 15 topics down in two minutes. I prefer the flow rather than getting stuck.

Flow is great. It feels energetic and exciting. So many possibilities and so much promise. Having your mind go blank or trying to force a topic is a lot less fun. It just feels wrong, uncomfortable and even frustrating. When that happens, I do a few different things to shake it up.

One easy tip is to simply move. Get up and walk into another room. I will wave my arms around, run on the spot or do some press ups. This gets the blood flowing and may spark some inspiration. Secondly, I will flip through a magazine or favourite book. If this doesn’t do it, I may also head to Instagram or YouTube and see what headlines are showing up there. Looking through different media often sparks some ideas.

If I am still getting challenged and nothing is coming through I do some other task for a set period. It may be something to do in the house or some admin, but usually away from screens. Sometimes you just need a break from working completely.

Getting stuck is temporary. And you can influence the outcome.