“If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” – Albert Einstein I’ve known Simon since his early student days in Aberdeen. My family spent many Sunday afternoons with Simon. We would provide the food; Simon would bring the entertainment which was, invariably, himself. Simon has never lost his ability to entertain … Continued
Heatwaves, wildfires, red weather warnings we have had them all this year, but for me it is a November night that comes to mind. Storm Arwen. Her winds launched a ferocious attack on forests, buildings and power lines disrupting supply for 80,000 local homes leaving remote communities to endure up to ten days without electricity. … Continued
“Patience is waiting. Not passively waiting. That is laziness. But to keep going when the going is hard and slow – that is patience.” Leo Tolstoy Guilty as charged. I’m not a very patient person. I don’t like queues. I really don’t enjoy practicing; I want to play guitar like John Mayer now – not … Continued
… A Personal Perspective If you think financial scams affect only those who lack financial experience or the gut instinct that something isn’t right, you might want to think again. This week I found myself a fully paid-up member of the “I’ve been scammed club”. It all started with a text my wife received from … Continued
“Professionals put things away slowly so that they’ll be ready quickly when needed. Investing time now for time later.” I saw this comment in a Seth Godin blog and it reminded me of a Sunday morning. Let me explain. As a wannabe guitar player, (anything with no more than four chords is fine), and a … Continued
Being a card-carrying Luddite, I preferred to leave technology to my kids and have them set up my phone, laptop etc. I never understood how young people or digital natives as they are known, just seemed to know intuitively how technology works without manuals or training. However, I now find myself gaining confidence thanks to … Continued
It’s been said that we should “Eat to meet long-term goals, not short-term satisfaction.” So, choosing between fruit or chocolate should be easy. But is it? Do we consider our dietary choices in terms of long-term health outcomes? I rarely considered food choices in that way until recently. I now have a list of things … Continued
“Nothing liberates our greatness like the desire to help, the desire to serve.” Marianne Williamson “There may be trouble ahead” is the opening line in Irving Berlin’s classic 1936 song “Let’s face the music and dance”. It seems strangely appropriate given the global outlook today however, I was curious to discover what life was like … Continued
“If I was going there, I wouldn’t start from here!” is a legendary response to a request for directions. I’ve been mulling over the topic of maps, plans, and their hidden complexities prompted by US marketing and business guru Seth Godin’s recent blog post. It reminded me of an experience on our honeymoon which came … Continued
“The greatest gift we can give our children are the roots of responsibility and the wings of independence.” – Maria Montessori Anders Sundell, an associate professor at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, clearly loves a challenge. He interviewed hundreds of thousands of people across eighty different countries to uncover the most important values they think … Continued
