CategoriesGratitudeTime

Finding Old Pictures

Posted on October 28, 2020

Pictures can really sum up a moment. They can pack quite a punch and deliver serious impact. Finding old pictures can be a lot of fun, especially if they evoke fabulous memories.

I was speaking with my Mom a couple of days ago when she mentioned she had found some photos in a drawer. Intrigued, I waited as she started showing them to me over FaceTime. They were fabulous photos of all of us being at our villa in Playacar, Mexico.

Back in February 2011, while Roxane was pregnant with our daughter, we decided to head to Playacar for 3 months of sea, sand, sun, heat and swimwear. As a maternity option, it was more comfortable than winter clothes, jackets and gloves.

Well it was a brilliant 3 months and those photos captured it amazingly well. They brought back strong, wonderful memories of both boys‘ birthdays as they turned 4 and 2. Also of family visiting us and friends too. They highlighted trips we took and other days out. And days in too – making nachos and margaritas while the others played Hungry Hippos and laughed hysterically.

There is something powerful about good pictures. They can transport you back in time, like a time machine. You can hear the laughs, the clinking of the glasses, the sounds of the sea and the delight of life.

Finding old pictures can unleash powerful emotions.

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CategoriesGratitudeHealth & FitnessObserveProgressReframe your thoughts

So Much In Common

Posted on October 27, 2020

Divisive is a common word these days. Though I find it a strange word to use. People have so much in common and things will continue to get better.

Most people have the following in common: They would like peace, prosperity, kindness, low or no crime and even good and effective political policies.

Would you like to live in a calm and safe neighbourhood? I think most people would aspire to that. Should children be able to go to school to learn? Hard to imagine too much resistance to that in normal times.

Listening to people on most issues and concerns, they seem to want a similar destination for each topic. There may be some differences as to how best to get there or exactly what the final destination looks like. But there seems to be so much less to argue about. And certainly most of those things are superficial in their nature. Or they require only a minor tweak.

No matter how much some people want to focus on the high drama of negative, angry or inflammatory news reports, I am confident we are in a much better position than any previously seen.

One example of this is that the global average life expectancy in 1900 was 31 and in 2017 it was 72.2. Additionally it is very peaceful and many people’s standards of living are much higher than in 1900.

We have so much in common. Let’s focus on what those things are.

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CategoriesObserveProgressThink About It

Progress, Change Or Improve

Posted on October 26, 2020

People want to change the world. That doesn’t necessarily mean they will improve it. Given the chance to make progress, change or improve yourself, or anything else, which word would you choose?

I used to be an adherent to change. Change was good. It was different to whatever is now. But that may mean worse as well as better, from your perspective or from that of others.

Then I became an ardent fan of progress. Progress was better than change. It sounded like it was at least going in the best direction.

However, I am not sure things that seem like progress always are. Like change, it can seem good to some but can be at the expense of many others.

Knowing what we know now, many things that seemed like progress at the time, may not have turned out like that in the longer run.

Was the machine gun progress over a pistol? Was nuclear power progress? Industrialisation – was that progress? Ask people interested in the planet’s future.

We should aim to improve. Improving suggests making things better, for many. It encapsulates change and progress but also a broad reach that helps most people that are impacted by it. It’s not about a select few, or one political, religious or tribal view.

Progress, change or improve? Aim at improve.

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CategoriesActionObserveProperty

A Distracted 6 Year Old

Posted on October 25, 2020

Have you ever been distracted or lost your focus? Of course you have. People can easily go off track like a distracted 6 year old. A phone rings, a note reminds you of something, or you just walk into the kitchen and you forget what you were going to do.

This happens to everyone at some point in their life. I know this can happen to me severely times per day. Sometimes it is funny and I laugh at it. At other times, it is a little frustrating to forget something, maybe have to backtrack, or lose 15 minutes and you can’t remember how that happened.

People have good intentions to stay focused. Though there are so many things going on in our days, it can present a reasonable challenge. Remember this any time you hire someone or ask a person to get something done. Assume they are well intentioned but follow up with them. And do that more frequently than you think you should.

This is particularly true when buying a property. It is very easy for people to get distracted with other work or activities and unnecessarily shift things to tomorrow or next week. A friendly call to ensure things are on track is very useful in between milestones. It’s better than an unpleasant surprise at the end.

But maybe don’t tell your friend about a distracted 6 year old theory just before they board a plane. Especially if they’re not a keen flyer…

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CategoriesObserveTime

What An Unusual Year

Posted on October 24, 2020

2020 has almost come and gone. Life has been a little weird at times. And there are still two months to go. What an unusual year.

It feels like the months have dragged on since the beginning of the year. Though, in contrast, it feels like the year has flown past. Can you remember what you were thinking or doing in late February or early March?

Part of what makes this year stand out, obviously, is the coronavirus. It has impacted much of the planet in some way. Though it may have impacted some countries or states more than others. Policies such as lockdowns or closing shops and restaurants are being relaxed or tightened depending on the unique situations and who is actually in charge.

The British exit from the European Union is due to happen in just over 60 days as well. Although Brexit has impacted fewer people so far, it will start to have some impact on Brits, and many Europeans, in 2021.

The weather in Britain has been unusually pleasant to brilliant from March until now, which I hugely appreciate. Lots of sunshine and warm days. With enough rain to keep things fresh and green but not so frequent as to diminish our spirits.

Hopefully the year has allowed you to reflect on many things, as it has for me.

Two months remain. Make good use of them.

What an unusual year.

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CategoriesThink About It

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.

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CategoriesObserveTime

Advice For A 14 Year Old

Posted on October 22, 2020

The world has changed. It does that. Sometimes it tilts to good and sometimes it tilts to bad. However, advice for a 14 year old should probably look quite similar regardless of society, technology or wealth.

One idea for a 14 year old would be to take actions to get better at something, Aim to be in the top 5% within 12 months. The action required could be more revision to improve school test scores. It could also involve learning a sport, hobby or instrument. It is amazing what 20 minutes a day can do over 3 months.

Getting better at something increases confidence, helps people understand how learning, goals and discipline work. In addition, you learn about the compound effect of building skill upon skill, how habits help and also the key elements of time, effort and patience.

Learning to seek and find is another key piece of advice. Don’t wait for the coach to select you or a job to fall in your lap. Ask your parents, teachers or a search engine how you can improve. Decide what you want to try now and look into it. This may involve joining a club, watching YouTube highlights or how to clips. It could even mean getting a book from the library. Speak to several people to give you different perspectives.

This is advice for a 14 year old. It’s also good advice for a 41 year old.

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CategoriesActionHealth & FitnessReframe your thoughtsTime

The Power Of Waking Up Early

Posted on October 21, 2020

It can be so easy to lie in bed. Just hit snooze and pull the covers over. Drift off and dream. But the power of waking up early can be immense. There is something magical in it.

I used to be a night person. In fact, I could go through the whole night. Some days it can be so easy to be reading, watching something or chatting and find yourself still going at 2 am.

The challenge is when you then need to get up at 5 am. Getting only 3 hours sleep can be tough. Not always on the first day, but certainly on the second or third day as it catches up to you.

So over the past five years I have shifted to waking up between 04:30 am and 06:30 am. While training for a couple of marathons last spring, it was always between 04:30 and 05:00. At the moment it is between 05:00 and 06:00.

It feels great to be up when it is so quiet. There are no disruptions. I feel I am ahead of my day. Getting a few things done, including a run and shower before waking the kids at 06:40, is a great feeling.

It can be a challenge at times. But the power of waking up early makes me feel alive!

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CategoriesObserveProgressReframe your thoughts

What Is Your Superpower?

Posted on October 20, 2020

Everyone has one. If you don’t know yours, you should have a little think about it. What is your superpower? How do you use it?

Kids tend to know their own superpower and that of the other kids. They know if the are brilliant and lightning quick at solving a Rubik’s Cube, like my son. He knew it because he could time himself. It became more obvious to him as children he didn’t even know would come up to him at school, hand him their cube and ask him to fix it for them. He always did. This was proof that others knew his super power too.

Remember, you can have more than one superpower. For example, Superman had incredible strength, heat vision and flight, to name a few. In contrast, you may not know of any power yet. Sometimes these are revealed at different times in life. It may be more about ‘when the student is ready, the teacher appears’. Or perhaps it is a matter of ‘seek and ye shall find’.

One other thing about this, is that your power may be underdeveloped. You will need to work at it, test it and experiment. It will grow stronger and you will be better able to control it as you work at it. You will need to have focus, discipline and persistence.

What is your superpower?

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CategoriesActionFinancialGratitudeHealth & FitnessObserveReframe your thoughtsThink About ItTime

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.

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