Scott's Thinking - Page 174 of 217

Life Is Like A Movie

Posted on March 19, 2021

Have you noticed how things in certain movies become things in life? Remember the swish swish of doors in Star Trek? Life is like a movie, though only certain ones at certain times.

So when I was growing up, the swish swish of the doors on the Starship Enterprise seemed so futuristic. However, now most metro centres have thousands of these doors.

Then things started to unfold like the Schwarzenegger film Total Recall. The whole idea of virtual reality. We are getting there with Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality and Artificial Intelligence. We certainly have driverless cars on the near term radar. And trips to Mars being scheduled.

Then we have seen some elements of Tom Cruise’s Minority Report. People are being condemned for even thinking of an activity with a criminal element. It doesn’t matter if a crime has happened. The fact that it could have happened is enough for you to be removed from society.

Now things are moving on with skins in Fortnite and a virtual world in Clubhouse. This and the VR makes me think that the Ready Player One reality is not that far off from our current life.

Finally, we have Terminator. Well, that melting man business and pulling yourself back together is quite impressive. But happy for it to be a few more years before that.

Life is like a movie. Go get the popcorn ?.

Action Observe Think About It Time Video

Recorded History Obsession

Posted on March 18, 2021

There is something wonderful about keepsakes from our past. Equally it is nice to keep tapes and videos. Although a recorded history obsession seems to be getting a foothold in modern culture.

I suppose it started with chiselling into some clay tablets. Then things moved to the printing press and recorded music. That was a nice time. Not too many newspapers, books, or musicians traipsed about. So not much was recorded.

Then we moved to making films. And then tv shows. Some started live. Then some shows did pre-recordings.

After that came VHS, Mixed tapes, CD’s, DVD’s, digital photography, books, ebooks, audio books, box sets, etc. Things were further complicated by CCTV, social media and email. Everything we did was being recorded. Even our ring doorbell footage needed to be stored in the cloud.

I have so many photo and video clips, that I am not sure I would ever look at them all again. It would take days if not weeks. We are so awfully busy capturing moments of our life, that we lose our life reliving those moments.

Memories are wonderful. But do we need to remember everything via recordings? Will we ever have enough time to watch it all? Or only when we are very old and the information no longer useful.

This recorded history obsession may need to slow down to preserve mental health.

Action Gratitude Observe Reframe your thoughts

Perceived Value

Posted on March 17, 2021

Most people stay at a hotel so that they can get a night’s sleep in a bed. So other than the bed, does anything else matter? The perceived value is different for different people.

Some people would like more than the bed. They may wish to have a private shower, toilet and washbasin too. Lots of people require a specific level of cleanliness also. Others still, need a large room and blackout blinds.

But all of this may be irrelevant if the customer does not get a good night’s sleep. There are so many factors that affect perceived value. There are too many to list out in this short blog. However, it does seem to prove the point that beauty or value is in the eye of the beholder.

Think of all the factors that go into selecting your milk from a shop. It might be brand, taste, price, size or position on the shelf. That is from a product that is quite basic too. Imagine if there were lots of other factors like when considering a degree course.

A course is quite personal to you. You need to like the brand, the teacher or instructor, the topic, the location and the timings, to name a few key elements. Some people will pay $10,000 for a course with a specific outcome from a specific teacher.

Others will attribute little or no perceived value.

Gratitude Observe Reframe your thoughts

Life Before Electricity

Posted on March 16, 2021

What was that like? Imagine how many things in your life would be quite different right now. It’s staggering. Imagine life before electricity.

So you would not be able to use your lights at your house. There would be no television, radio or mobile phones. Yes, it is starting to look a little bleak.

You wouldn’t have a battery in your car. And there would be no batteries in your game. Street lamps would not exist. Nor would integrated fire alarms. Driving on unfamiliar roads would require a physical paper map. No Tom Tom would be there to help you.

Electric cars would not be a thing. They wouldn’t run. Maybe a car made with a water based power source would exist. So many endless possibilities.

Could you live in a time without electricity? What would you miss the most? What would you miss the least?

Electricity is so fun to have around. It’s the life of a party. It would be shocking without it.

Spend one day without using electricity and see how you get on. You might realise how truly valuable this commodity is. Sometimes we only come to this conclusion after we’ve tried the hardship exercise.

It’s hard to imagine life before electricity.

Action Gratitude Think About It

The After Party

Posted on March 16, 2021

It’s a lot of fun being around people you like. And it can be even more enjoyable when you can kick back with them at the after party.

This shindig can take place after putting on a big event or after a day at work. It’s usually highly enjoyable as people have completed their work and are now able to relax.

We had one of those moments this evening after a Clubhouse room. We had just spoken about how we had done this with another room a couple of weeks ago. The same pattern emerged.

Alex hosted a room for several hours. In this case that room lasted 7 hours. But as people were filing out, we began chatting a little. Then the chat broadened and continued. As another hour passed, we thought seriously about closing the room. Finally, a brave moderator tore the bandage off and closed the room. Phew.

The after party is quite a chill place to relax and shoot the breeze with mates/friends. The pressure is off so perhaps someone on stage will let something fascinating slip.

But then someone has to be brave enough to close it down. They need to shut the room. Thankfully someone did it.

So that was fun!

The after party usually is.

Action Gratitude Health & Fitness Observe Progress Reframe your thoughts

Choose Discipline Or Disaster

Posted on March 14, 2021

Discipline sounds so strict. It has echoes of an unwavering sergeant major accepting nothing but your best. She asks you to choose discipline or disaster.

I have seen this in my personal life. If I am not disciplined about something, it can turn into a disaster. Now disaster is a relative term here as there are many stops on the road to disaster, but I think you understand what I mean.

Take the early morning alarm scenario. If you are disciplined, you can wake up on the first go. Then you can get ready as planned and and be where you should be on time. Alternatively, you can hit the snooze button a few times and then find yourself late for the rest of the day. This is sometimes the beginning of many disasters.

If your sports team is not good about their discipline, they may not build up sufficient strength and stamina before a match. This lack of discipline could result in a disaster. This could be a terrible score or perhaps some unnecessary injuries.

Of course, with a bit of discipline, you can find some amazing results. You don’t have to be perfect, but consistency helps.

Choose discipline or disaster. The former has more upsides.

Action Gratitude Health & Fitness Think About It

Why Be Negative?

Posted on March 13, 2021

There are so many things to be. Though the big difference can be found in just the direction you may go in. With a great alternative, why be negative?

It takes effort to be one thing or another. It takes practice and effort to frown or not smile. Consider that next time you are standing around.

One way to make everything seem better is to smile. Though many people would rather be left for dead than smile. But it is such a nice thing to see. People that smile appear friendlier, warm and welcoming. They radiate an energy.

People know this intuitively but are also asked to smile many times in their lives. Frequently young people are asked to smile and especially now for photos. However, there are some people that would rather resist this temptation to smile, laugh or be playful.

Negative sentiments can lead to slouching, poor posture, low energy, sickness and yes, even grumpiness. On the other hand, people could choose to be happier, joyful and bright. It is a habit, whichever you choose, but it is hard to understand the thinking behind being more negative than positive.

Think about your face, posture and thoughts right now. Learn about how you are and change it if you are not being delighted, fun and playful more often than not.

Why be negative?

Action Health & Fitness Observe Think About It Time

I Can See The Future

Posted on March 12, 2021

Predicting the future is a funny game. We do think we are pretty good at guessing what will happen next. I can see the future and it looks exciting!

The key to understanding predications is the following. The more control you have over the process, the more likely the outcome. So, for example, the lady running the roulette wheel in a casino has more control over the outcome than you. It depends on how she spins the wheel and throws the ball. You have no control.

You have more control with blackjack, though the deck is stacked against you. However, a diet and exercise regime is heavily in your control or sphere of influence. So you can see the pounds melt away through reduced calories, body toning and strengthening. All in your control.

So now do that with your life. Look deep into the future. Imagine the infinite possibilities. Where would you like to end up? If you could choose anywhere, and you can, where would it be?

So decide what you are looking for and then go after it. Be sensible, make a plan, take provisions and be hopeful. Then start. The road may be a little rocky at first. But stick with it. Slowly but surely you will get there.

I can see the future. And now I am going to make it happen.

Gratitude Observe Reframe your thoughts Time

Keeping Life Simple

Posted on March 11, 2021

Do you have the secret? Is there any way to do it? Everyday there is a new deluge of information and items to address. Keeping life simple is no easy feat.

Each day you will have to deal with more things. Today I received some Council Tax bills for some of our properties, a home insurance renewal notice and some yummy looking food pamphlets. (I imagined the food to be tasty, not the actual pamphlets themselves.)

So recycle one pamphlet but keep another. Where to put it though? We put it on the fridge as we intend to use it this week. The other envelopes I opened and made some notes on them. They then found themselves in our Tickler file. This is a filing system we learned from David Allen, who wrote the book Getting Things Done.

When used correctly, it is an awesome and powerful filing and tidying system. When it isn’t, it is the equivalent of the stationary bike as clothes horse.

We also received a delivery of a shower system. Life is a continual in-tray of things to sort, sift and solve. The quicker you can systematise or delegate, the happier you will be.

Look, those items come in the same time every year. Like Christmas, Easter and July 1st, they come around every year. Plan for them,

Keeping life simple will make you smile.

Action Gratitude Observe Think About It

Being The Very Best Matters

Posted on March 10, 2021

Or does it? It seems to me that it’s mostly big names that are featured in mainstream media articles and interviews. Being the very best matters, or at least that is the signal we send to our kids and everyone else.

I love reading about successful people. It’s always been an interest of mine. Discovering how people got to where they are and what adversity they had to overcome make the stories interesting.

And it is great to see the top people in the world. These people can inspire us, teach us and be great role models. Their success can rouse each new generation to ever greater achievements.

Though at what cost? Being the best and better than others is a worthy target. Though winning by nefarious means such as illegal drugs or other cheating methods is not acceptable. And the pressure to excel at younger ages, for longer periods, with higher risk of mental or physical strain may not serve our youth in the best way.

Is winning the gold or being the wealthiest, youngest, smartest person the only admirable aspect of life? Perhaps we could put more focus on the grind, the grit, the process or journey along the way.

We can learn a lot from everyday people. Many put in the same grind and process, albeit their outcome may not be at the top.

Being the very best matters. Or does it?