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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

Getting the world’s adult population to “roll up their sleeves” was never going to be easy. However, real progress has been made around the world. The Global Web Index (GWI), a leading audience targeting consultancy, has been tracking 47 countries currently vaccinating their populations. Their study has revealed that it is the USA, UK, Israel, and … Continued

When John Lennon was asked at school what he wanted to be when he grew up, he said, “happy”. The teacher said, “you don’t understand the question”, to which John replied, “no, you don’t understand the answer!”  Sir John Templeton (a highly respected financier, billionaire, and philanthropist) once said, “Happiness comes from spiritual wealth, not … Continued

Welcome to Spring…  Perhaps not quite the start we expected, and more like an Attenborough Artic documentary with driving snow and wind chill factors to match. The end of March was also mixed in what Charles Dickens once perfectly described as, “It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold, when it is summer in the light and winter in the shade.”  … Continued

2020 pushed the boundaries of “normality” beyond any previous year in our lifetimes. Many initially struggled but found coping mechanisms that helped them through. Some took the opportunity to exercise which over time developed into a disciplined regime and in doing so not only increased their fitness, but allowed them to enjoy a new, healthier lifestyle.   Others, especially those isolating, had to contend with limited family contact and personal meetings that were limited … Continued