Author: Frank Morton

You may know people who at one point had retired, but then later returned to work through boredom. Those who had felt ready for retirement were, in fact, not. Most of their life up to that point had been consumed gaining recognition and reputation by building their career. They worked hard to pay the bills, to support their families, to enjoy holidays, setting aside what money they could for that day when they could finally retire. However, people can often find … Continued

Doughnuts – The optimist sees the dough ring. The pessimist sees the hole.  The focus on climate change and developing strategies for sustainable living is inescapable. The global community’s response has been patchy at best. The UK government has set ambitious carbon reduction targets. However, while targets are one thing, a cohesive collaborative strategy that delivers sustainable … Continued

“An economist is an expert who will know tomorrow why the things he predicted yesterday didn’t happen today” – Laurence J. Peter  We know markets are unpredictable, but surely economic health is a sure-fire way of predicting the direction of share values? If only it was that simple. Let’s look at a 2021 report by … Continued

“What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stronger” – Fredrich Nietzsche  Caution usually prevents us from making mistakes or avoiding danger. Risk and caution can resemble a tug of war, with shared victories and losses. A calculated approach allows you to keep your balance and poise when all about you is carnage (picture an “Orcadian Strip The … Continued

Life – Colourful Chaos, Not Black And White.  My wife and I have been busy. Firstly, we downsized and celebrated our fortieth wedding anniversary. There were old photos to laugh at and possessions to sort through. A host of memories, some great, some not so great. But the overwhelming sense is one of life being a random walk, rather than a carefully choreographed waltz. Plans, even the best ones, don’t always work out as you’d anticipated.   “Life can only be understood backwards, … Continued

“What gets projects done for me is not inspiration. It’s curiosity and rigour.” – Andrew Zuckerman  Rigour – the quality of being extremely thorough and careful, meticulous, with precision and accuracy.   Having someone take time to apply an appropriately granular level of detail to their work is reassuring. As Seth Godin wrote, “A rigid approach is easy to describe, but it’s brittle. Being … Continued

“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you” – Maya Angelou  Everyone has a story. Most people feel it’s not special. They’ve never seen the Loch Ness monster, won Wimbledon, or competed at the Olympics. So, what value do stories have?    When packing up for our upcoming house move, I discovered an old Jimmy Connors Wilson steel tennis racket I bought 45 years ago. According to eBay, … Continued

“Winning is fun…sure. But winning is not the point. Wanting to win is the point. Not giving up is the point. Never letting up is the point. Never being satisfied with what you’ve done is the point.” – Pat Summitt.  Physical talent alone is not enough for success. It takes self-belief, mental strength, and discipline. … Continued

I enjoyed school, but only when outside the classroom. I was more inspired by sporting activities. Fortunately, my school encouraged sports. I could binge on sports rather than science. At 17, after a weekend of rugby, hockey, and sometimes tennis, I could wake up pain-free. Not today. A young body recovers much quicker than a more “mature” one. Oh, to be 17 again.  We are moving house soon, and our home currently looks like the place where boxes come to die! I … Continued

Sprezzatura – Well-Rehearsed Naturalness  The Italian word ‘sprezzatura’ was first used by Baldassare Castiglione (1478-1529) in ‘The Book of the Courtier’, a classic of Italian Renaissance literature. Castiglione’s aim was to instruct noblemen on proper manners and comportment, all part of cultivating an elegant style while appearing natural and unrehearsed.   Many people have made a very good living from their apparent ability to engage … Continued