The School of Life

LEARNING HOW TO LIVE

It always amazes me when I observe how supposedly intelligent and 'wise' people are doing things that are not beneficial to themselves or anyone else. They're stubbornly stuck in their ways because they truly believe they know what is right - when clearly there are better more beneficial ways to do things...if one looks hard enough. A lot of people chose the easy and lazy option and it seems to be the older, well-educated and outwardly respected folk that get stuck in their ways the most. They don't like to have their thinking challenged and they stop learning & growing as a consequence.

Watching some more of Alain De Botton's short documentaries and reading The Consolations of Philosphy again, I've learned another truth today - we have to understand that failure and hardship are to be embraced as a way to improve ourselves. We should abandon comfort for true fulfilment. Nietzche said, 'That what does not kill me - only makes me stronger'. This is why, I've pushed myself in the gym, when I could have stayed at home - this is why I get out of bed early when I could so easily stay in bed and why I chose to avoid the comfort zone.

Another one of Alain De Botton's projects, The School of Life, has some great courses and a helpful list of good reads for better understanding how to live life. I cycled past it the other day. It's located in one of my most favourite areas of London - Bloomsbury. It's well worth having a look at the website, even if it's just for some reference for what to read. Alain also has his TV documentaries, Ted talks etc. on there too, which you can watch for free. You can learn about another great project Alain's involved with, Living Architecture - where you can book a room at some fantastic properties in the UK.

Burnout

PTSD

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It's not just the armed forces that get affected. I've been reading some articles today about the effects of being subjected to sustained high levels of stress, the infectuous nature of working with trauma sufferers and fallout from being in this kind of environment for too long. Our front line could be the 9-5, the trauma sufferers our colleagues and the fallout can be the consequences from not dealing with something we're not even unaware of being affected by...

Numbness

When exposed to high levels of stress for sustained periods, soldiers have been observed to display behaviour changes in the form of; mood swings, anger outbursts, lack of empathy and numbness. There's also been studies to show how these same traits can be found in the office workplace - indicated by a clear increase in stress-related symptoms being diagnosed over recent years. A friend of mine who worked in the stock market, had to leave his job because it was affecting his marriage so much. He wasn't as aware of the changes to his character as his wife and friends were at the time, because he spent a major portion of his time at work. This kind of work, although well-paid, is known to be a hi-paced and stressful job. Being in media, there are known high-stress factors affecting certain roles, but being in an ever-more competitive market, the acceptable levels of stress have increased significantly across a multitude of roles and certainly not just representative of those with the highest salaries. So it's inevitable that more people are now working in an elevated state of stress which is not healthy for long periods and is likely why I've noticed the behavioural characteristics my friend, a high-earner from the stock market was displaying in more of my colleagues who are merely doing a regular job in lower paid roles. 

The signs that we're over-stressed don't show up as much until we're outside of the toxic environment. Our partners and friends will point out to us the times we're clearly out of balance. These can show up with an unexpected outburst in minor stress situations, for example; when driving a car. Other sure signs are fatigue - being exhausted at the end of the working week with no energy for the weekend's activities or isolation - unusually quiet/withdrawn & feeling flat/numb in what are usually known to be fun and upbeat situations. 

The feeling of numbness is hard to describe. You can be doing something fun or not so much fun and there'll be no great deviation from the line of zero emotion. There's no/little spike of excitement when there should b,e or emotion when something bad/sad has happened. It is interesting that I've been able to witness and observe these feelings in myself and mostly rectify numbness quickly & easily by readily having something on hand to jar the dulled brain back into life. For others, where they've not been made aware of their symptoms until they are close to burnout, it's maybe not been so easy to fix. 

Life Mantra

There's a simple way to keep on top of how you're feeling and that's to write things down. I've been doing this consistently since 2010. Every year I make a list of the things I want to achieve at the beginning and evaluate them at the end of the year. This is great practice as there's a master plan in place. But, you'll have some known truths about yourself that will help or hinder your achievements and this is where your mantra comes in. I write down what things negatively affect me - like being in a stressful work environment, dealing with difficult characters or having to repeatedly do things that irritate me. I'll then have a list of positives that I can also get from being in those environments/situations and have some extra known tasks, activities and tricks that I can draw on to help adjust the balance if the day is particularly tough. Some examples of these easy to obtain positivity enhancers are:

- Doing some exercise at the gym

- Riding my road bike

- Going for a walk

- Eating a nice meal

- Watching or listening to some comedy

- Watching an inspirational TED video

- Listening to music or a pod cast

- Sleep

The not so easy to get immediately but best positivity enhancers are things like; taking quality time out, ie. getting away for a weekend break or longer with partners and friends. These need to be factored-in regularly and there needs to be time for assessment and self-reflection. I now make regular checks every day when writing a blog and it's helped keep track of a number of things - in particular, the life/work balance. 

Get out and move on

Whatever your reasons for remaining in a bad situation/environment/job, when you realise that the positivity enhancers are being over-used and their restorative effects becoming weaker/not as long-lasting...it's time to look at options before burnout takes hold or manifests into something even more serious. 

The work-live balance

This article link gives a bit more info on the topic of working in toxic environments. I believe there's a lot more studies required, especially around having increased connectivity periods - the 24-7 smartphone phenomena means we're spending less time away from thinking about work. Certain firms in Europe like Volkswagen are realising the impact of having a poor work/life balance and are now regulating how much time is spent at work either physically or virtually by restricting hours and connectivity times. 

I have friends that are showing signs of burnout written about in here and I've observed some of these symptoms in myself too. High pressure is ok and can actually produce better, more rewarding results but we need to be more aware of the damaging effects that come from being exposed to sustained high-stress situations in toxic environments. If it's making us ill - It's time to get out. 

The power of buildings

THE RIGHT ENVIRONMENT

If your job revolves around working on computers like mine does, the advantages of having mobile technology now mean you can work from pretty much anywhere. You have a choice. If you are fortunate enough to live near the sea or your home office window opens out onto a sublime view of the mountains or rolling countryside, you'll have nature there to inspire you every day. Being a city dweller, it's not as easy to take inspiration from nature unless your house has a garden, backs on to a park/woods or overlooks a river, so we have to create our environments to inspire us.

Architecture

Beautiful buildings are 3-dimensional structures of working art. They are designed to have function but also form, with focus on shape, texture, colour & light - in clever ways to make us feel secure, enlightened & powerful. To be around beautiful architecture, you have to be in a place to view it and up til recently, I had a fantastic view of St Paul's and The River Thames from my workplace. Seeing the sun reflecting from the dome of this monumental British cathedral - the light creating an ethereal glow - I'd get a nostalgic sense of belonging to something great. The images of St Paul's standing defiantly amid the devastation from the blitz - propaganda, I know but still powerful enough to evoke emotions of pride, dignity and courage through adversity. 

Creating environments

Now I'm working from a home office, the environment is confined to just the internal space of a small room and therefore, the environment has to be improved with the use of furnishings, lighting and enhanced with objet d'art, plants & music. This can also be a great place for creativity but to really take advantage of the technology readily available to me and easy accessibility via public transport to the many beautiful places in a city like London, I need to make use of other great spaces to work from. This might be a gallery, library, restaurant, cafe or bar.

One place that immediately springs to mind is the cafe in The Victoria & Albert Museum. Not only is this a beautiful building from the outside, but it has so much inside in the forms of exhibitions and the cafe is buzzing with creative energy.

The power of art as architecture

Louis Khan was someone who really understood how to create emotional connection to buildings and the environment. The opening image on this blog is one of my favourites. I don't know enough about the great minds behind some of the world's most amazing architecture, but It's definitely an important topic I'll be looking into more, as buildings & man-made structures will be my source of inspiration while living in a city.

For further reading I'll look into these:
The Power of Architecture
The Power of Buildings

Another great source of inspiration on architecture that I listen to is called 99% invisible - one of the recent podcasts that really moved me, is the one on the World Trade Centre.

I also found this article on using the power of your environment to promote positive change this morning that's worth a read too.

Mindfulness

BEING AWARE

Look around you. How many people are aware of their surroundings? Who's switched on & savvy and who's present in the moment? Not many. And that's because most people are somewhere else while they go about their day. The way you can tell is to look people in the face. They should be able to pick up your gaze even with only their peripheral vision, but a lot of people will not even see you looking at them if you're directly in their field of vision. These are life's sleepwalkers. 

A lot of the time, we slip into our autopilot mode - the threat of danger is low and we either switch off completely or we allow this time to think of banal thoughts, like what's for dinner etc. Sure, having a nice tea is good but why not keep your mind primed and really focus on making your thoughts more effective instead? I found some great techniques for developing your situational awareness which will help you to remember places, people and events - boost memory and elevate levels of consciousness. I'm already realising how important meditation is for setting up your mind after waking and before sleeping - and these extra techniques should help for memory retention.

Practicing a little bit of self-awareness every day is great for improving observation of the world around us. What I'd also like to do at some point in the near future, is dig deeper to really get to know myself by taking a very powerful course at a silent retreat. The participants stay still and silent for 10 days and in this time discover many things about themselves. It's called Vipassana meditation and there are centres all around the world. The centres, funded by donations only, are becoming very popular as more people choose to learn about themselves, so advance booking at one of these centres is often required. 

Being a very active person - my mind races all over the place, so, Very likely, it is going to be tough for me to remain quiet and meditate for so many hours but I've read about people getting some amazing results by stripping away all the noise and getting to know who they truly are. 

Down days

TURN IT AROUND

You can't be on the up every day feeling a million bucks. It's just not possible - especially when you've been burning the candles at both ends and drinking a lot of booze. There's gonna be a lull. You're gonna have some days when you're just not on your game and there's a strong temptation to stay in bed and sleep it off. Thing is, you could wallow in it and chances are, your body will slowly recover from the lack of sleep, the clouds will depart and your sunny side will shine out again....eventually. However, the best way to get your personality back and effectively 'turn it around' - is to jump out of bed, splash cold water in your face, eat a decent breakfast and do something exhilarating where the sugars from the night before can be burnt off quicker and your mind switched back on. I'm now sitting in a bar having a cheeky half, feeling pretty lively and upbeat after taking a 2hr adrenalin fix. 

Living the one pint mind-set 

I heard this mentioned yesterday - how maintaining a one pint mind-set is the best way to live. I can go for that - one drink definitely gives you a little pep, makes you more confident/sociable and lifts a mood. And I can confirm it's true for me right now, as I'm ready for anything again - the trick is to stick to just one...!

Old is just as good

TUNE OUT TO TECHNOLOGY

Often, the old fashioned methods are just as good. Every week in our Yoga/Pilates classes, there's a 10 minute bit at the beginning of the class where the teacher is either fiddling with the sound system or gone off to get someone to sort it out. This is because, the new system supports bluetooth. This is great. It means anyone with a bluetooth activated device, can link up to the stereo and select, adjust the volume and play music right from their phone. Trouble is, without understanding the technology and how to 'problem solve' when it's not working immediately, the old cable method works far better. I see this kinda thing all the time - most people just don't have the grasp or the desire to learn how to use technology. I also find myself spending far too much time updating, downloading, restarting and being stubbornly determined to succeed when the technology isn't working. I'm wasting my valuable time. Now what I do, is think what the older and faster way would be and try to do that instead.

Don't get suckered
New may not mean better. I don't like the new flat screen large format TVs. I find their hyper-realism can make older films look a bit strange - sometimes like they are shot in a studio (which they often are), but somehow, the magic has gone. This isn't something I would have noticed on my old CRT telly. I also miss the adventure of going in to a video rental store and picking out a film. Luckily, we have possibly one of the last video/DVD rental shops right here in Balham! The store is full of film memorabilia and there's a load of quirky B movies in here to chose from. I know we have a Netflix account and iTunes - but there's films in here that you'll never get online - 80's horror flicks that never went past VHS.

So, before splashing out ££££ on a new 'smart TV' - give yourself a reality check and realise this fact: we don't need to buy a new TV - because the charity shops are selling perfectly good ones for £20 - you can even get them for free from some places. This goes the same for phones - why spend £700+ on the latest gadget when you can get one barely a year old for less than half the price, or even one that does pretty much the same thing for a fraction of that price. If you're buying because you're believing the hype, then you're getting suckered!

Plex & Roku

I've just discovered a great bit of kit that means my parents can now watch all the great films, TV and utilise the benefits of having everything on their computer at the touch of a button to watch on their old (but still decent) non-digital CRT TV.

The Roku 2 costs just £50 and is really easy to set up on a home WIFI network and Plex can be installed on your iPad or iPhone (or android devices etc.) for even greater features too. We tested it out last night and watched an old little-known classic from the comfort of my parent's living room, called Galaxy Quest.

Beer benefits

FUN WITH FRIENDS

If you consider that I've been focussing on ways to improve myself - this next statement may come as a surprise: I've just had a full day of drinking beer and I feel great! I've avoided alcohol since 1st Jan so I could make progress with my plans for self improvement. It's also been a sensible move to avoid alcohol so I can better manage a tricky period in my life. However, I've just had the best sleep in ages after a fun day of hanging with a great group of lads. 

My mind has been preoccupied with other serious matters over the last 4-6 months and in this time, it's clear to me now, that I'd completely lost my mojo. So, although the no drinking has really helped with my focus, this break away with friends has already been the best decision I could have made - and to think I very nearly cancelled this reunion gig. 

I look forward to spending a few more days away from my thoughts, just laughing, chatting and doing all the things a group of lads together on a break away enjoy doing together...like drinking loads of beer!

Safe Sanctuary

RETREAT, REGROUP & REWARD

It's been a tough start to the year and it's time to pull back the troops from the front line, dress the wounds, heal and recharge the energy levels. 

Self Assessment

The most important thing I've learned about making life changes since starting on this new lifestyle from 1st Jan this year: Self assessment - ie. taking daily checks on any progress....schedules, goals and energy levels for making these good things happen. Without maintaining good mental & physical health - none of these positive achievements would be possible. Checking the status quo every day means any deviations from sleep/diet can be corrected and the energy levels can be kept in the green/amber rather than red zones. It's amazing how seemingly small things like skipping a meal or having one hour less sleep, can affect our productivity. Without regular assessments, we don't really pay proper attention to these energy dips until they manifest in physical/mental drops in performance - ie. injury & illness. 

Know your limits

When you're young, you have an amazing capacity to heal/recover/adjust to deviations from any sleep and energy changes. Your body's natural ability for healing means even sustained periods of general abuse/mistreatment can be corrected easily. This ability to heal, although still possible over longer time periods is not as easy to do and may not be a full recovery as we get older. 

The painful truth

I can remember feeling invincible at 26. I used to push my physical limits, always working and playing hard. I would always bounce back from overdoing it. From the early to mid 30's, there's been a change in appearance - greying hair, lines around the eyes and ailments popping up 'seemingly from nowhere' but I've been living the same lifestyle in my mid to late 30's that I did in my 20's and still thought I was 'bouncing back'. I've repeatedly dropped my energy levels into the red zone and the last few years have thrown up some clear signals that the body isn't 26 anymore. We don't want to face up to the fact, but once we do accept ageing and hatch a plan to manage damage limitation, we can adjust our levels of input/output and allow ourselves more quality healing time. This is essential if we want to keep doing the things we enjoy and stay looking and feeling vital/younger through to old age. 

This is why - although I have some major responsibilities on at the moment, I'm taking time by myself to visit my safe sanctuary in order to get my energy levels back on track. This will see me return fresh and ready for the next battles ahead. 

Technology

ALL IN THE PALM OF OUR HANDS

In this modern day - we're all becoming ever more reliant on technology - especially the kit in our pockets. There seems to be an app for everything these days. How did we get things done before computers? As it turns out, we got things done just as well thank you very much. This is my new thinking. Tech is great, but we already have a decent device built in - our brains - and I'm going to start using mine more.

The age of imagination

I'm in the age group that grew up BC (before computers) where we used our brains to make the best of our environments. Fun was improvised from combining imagination with a stick, a cardboard box & role play - not an iPad. We were fortunate to live in an era when kids went out to play all day long, doing things like building ramps for our bikes or making tree houses. At 13, I also had a computer for Christmas and I enjoyed playing games on it for limited periods of the day - because I enjoyed hanging out with my friends going for adventures on my BMX more. Whenever I wanted to meet with friends, we'd call, arrange a time and stick to a specific meeting place - and there'd be only really good excuses for a no-show and we'd be rarely more than just a few minutes late. TV would be allowed, but there were only a few channels and films would mean a special trip to the cinema. So Lego and Mechano were good alternatives for creating some fun - a book or drawing were also options readily available on-hand too. 

Memory Man

It seems we've lost the ability to retain info as our smart phones replace our brains. I'd become so reliant on my iPhone lately that I'd struggle to remember the events from the day until I checked my notes. I am in danger of becoming like the character from the film Momento - taking pictures just to remember what I'd been doing on a daily basis. 

Power of the pen

I used to carry a small notebook and pen around with me and jot down everything that I needed to remember. The process of writing - the physical actions of scribing and underlining, used to help cement the thoughts in my mind. With the advent of smart phones and the many reminder-note apps available, the process of making todo lists has become so easy that my phone has loads of them. They remain there still unchecked, likely because there are so many and the value of them has diminished. This is likely in part, because they have become so easy to make that they immediately get taken over by the next reminder. I have to jot down things before sleeping just to remember them in the morning or else they'd be gone from memory and this never used to be the case. 

Time wasting

So I need my phone to write my blog. I've ditched my computer for a few days and only checking emails intermittently and yet I spent ages farting around with my phone yesterday. No signal, wifi not connecting, blog not updating (losing recent changes), low battery, plug socket dodgy so not charging...sound familiar? This consumed valuable minutes yesterday as I tried to do some some tasks that took away from being in the present moment - and wasting time that I could have been enjoying. 

Time and a place

My time is going to be managed much better from now on to restrict using the computer or any smart tech unless it's really needed. I'll use memory visualisation and association techniques where possible or carry a pen and paper so not reliant on battery life. Phones will not be used when I'm in company unless it's a benefit for all...

Strategic moves

LIFE IS A CHESS GAME

There are people who play it and other less smarter people who get played. I mentioned in an earlier post that life is a game. It is - and if we want to have a better chance of succeeding in the game of life, we can create an advantage by thinking more before acting and planning ahead. We need to have a strategy.

Stay Sharp

In order to implement our strategy well, we need to be 'switched-on'. Chances are, if you're prone to day dreaming, wrongly believe that others have your interests covered or you're just used to being reactive rather than proactive, you'll likely have a few stories where things have not gone your way. Some may say they're unlucky but I truly believe you make your own luck in life. 

We are constantly battling against outside forces to ensure the majority of our waking hours are positive & happy. There's so many things that can 'crop up' without warning to affect our day. So it makes sense to be mindful of as many potential hiccups before they happen. Some days, we know there's just going to be tough situations coming up and in order to rise above these daily challenges - we have to be alert and ready for battle. This means having good food, sleep and time to prepare ourselves to be in a focussed state of mind.

A lot of people seem to think I'm carefree, happy-go-lucky or worse, unconcerned and clueless to what's going on around me. Thing is - I'm actually a very thoughtful and 'secretly boring' person. I am very organised and efficient - to the point of obsessiveness. I use this side of my character to structure my life but I don't really want my friends to know I'm an OCD nutcase, so I keep this side hidden away from sight. 

That's why it often appears that I'm relaxed and easy-going - because I've already taken my role play situations - ie. acted out a few future moves in my mind, assessed likely outcomes, looked at the 'what if's' and predicted the end game. In this process, I've reasoned how important certain things really are to me and how they will affect other 'pieces' or people in the move/game. 

Just like a Grand Chess Master, I'll imagine different scenarios/outcomes - to remove any unforeseen surprises and any consequent emotional responses like frustration or anger from surfacing. The major benefits of thinking this way are that you've already placed allowances for damage limitation. If there's time/energy required for managing other's expectations or potential disappointments that could have arisen from those outcomes - you'll be set up because you've been smart enough to factor in some contingency plans. The result being - even if things don't go entirely as planned - there should still be a positive mind set and ultimately success in the end. 

Southbank Surprises

CONCRETE JUNGLE

We had such beautiful weather in London this weekend, so we walked around Southbank, sampling food from the many 'tastes of the world' food market. I love this part of London - the concrete architecture, galleries, BFI, bars and great things to do all year round. After having some beautiful snacks at the market, we took in an exhibition at the Hayward Gallery called History is Now: 7 Artists take on Britain. It was a massive display of British history and there was so much to take in, that we had to take a little cheeky snooze in one of the cinema rooms where a film was talking about the changes in community at a north London housing Estate. The exhibition covered some great topical events from the last 60+ years. Some of my favourites were of the un-PC advertising from the 70's and 80's mainly.

There was also a massive educational display focussing on the BSE and the Foot & Mouth epidemic that affected Britain (and eventually surfaced in Europe). I knew it was from mixing other animal remains, like sheep brains in cow's feed, but I hadn't realised this practice was know about for hundreds of years before - how could we have been so stupid? Anyway, I'd forgotten just how long this had run on for - no wonder the farmers were suicidal! I'm now lining up to watch Kuru: The Science and the Sorcery - which talks about similar symptoms tribesmen from Papua New Guinea had after eating human flesh.

The coolest bit for me was the Bloodhound surface-to-air missile positioned up on the roof, which is facing Russia - symbolic of the cold war. While we were at the Southbank, we also visited one of our favourite little hidden bars called Concrete - really great little venue - especially for this time of year and great for a bit of inspiration as it has a chilled vibe with rarely anyone in there to distract you from your thinking...We also spotted the Living Architecture hotel placed on top of the Purcell Room - A Room For London, a small hotel room inspired by Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness - which was also the inspiration for one of my most favourite films, Apocolypse Now. This installation was meant just for 2012 - but the ballot is open for a couple to stay 1 night up until the end of 2015.

Inspirational Reads

GREAT BRITISH COLLECTIONS

It's a busy day for me today. I've been up early at boxing this morning, then had an MRI scan on my neck. Amazing luck for me - it is another beautiful day here in London and I'm cycling around taking in some of he sights like a true tourist.

After meeting a friend for lunch, I dropped in on another old work colleague who used to box with me in the mornings. He's now running a pop-up restaurant at the Jeremy Bentham pub near Euston. Only running since 3 months ago - they are already creating a bit of a stir - get in there before it gets too popular! Check out their menu at slowrichies.com

So, afterwards, I nipped into the British Library (pictured above with St Pancras behind). They have a free exhibition of 1000 year old bibles, The Quo'ran and other fantastic old books - beautifully scribed in colourful inks & gold, bound in leather. There's music scores from great composers like Beethoven and Chopin, napkins with the lyrics jotted down on them by The Beatles and diaries with excerpts from Scott referencing perils experienced during his expeditions & Gallileo, with sketches illustrating mountains on the moon (Here is another reminder of a great injustice for humanity - as Gallileo, like Socrates, was sentenced to death standing up to defend his beliefs & truth). There's going to be a series of discussions throughout March discussing 800 years of The Magna Carta - one of, if not the most important, defining document written for Britain - essentially giving power to the people with 'The rule of law'. This law was also carried through to the bill of rights and Constitution of The United States and is the reason why we live in a free society. I will definitely make some time to attend these talks.

Talking Masters

Outside the museum there's a bronze of Issac Newton and this is really cool...our statues have a voice! Just look up online talkingstatues.co.uk and for Isaac at speak2.co/Isaac

I would have liked to take in The British Museum too - but this place deserves a day all to itself - and it was super busy anyway, so I sat in a Caffè Nero where I am now still, waiting for another old friend as I write my blog. We're heading off to an iOS geeks convention to get some info on programming - for an idea I have, I'll feed back when I have more info...

Amazing People

POWER OF THE MIND

There's some extraordinary people out there who are doing things that defy science and logic. Ram Bomjon Gadhi is one of those people. I was looking up some info today on meditation as it's something I'd like to introduce into my day, when I stumbled upon this boy and was so transfixed, I ended up watching the entire documentary. The BBC initially visited India, in order to film Ram over a few days. They wanted to see if the meditation and boy's alleged divinity was all just an elaborate hoax because there were claims the boy had remained in the same mediative state without food or water for 10 months. Ram was actually planning on meditating for 6 years as did Budha, who was born very close to Ram in the same area of India. The documentary discusses with 'professionals' the life-threatening symptoms we would normally expect to see when a person stops taking nourishment for only a few days. We get to hear from other holy men that have supposedly gone without any food or drink for many years. There appears to be no solid scientific explanations for any of these amazing feats of endurance and ability to exert such control over the body.

The power of meditation

I've watched another powerful documentary recently about prisoners in one of America's toughest jails, who have taken up Buddhism. The story follows the lives of some of the most violent and dangerous prisoners as they use their House of Healing meditation techniques for self-healing and to face up to their demons. The documentary, The Dhamma Brothers, is available on Youtube and Netflix. 

There are some things that we just cannot explain through science. The world is a wondrous place and there's so many amazing people in it. There's stuff we'll never understand and if these prisoners have shown me anything - it's re-affirmation that we have the capacity to look inwards and never too late to make great changes. I believe we should help our prisoners find themselves again and allow them the chance to give back to society. If this means they do good things from the confines of a cell - ie. too much of a risk and never to be released or if they are non serious offences and can be re-educated in order to work again within society - it's going to be better than just locking them up. 

Fine Dining at Brixton Prison 

I'm going to check out The Clink over the next week or two - which is a charity that supports prisoners by educating them to work in kitchens. There has been a huge success rate for lowering the re-offence figures of those that have taken the programme. 

The Supernatural

Seeing as I was drawn to supernatural feats this morning - I also watched another interesting documentary called The Boy Who Lived Before, about a boy who claimed to have been re-incarnated. It was pretty eerie stuff - and there were so many coincidences in this documentary that it's given some good reason to believe that reincarnation is real...

Security

BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU

Living in a digital age, we're using technology much more to better enrich our lives. We are all spending an increasing amount of time using software and equipment that has the power to track our preferences, movements and other private information. The vast majority of us are now carrying a personal computer around in our pocket that has all of this power. Smartphones give us a direct link to the worldwide web, enabling us to easily connect/communicate with the rest of the world. The Internet provides access to a wealth of information - right at our fingertips from our phones. It also gives power to corporations and governments to track/monitor and spy on us. To stop our civil liberties from being eroded away any further, we all need to take measures to ensure our personal information stays private and stop organisations from abusing their power.

I'm half way through watching a documentary called: Inside the Dark Web - which talks about criminal activity and the increased surveillance being put in place by governments to watch it's citizens. It is frightening to know that the British are being monitored by very sophisticated computers at GCHQ and the US government have been tracking pretty much everybody since even before 2001. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the Internet, appears in this documentary and discusses the issues facing us all as we naively move towards a future where our whole lives will be tracked through modern technology. 

The battle for defending our civil rights has been underway for some time. Thankfully, there are some clever people out there creating encryption software and Tor networks which aids anonymity through using untraceable currencies like Bitcoin - whereby monetary controls are removed from central banks/government. There are lots of new networks and tools currently being developed and we now have access to free Chrome extensions like Zenmate, which can safely encrypt information. The more people learn about how our information is being sold on, our identities copied, our data tracked for illicit means, the more people want to know about encryption. I'm attending a geeks weekly meet-up on Tuesday, to try and find out more myself and will pass on any new helpful insights.

Defenders of Truth

I'm also reminded of another insightful documentary watched recently about Aaron Swartz, who became the face of the digital revolution a few years ago when he stood up to the U.S. Government's heavy-handed legal policing of copyright on the internet. He got caught-up in a messy cyber-terrorism case that he paid the ultimate price for fighting against. Just like Socrates, Aaron was a deep thinker that only wanted to make the world a better place. He was a purveyor of truth - and died defending it under very suspicious circumstances. 

Thankfully, there are other brave souls willing to stand up for the good of humanity. Whistle blower, Ed Snowdon, would have had some very tough moments - likely restless moments in the middle of the night, having internal discussions with his moral self. He would have used this reasoning time to come to his final conclusion to speak up. He's been very brave standing up for what is right - regretfully placing himself in the direct line of the US intelligence agency and he's now held accountable by the rest of the world too. 

There are troubling times ahead and we need to be thankful that people like Ed Snowdon, Wiliam Binney, Aaron Schwarz & Wiki-leaks founder Julian Assange - are willing to put themselves in the firing line to put the truth out there. 

Unpopularity

STANDING UP FOR WHAT YOU BELIEVE

Every day, I'm looking critically at myself - physically, mentally and spiritually. I look to others for new teachings, learnings and affirmations that I'm on the right path. In the last 6 weeks, I've already made some significant changes to my habits and improved my output. I've identified areas for improvement and I know that it's going to be a daily, ongoing challenge for me to fight back the urges, stop the old habits creeping back in and stay true to my new lifestyle.

It takes courage to face up to our shortcomings, inadequacies and failings. The small tweaks can be achieved in a short time frame but, to evaluate ourselves properly, we need some quality time to address and deal with any deep rooted issues we may have. Firstly, we need to identify the traits and parts of ourselves that could benefit from some attention in order for us to improve - and as we can be blind to our ways, identification of these facets to our personalities often comes from those closest to us. It can be hurtful when criticism comes from others and we have to assess if it's constructive and a benefit to follow it. We're all affected by what other people say and think - and in the quiet pre-dawn hours (and some middle of the night hours), I've been playing conversations over in my mind and analysing what, why and how to respond and act accordingly to criticism. I've looked at different viewpoints and reasoned. I've chided myself, then countered, assessed and set what must be done. The outcome from all this thinking is, when I can see something is right based on sound judgement and logical reasoning - I must stand up for what I believe in - even if it goes against what others believe in and consequently, makes me unpopular.

Boethius wrote a book entitled The Consolation of Philosophy, which was written in a time when he'd lost his wealth, social standing/power and was condemned to prison, awaiting what he knew to be a violent death. He was in this situation because he'd stood up for what he believed was right. He came to terms with his fate and his writings from that time about 'The wheel of Fortune' were considered to be one of the most important texts to be studied from the middle ages right up to the renaissance period - references to his work can be found in lots of important works including modern day books and films too. Although Boethius had fallen out with the powerful while defending his principles. Even with his possessions and freedom taken from him, he still faced his executioners with the one and most important thing remaining in tact - his integrity.

There is another even earlier example of someone famously falling foul to the powers that be. Socrates was an early classical philosopher who stood up for what he thought was right. He also came to a grizzly end because he refused to give in and compromise what he truly believed in. This guy is another great source of inspiration to me - because he questioned assumptions, rhetorical ideas and the establishment, using philosophical reasoning & deeper logical thinking to find truths. 

I've been reading more of Alain De Botton's books lately - and this one entitled: 'The consolations of Philosophy is a great source for learning about the fates of both Boethius and Socrates. There is a six part series of short documentaries based on this book called: Philosophy: A Guide to Happiness, which can be found on Channel 4 - also written and narrated by Alain - they can also be found on Youtube along with Alain's other great short docs like 'Status Anxiety' but you may need a VPN or Zenmate to watch if you are based in the UK due to copyright issues.

Tornado

POWRFUL METAPHORS

So many strong symbolic messages being projected my way at the moment! Last night, I had a dream about a tornado. This is the second dream I can recall having this year and again it's about a powerful and potentially destructive natural force. The last dream was about a tidal wave - which was symbolic of great change. I was safe in that dream - and safe in this one too. So it's pretty clear to me what this second dream is about - as there are life-changing events going on in my life right now. It's really interesting how your brain puts these emotions, concerns and reasonings into visual metaphors - and so vividly too!

Whipping boy

I'm taking some time this week to think through a situation where I'm at a crossroads. One part of me wants to take an easy route but the other part wants to go the hard way around - as it may be more rewarding. The easy route will be pretty quick, uneventful and I'll be able to reach my next destination. BUT - I know I'll be thinking about the decision not to take the other route and 'what I should have done' the whole way. The harder route may take me a lot longer - it'll be a tough test of mental/physical strength - it'll take courage - and it feels like the right route to take. I may have an arduous journey which could take a lot out of me but the result might mean I'll arrive at a different and altogether better destination in the end.

The reason I'm at this conjuncture - again to use a metaphor - is because, like a whipped donkey, I stubbornly refuse to budge any further. I've been repeatedly beaten down over a period of time and it's now time to drop the pack loads and go on my own path. 

Positive steps

I've taken some more positive steps in my new direction for change. My fitness levels are improving, my body shape is changing (down to 12st 4lb!!!) and there's hardly any fat on me now. My 30 day Paleo ended yesterday and I ate my first bread, pasta and rice - yesterday's PT session was much better as a result, as I had more energy in my muscles. I'm ready to start my PT level 3 course from 1st March. I saw my doctor re. nerve damage in my neck. She was genuinely surprised at how my recovery has gone. Considering the symptoms I had in 2012, the movement in my neck and shoulders is better than it's ever been. I'll post my results on the blog after my scan next week. Regarding improvement to money status quo - my HMRC appeal is now underway and all being well, my financial situation could improve dramatically over the coming months...

Better Call Saul!

LEGAL EAGLES

I've never had much use for our UK legal professionals before now - and now that I need some advice, I kinda wish there were more legal mavericks like Saul Goodman from Breaking Bad, to advise me on anything from parking infringements to tax law... as It's some good solid advice from someone straight-talking that I need at the moment. There's been quite a bit of hoo-ha in the British media lately about UK banks favouring the rich - HSBC apparently have been helping their wealthier members to hide money in Swiss bank accounts in order to help them avoid paying their taxes - yet the tax man has been on my back for two years over a paltry figure of money they initially gave me in a rebate - only to ask for it back a year later....after I'd spent it. So I'm going to spend a good bit of my day finding someone with the backbone to stand up to large organisations on behalf of the small man - to help get some of this weight off my back! And I'm also going to watch episode one of "Better Call Saul" tonight on Netflix...

Bull

TAKING THE BULL BY THE HORNS

I am going to see a play today called Bull, which is on at the Young Vic in London. I live in London and I love the theatre - but don't go nearly as much as I'd like. So, I'm going to make a much greater effort to see more plays over the coming months. I didn't get to a gallery or play yesterday - I was waiting for a call regarding something that is weighing heavily on my mind at the moment. I needn't have worried, the call was this morning instead. I really feel like I'm in a world of metaphors at the moment and how apt for me to be seeing this play today because I am currently facing down a bull. 

Using Time Effectively

I woke early again this morning and used the quiet time to listen to one of Michel Thomas' Spanish language lessons. I've tried these audio lessons before - but I've not used the first clear moments of the day to try learning languages before - and I'm finding it really sinking in when my mind and the world around me is quiet. However, as the morning has gone on, there's other duties and jobs taking over and distractions are kicking in. My mind is now also taken up with the metaphorical 'Bull'. So, I'm going to book the play, take in a yoga class to calm my mind again, then take my audio lessons on the tube, collect my bike and listen/learn Spanish while I travel around. Any other calls, emails and potentially - more to add on this blog post, will be made on the go....

Beacon Of Truth

THERE'S A STORM A BREWING...

I've woken feeling a lot more positive and inspired today! It really works when you consciously set positive thoughts in your mind before sleeping. The sun was out yesterday which helped with a low mood but it's looking a bit overcast today, so I'm really glad my head is in gear! I feel inspired to take in a play or gallery - so I've lined up my day.

I've got a tough job to do today involving work. It's not going to be pleasant and the picture above is a great metaphor because it reminds me of what's ahead. Looks a bit like something from Lord of The Rings to me...?! The break in the clouds is what I'm focussing on. The storm pictures of London can be found on Time Out (hope they won't mind me using it here!) - great online mag for finding stuff to do in and around a major city like London.

The morning will start with a 1hr boxing session - great for clearing any negativity and frustration. I'll then eat a hearty breakfast at one of my favourite cafes. Afterwards, I'll organise some of my things, collect my bike, deal with a tricky conversation and head to Tate Modern for some art inspiration.

***UPDATE***

So I decided to look at the day from an even more elevated perspective. This decision again has a significant value for me - and even though it's s Grey day, I can still see St Paul's Cathedral and it's still a great view from Oblisk @ The Shard.

Sunny Disposition

BRING ON THE SUNSHINE

It's amazing what a little bit of sunshine can do to your mood. I've not felt too energised the last few days. my sleep is off and my mind is muddled with stuff that's not conducive to being positive & productive. I had some boring bits to do. So off I went on a 3 hour walk. I took all my dull jobs with me as I went, calling the bank, sorting my annual travel insurance, getting a quote for the repairs to my car, emailing/calling work to arrange a meeting for tomorrow and went looking for a replacement phone. It's great having a hands-free, even if you do look like a nutcase to passers by.

I walked quickly to get my heart rate up a bit, taking moments to look around me as I went. I checked out a few clothes shops on route, grabbed a coffee, read for a bit, took some fresh air through the park and returned to prepare a delicious meal of smoked cod which I'd bought from our local fisherman. By the evening, my creativity had returned, my mood had lifted and I even managed to slot in a bit of money-saving work before retiring to bed. Which is where I am now - early, so I'll be up and on fighting form for my boxing training in the morning!

I've gone to bed with thoughts about my pending holiday in my head to help booster my mood tomorrow. I'm heading to the alps in a couple of weeks time and I'm sure there'll be a bit more healing sunshine while I'm there too (and hopefully some snow), so I'm really looking forward to three of my favourite things - sun, snow and the thrill of hurtling down the mountains. Tomorrow will be another great day.

Sweet Enough

THE HIDDEN TRUTH

It's everywhere. Sugar. It's in our drinks, our sauces and even in our bread. Everywhere we look, it can be found....lurking. There are different forms and alternatives to table sugar like honey or stevia - but having sugary foods in high doses can still affect our weight and energy levels so they are best avoided where possible or good alternatives found instead.

Always Read The Label  

Next time you're in the supermarket - take some time to check the labels and you'll see how much sugar there is in a lot of our supermarket goods. Thing is, we can make a lot of our meals fresh with pure natural ingredients and we don't need the extra sugar added. It really is simple and just as convenient to make highly nutritious and tasty sauces/meals using an array of fresh herbs and spices. We now have a fresh selection on hand and make up for a few of the extra ingredients that tend to have a shorter shelf life by buying in a tube/jar or frozen. It's amazing how varied you can be with some passata, basil, garlic and other fresh herbs to hand. I watched a BBC TV documentary last night about eating well for less where a family were spending a fortune on their family meals - opting for convenience meals and sauces rather than making their own.

Coming from a background of packaging design, I am well aware of the importance of good packaging to draw in the consumer, so this TV show should be a real eye-opener for anyone swayed by the packaging when making food choices and like this reminder has done for me, should spur us all on to make our own fresh food more often going forward...

Just Desserts
I met with some friends for Sunday lunch today and usually where I would have had a few pints, some wine and eaten a hearty roast, I swapped out my alcohol for a (very watered down) lime cordial and soda. My meal choice was Paleo, chicken wings and whitebait followed by duck breast with sweet potato mash, cabbage and carrots. All very good. However, when it came to the desserts - I did get a bit of a twinge as I was reminded of the dessert 'treat' habit kicking in. I think it's been ingrained in me from a kid to finish your plate of food, the dessert was offered as a reward and I'd always manage to eat the 'treat/reward' even if I was already full.

Rather than succumb to the lure of a pub pudding, I sneakily ate a piece of the Paleo banana cake that my partner and I baked the day before instead in exchange for the sticky toffee pudding with ice cream. Now, a cake is still a cake. Nuts are high in fat and this cake had a lot of almonds in it. But, compared to the high-in-sugar alternative, it was still better to eat a small slice of this banana bread. I had also factored in that the 1 hour's exercise that day and possibly, slightly lower calorie intake for the whole day allowed me a small amount of dessert and I didn't have to sit and listen to the others smacking their lips...!

Standing Up For Yourself

BEAT THE BULLIES

Bullying is ugly and it happens more than you realise. You'll probably think back to that bigger kid at school as the last time you felt it but it comes in many forms. It can be from groups of people, your boss, government agencies, even people closest to you like your parents/children or husband/wife. It's really not nice when you are on the receiving end and if left un-challenged, can really wear you down and destroy your self-esteem/confidence to the point of no return. Bullies favour the weaker push-over, so to win - you have to stand up to them.

My First Time
I was quite popular at junior school. It was a decent school and I got on with pretty much everyone that I can remember. There were the odd occasions where I'd had to stand up to a bit of abuse but it was usually handled by a teacher and never amounted to much. It was only when I attended senior (secondary) school that the real bullying took place. It was evident that the differences in backgrounds from the many kids - some of them from tough areas of London, were able to handle a lot more abuse than the soft-skinned types like myself. When you're a 13 year old boy, you're going through a lot of changes physically, mentally & emotionally. One minute you're playing on your BMX bike - then suddenly, you're faced with making decisions for making the switch from boy to man.

My switch happened almost overnight. I'd been a studious kid and my grades were good, so I sat with the other kids that were willing to learn. This put me on the receiving end of some unwanted attention from the back of the class, from some of the kids that were known to be bullies. Suddenly, I was in the cross fire of one particular boy, aptly named Damien. He used to punch, trip, kick, spit on and generally hassle myself and the other bookie/studious types. Coming from a family of five older brothers and being about six months older, meant he was a lot tougher and bigger. One day, he'd been particularly savage with his antics and the 'camel back-breaking' moment came after a cowardly punch in my kidneys. I'll never forget the feeling as I turned, grabbed him by the throat, pushed him over a desk and punched him in the eye in front of the whole class. While I don't condone violence - this was likely the only retort to work with this abusive kid. He was so shocked that I'd retaliated with such force, that he took ages to register what had happened. Once he'd come back to his senses and witnessed everyone looking on, he regained some composure and threatened to 'kill' me. But as I stared back at him, looking squarely in his newly blackened eye, I could already see, his power over me had gone.

Standing Tall
If we do nothing to stand up to our bullies, they will take over our lives. They will drain your power and erase your self-confidence. From the day after facing my fear of standing up to the bully, my stature changed. I grew. I became respected. I became powerful and the bully shrank away. He lost his influence to stike fear in others and ended up being one of the bullied himself. I hope he finally addressed his insecurities and grew strong again, learning from his experience and using his new powers to help rather than hinder others going forward.

Career Off Track
I now find I'm in a similar situation with a career change looming. I'm fearful of the future but excited for what it may bring. I'm holding in my core that feeling I had when I turned to face my demon and will relish the power I'll have after tackling it face-on.

Don't Be So Saucy

MASTER YOUR PALETTE 

Last few days of the Paleo diet and I've just had the driest meal so far but possibly the purest in it's nutrients...

It was a roasted chicken breast with kale, broccoli, spinach and butternut squash. I steamed the veg and ate everything plain - ie. with no sauces or condiments. I accompanied it with a glass of water. It didn't look that appetising on the plate and as the chicken hadn't even been roasted in a glaze of any kind, there were no tantalising aromas coming from the meal either. Luckily, I was hungry. The first few mouthfuls were a bit of an effort because I'm used to a bit of sauce on my plate - and at least a bit of salt and pepper to get the tastebuds going. But once I'd got going into the meal, and took my time to appreciate and chew every mouthful, it actually started to be quite tasty...I realised I didn't actually need salt, pepper or any extra flavour enhancers.

Breaking The Habits

I've gotten so used to grabbing the salt and pepper at meal times - that it's become a habit. I also eat really fast. I'm trying to eat a little slower as a rule, so I can better assimilate and taste the food. This method aids digestion apparently, as the receptors on your tongue and in your mouth let the stomach know what is coming, plus your saliva mixes with your food, making it less alien in your gut,  thus helping alleviate any stomach aches. 

Drink your food, chew your water 

My nan used to say chew every mouthful 24 times before swallowing - this was likely because they were very poor in her time and especially important to do this during the rationing throughout the second world war, but also because it makes sense. The Daoists have been saying this for hundreds of years and their teachings are very much focussed on knowing oneself. More reading required on this methinks...Paul Check (in the video) has taken many of these eastern teachings and implemented these beliefs into his C.H.E.K. principles for following a training program in corrective and high-performance exercise kinesiology - ie. treating the whole body system to find the root of a problem. It's well worth looking into Paul's methods in more detail on his website.

It's strange how differently I see food now. I've become super wary of everything I buy from the supermarket because everything I see that is packaged up is marketed so well to entice us to buy. Reading the ingredients and thinking a bit more about if it's really good for us or just as easy to make fresh has encouraged us to cook and try new recipes more. These are just companies at the end of the day, who are trying to sell us stuff and they know sugar, salt and fat are our Achilles heels, but we really don't need all these extra ingredients and should cut them out as much as possible.

It's a shame to pass up on the processed sauces, they're ingrained in my habits, convenient and so tasty - but fresh tomatoes and a bit of olive oil are just as great. I now stick to non-processed options (no more than two ingredients excluding water) and mix together fresh whenever I can. 

Backup Reserves

I can't stress how important it has been having a few nuts on my person at all times. I'm currently sat in a patisserie over looking a counter covered with cakes and biscuits. I'm amazed at how my new conditioning has kicked in. I had an espresso and glass of tap water instead of a cappuccino, with my small fix of almonds instead of a cake.