Implicit Association

HOW PREJUDICE ARE YOU?

We are all affected by our associations and interactions with other people. Our preferences can be made up from early childhood, influenced by parenting, peers and popular opinion. No matter if we think we're biased or not, our unconscious minds tell a different story... and very few of us are totally without prejudice.

Implicit Association
Taking tests to determine colour, weight, age, sexuality, gender preferences can alert us to how unconsciously, or unintentionally, we favour one group over another. There are arguments to say this kind of testing only really tells us about the social groups we know or don't know and isn't a true test of our biases, but can surprise our conscious selves to the unconscious traits affecting our decisions and presumptions. Take the test to see how you might be more unconsciously biased than you realise.

Meet My Representative

OUTWARD APPEARANCES

If we think about what it is that makes us who we are. It's our appearance. How we present ourselves to the outside world, how we interact and react to third parties and environmental factors and the basis of our understandings taken from all these interactions in-turn, makes up our identities.

Our presentable self, in it's entirety, is the sum of our years and the early formative period, according to Freud, makes up our id, ego and super-ego and the conscious mind. From this matured psychological state, we learn to take on conformative behaviours for better adjustment to social norms & ideals thus ensuring the urges and desires of the unconscious pleasure seeking mind are kept in check.

Conscious Delay
Many of us are living the day to day life at the mercy of our desires when the instilled defences are weakened. We believe everything our conscious minds is telling us to be the truth. The fact of the matter is - our conscious actions are merely reactions and our minds are deceiving us constantly as are we are deceiving others. We falsely believe we are consciously in control.

Many carry on this charade obliviously throughout their entire lives. Being aware of this situation can help us all to understand others and be more mindful of our trickster make-up to enable better pre-thought processes and evaluation stages before taking action - providing we allow the time to do so.

This is because, the reactionary time it takes for our conscious to catch up with our unconscious mind can be as long as ten seconds! Reading more on this topic in Robert Trivers' 'The Folloy of Fools: The Logic of Deceit and Self-Deception in Human Life', will both surprise and educate us all to the findings contained within - that we as conscious beings, are merely a representative of our inner selves.

Left & Right Brain

SPLIT PERSONALITIES

We are cross-wired. That means, our right side of the body is controlled by the left hemisphere of the brain and vica-versa.

The left brain is widely associated with being the verbal, sorting and details orientated side - and in a high percentage of cases, mostly utilised by females the majority of the time. Whereas, the spatial & physical intuitive side - the preferred side for the male. It's often stated that men and women are wired differently - and looking at the properties that the two sides specialise in, we can see where in many instances, there are truths in how men/women think. But everybody is different and we all have preferences learned or habits formed that only fully utilise some parts of the brain and less so of other parts. This horizon BBC documentary challenges all the stereotypes and signifies that these preferences and habits can be changed.

The two sides of the brain were first identified by neurobiologist Roger Wolcott Sperry, to operate independently for utilising opposite sides of the body by experiments carried out on cats and patients in the 60/70's of which he was to win the Nobel Prize. In his words:

Each hemisphere is indeed a conscious system in its own right, perceiving, thinking, remembering, reasoning, willing, and emoting, all at a characteristically human level, and . . . both the left and the right hemisphere may be conscious simultaneously in different, even in mutually conflicting, mental experiences that run along in parallel." —Roger Wolcott Sperry, 1974

This tells us that not only can both sides of the brain work independently, but they can also deceive each other as well. Our right brain, for example, when taking something in the left hand, can fool the left brain. It is believed that the left brain is our more 'conscious' side. This could be really interesting for those using a fork to eat in the left hand as opposed to the right. In situations where tiredness, intoxication or distraction (talking while eating late at a dinner party) could slow down the left (linguistic and more conscious) brain and therefore result in overindulgence.

To learn a bit more about which side of our brains we draw on the most - take the test here.

Shared Spaces

MAKING NEW AQUAINTENCES

I sat on a train opposite a stranger for 2 hours today. Usually, I'd put my headphones on and keep my head down, but I made a decision to be civil, friendly and see what would happen. 

When we go out of our way to avoid speaking with travel strangers, we could be missing out on some potential benefits. My chance encounter today rewarded me with an intellectual conversation with a very interesting scientist from New York. This man, who'd chosen to sit in 2nd class, was dressed in very ordinary clothes and seemed pretty down to earth on first impressions. The difference in demeanour to my other travel stranger was that he seemed more inclined to chat than the headphone wearing, sultry-faced girl was - and I'm glad we both made the effort. 

He'd worked for major companies like Coke, Nike and a number of massive manufacturing conglomerates. As a technologies director, his understanding of polymers, 3D printing and future advancements in mobile communications, energy systems and connectivity, means he works at the highest level in industry. These companies all need marketing and advertising specialists and now, through this connection made today, I intend to make the most off our brief friendship to further investigate these companies and potentially benefit from finding a new career avenue. 

Who knows what the person sitting opposite you on a train can teach you. By being civil and friendly, a chance encounter can at the least make your journey more pleasant and could lead to something great. So why not make a little effort instead of donning those ear cans...

Fresh Challenges

EVOLUTIONARY CHALLENGES

Whenever we set ourselves a fitness and performance challenge, we need to factor in a time scale to work within. If the challenge has no indicated limit, how can we measure our progress over that time frame properly? And how can we gauge the intensity of the challenge against our progress to set up the next challenge?

We evolve over time. Our bodies adapt and grow stronger with a focussed training schedule. It takes a maximum 4-5 weeks to adjust to a training schedule. By the fourth week, the progress & results over a month will give us a much clearer understanding of what our bodies are capable of and help us set up a new higher level for the challenges to come.

To see this phenomenon in operation, try the 100 press-ups in 6 weeks challenge.

Free Stuff

FREE BENEFITS

Loyalty card points, coupons, air miles, money back schemes, price matching savings - complimentary nuts at the bar. These are all little life perks - 'gifts', that elicit a warm feeling of being good or on the right path. And having this good fortune coupled with a bonus of some sort, can represent our reward for being hard working, decent, loyal or whatever we place significance on for receiving this free token.

It's amazing how much happiness a free coffee can bring some folk. Hence why Prêt a Manger, Starbucks, Nero's and other major coffee shops are implementing this as part of their loyalty marketing schemes. It's because it really does work. We feel better about ourselves, our day, our change of fortune and ultimately our life. Even picking up something so seemingly insignificant as a penny can still make you feel lucky.

Searching out the little deals, freebies and rewards - no matter how small, will make us happy in much bigger ways than the actual small change that the savings represent. Being given something for nothing, upgraded to premium, getting an extra portion, two-for-one offer or buy one and get one free - these all make us happy winners and ultimately, this is what counts in life. 

It's Good To Talk

CALL ME

With the internet here in this modern age, we have even greater power to connect & communicate with practically anyone from across the globe. It's become so easy to converse using an email. Quite often, this is the best way to get something down in words to be kept as reference so communication can be looked back on at a later date.

This is why dealing with insurance companies, councils or anything official like the tax office or DVLA etc. email is the best form of communication - because that's how they work... systematically. But, for really getting the best out of people, it's much better to meet face to face.  greater percentage of what we say, is picked up in body language, facial expressions and tone - with the content taken last. Essentially, it's not what we say, but how we say it. Looking someone in the eye, shaking their hand and being affirmative, polite, friendly... these are all things that are best done in person. It's still how we really make the best connections. For the next best thing - we should pick up the phone.

Happy Talk
We all try our best to get a decent days work done. Some of us are fortunate to have a job we really enjoy - but for the majority, it just pays the bills. So, if you want to get a positive result, call someone and start off by asking how their day is. Be friendly and inquisitive - ask where they are based? Enquire about their surroundings - is it sunny where they are? Talk about the weekend if it's just passed/approaching - and be charming. Make a better connection by sharing the environment across the phone and it will seem like there's no distance between you. If you are are on first name terms, use theirs frequently to make a connection early on. After a bit of chit-chat, put to them your conundrum/problem/request... and make it easier for them to want to help you out. Chances are, if you have an issue with the services this company provide - you won't be the only person who's called with an issue that day and hearing a moaning voice can get everyone down. So stay upbeat as much as you can and stand out as a positive person who they want to focus their best intentions on.

Be Bold
The same can be said about speaking with someone if you are the giver of bad news. An email is not the right delivery method for letting someone down - just as a text is wrong for letting someone go in a relationship. If you can't do it face to face, be bold and pick up the phone. Give the person on the other end a chance to take in the news, vent a bit of frustration and come to terms with the situation. The call can always be shortened by saying that you wanted to pass on the news personally. A follow up email will have all the specifics in it for them to read over afterwards.

Keeping Records Of The Conversations
If it's ever necessary to record a phone call, to use as reference at a later date - a really handy way of doing this is to use iPadio. If the talk is in person and you want it to remain a secret that you're recording the chat, use TSA. Both are available on iPhone and Android.

Transactional Analysis

ROLE PLAY

Humans are social creatures. Every interaction we make with someone else in every task we do, has some form of role play involved. We adopt ego states that make the transaction process go a certain way. Understanding the role play scenarios, what each wants to gain through the action of their role will help bring about the best course of action for obtaining a successful result at the end.

There has been much research on this subject of transactional analysis and learning what this research teaches us about ourselves can be a real benefit for personal wellbeing and positive results in life.

Click the above link for an in-depth description - below are explanations of the Adult and Child Ego State for examples of role play:

Adult Ego State
The Adult ego state is about direct responses to the here and now. We deal with things that are going on today in ways that are not unhealthily influenced by our past.

The Adult ego state is about being spontaneous and aware with the capacity for intimacy. When in our Adult state, we are able to see people as they are, rather than what we project onto them. We ask for information rather than stay scared and also rather than make assumptions. Taking the best from the past and using it appropriately in the present is an integration of the positive aspects of both our Parent and Child ego states. So this can be called the Integrating Adult.

Integrating means that we are constantly updating ourselves through our every day experiences and using this to inform us. This can be achieved by producing a daily blog - as I am doing right here.

In this structural model, the Integrating Adult ego state circle is placed in the middle to show how it needs to orchestrate between the Parent and the Child ego states. For example, the internal Parent ego state may beat up on the internal Child, saying "You are no good, look at what you did wrong again, you are useless". The Child may then respond with "I am no good, look how useless I am, I never get anything right". Many people hardly hear this kind of internal dialogue as it goes on so much they might just believe life is this way. An effective Integrating Adult ego state can intervene between the Parent and Child ego states. This might be done by stating that this kind of parenting is not helpful and asking if it is prepared to learn another way. Alternatively, the Integrating Adult ego state can just stop any negative dialogue and decide to develop another positive Parent ego state perhaps taken in from other people they have met over the years.

Child ego state
The Child ego state is a set of behaviours, thoughts and feelings which are replayed from our own childhood.

Perhaps the boss calls us into his or her office, we may immediately get a churning in our stomach and wonder what we have done wrong. If this were explored we might remember the time the head teacher called us in to tell us off. Of course, not everything in the Child ego state is negative. We might go into someone's house and smell a lovely smell and remember our grandmother's house when we were little, and all the same warm feelings we had at six year's of age may come flooding back.

Both the Parent and Child ego states are constantly being updated. For example, we may meet someone who gives us the permission we needed as a child, and did not get, to be fun and joyous. We may well use that person in our imagination when we are stressed to counteract our old ways of thinking that we must work longer and longer hours to keep up with everything. We might ask ourselves "I wonder what X would say now". Then on hearing the new permissions to relax and take some time out, do just that and then return to the work renewed and ready for the challenge. Subsequently, rather than beating up on ourselves for what we did or did not do, what tends to happen is we automatically start to give ourselves new permissions and take care of ourselves.

Alternatively, we might have had a traumatic experience yesterday which goes into the Child ego state as an archaic memory that hampers our growth. Positive experiences will also go into the Child ego state as archaic memories. The positive experiences can then be drawn on to remind us that positive things do happen.

The process of analysing personality in terms of ego states is called structural analysis. It is important to remember that ego states do not have an existence of their own, they are concepts to enable understanding. Therefore it is important to say "I want some fun" rather than "My Child wants some fun". We may be in our Child ego state when we say this, but saying "I" reminds us to take responsibility for our actions.

Work & Life Balance

THREE DAY WEEK

Life is short. Five days out of seven at work is a lot - especially when the days are long. A third of our time is spent sleeping and it only leaves a couple of hours in the evening when we're already spent with just the weekend to recover and fit in some enjoyment around the other life chores. Wouldn't it be better if we had double the weekend?

I always liked the idea of not working on a Monday. It's a terrible day in work terms. The first day back after a great weekend can be a real downer - and if you've had a lot of fun, chances are the battery could have done with a longer recharge... Not much gets done on a Monday in real work terms. So, a small sleep-in followed by a relaxing day means that Tuesday will be very productive. And if we could work to deadlines rather than hours a day, I reckon the majority of people could get their work done a lot faster - especially if we all got to do shorter weeks. That means Tuesday to Thursday would be a lot more productive, potentially leaving Friday free to enjoy too. Think how many long weekends we could have travelling to different countries, or how much more of our families and loved ones we could see and share good times with. Life would still be short - but richer on a three day work week for sure.

A Bit of Mad Is Good

BONKERS

As mad as a Hatter. Mental. Loopy. These are terms usually given to people who are unsound of mind. These words can also be used to describe those who are obviously - through their physical appearance, differences in character, attitudes or through the herd mentality generally considered to be not 'normal'. Normal to me means being a conformist. ie. doing things that the majority of others do. Great achievers do not conform.

We are all unique in our own special way and beneath the veneer of our outward facing appearance - all potentially stark raving mad. But we're concerned about appearances and how we're perceived by others. We want to fit in. It takes the likes of artist, Grayson Perry to give us a slap around the face and wake us up to the fact that we've become so over-conscious about what others think that a lot of us live uncomfortable conformist lives away from our true selves. This great Channel 4 documentary looking at 21st century tribes talks about identity based on isolation and fear.

Genius And Madness
It's been said before that genius and madness are closely connected and if we look back through history, we can see clear connections of genius relating to the (ASD) autism spectrum disorder. Great minds that have devoted their lives to bringing a wealth to the human race include Albert Einstein, Leonardo Da Vinci, Alan Turing, Steve Jobs, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, likely Bill Gates and there's many others that could be considered this way too.

One thing that stands out with these famous people is that they stayed true to what they believed in, despite being ridiculed, fought against and laughed at for their outlandish beliefs. We should embrace our eccentricities, our quirks, our colourful, interesting, creative character traits. They make us who we are and form our true identity.

In our struggle for acceptance, we compromise our true selves to fit in with what we're led to belief is the normal way to live. But if we want to live a life true to our desires and beliefs, we should consider following our paths towards happiness and fulfilment through expression. I like these two quotes:

'The most beautiful and complex artwork we can make is our identity' Grayson Perry
'First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win' - Mahatma Gandhi

Re-Doubled Effort

MAKE THEM GO THE EXTRA MILE

When the you've been promised the earth and been let down - don't get angry. Suck it in. Because you'll get a lot more out of someone if you are calm, smile and say nothing. You'll get nothing if you have an argument. Things don't always go to plan. There's always factors out of our control and things we're completely unaware of that could jeopardise a venture we've set our heart on.

I've learned that as soon as there's a problem with a service or a facility, especially if premium money has been paid for it, it's a given that that there'll be something given out to compensate for what seems to be a shoddy delivery. It could damage their reputation, especially in this day and age with such fierce competition and feedback being posted on the internet. Not only will being decent when you want to shout at someone in frustration make everyone feel better, but often, the effort put in to appease a disgruntled customer can prove to be worth more to us in the end than what we originally aimed for in the first place as they go the extra mile to appease us.

Another Perspective

PUT YOURSELF IN ANOTHER'S SHOES

I had a role reversal yesterday. I was the one trying to fit in, impress without seeming too cocky but confident at the same time - trying not to step out of line or be too familiar, so I could be asked back again and be included in the gang. It was not intended that I take a role reversal, but here I am with the boot on the other foot so to speak. I've taken a lesson from it all the same as I see a bit of myself in this other personality that I have to please. 

First Impressions

Being in charge. It's difficult getting the balance right - trying to give off a level of authority in a friendly, approachable way so as not to seem rude, condescending or too demanding. The same goes for the other person. Taking on the opposite role of someone running the show can be useful. It usually comes down to those very first impressions, so it's important to get this bit right at the start. Sometimes though, no matter what you do, there is just no winning that person over and it's often just down to a misunderstanding or clash of personalities.

Being able to put yourself in a position to look at things from a different perspective, will enable you to see how tricky it is to fit in and succeed in some environments. A smart way to win people over is to understand their personality types. If you can identify their stress points and play to their needs and desires - people will be a lot easier to please and win over.

Mind Over Matter

BLOCKING PAIN

After revisiting this great series called Mind Body & Kick Ass Moves, and Miracles, I've been looking at various methods for dealing with discomfort and physical pain for better endurance while training. There's some improvements to be found through regular practice of yoga, Qi Gong and through breath focus, but I'm learning that miracles don't happen over night. However, there's many other so called miracles to be found out there - like drinking snake gall bladder Saki and being rubbed with magic breast milk that may bring some relief.

Mindful Movements
What I've realised is that if you focus on the micro movements - as in isolate the muscles you're using for the exercise, and relax/tense them so they are being activated effectively, the pain is dulled. Another technique is to bring everything back to the breath. Focussing on the intake through the nose and creating a slight pressure on the out breath through the mouth harnesses extra power in the body.

This is particularly effective when doing planks. We can feel the burn after just a few seconds, but it's how we contract certain muscles in the back, glutes and simultaneously relax the shoulders, abdomen and thighs, that we can endure more time in the plank position. Over compensating in our training can cause muscle strain and fatigue. Therefore, it's important to be mindful when we do any form of physical activity, to ensure we're not putting too much strain on any of the muscles.

Focussing on the breath will not only ensure we are getting enough oxygen to the muscles but also helps still the mind - allowing us to progress in our training to overcome negative thoughts holding us back from achieving our goals.

Dream Catcher

TAKING THE BAIT

Many moons back, when I travelled around Australia, we took a trip on a boat around the Whitsundays. After almost a year of backpacking, I'd become pretty savvy and a dab hand at sniffing out the best options in terms of how to negotiate lower prices for accommodation or buy a vehicle to drive a thousand miles and sell after at a profit - things like that.

It's basic economics. When the supply outweighs the demand - there's always a bargain to be had. And when there's a thriving market place - in this case, the backpacking one, to get a bit of cut through - there's always going to be a couple of rip-off merchants around selling the dream. The Whitsunday's was the first time I encountered the 'Big Hook'. 

Sailing the Dream

So, we knew the Whitsunday's were amazing. We'd also learned there were quite a few boat companies around and some had more premium offerings that you could get a deal on at the last minute. We only had a limited window for our trip but we were warned not to make a rash decision. The advice was to shop around and get the best value because some of the budget boats were rammed full of drunken teenagers, offered terrible food and were pretty unpleasant (unless you were an 18 year old drunk who knew no better). Thing is, once you're on a boat, that's it for a few days. So it was really important to get this right.

The entrance to the port was teeming with sales people, showing prices/pictures and all competing to fill their boats for the trip the next day. We were caught between a couple of young guys who were trying to convince us to take their premium packages. The prices were over double what the budget ones were. I wanted something premium near the budget price and I figured they would eventually concede to our requests as it got near the end of the day. It was a matter of waiting it out. We were walking closer to the port, playing it cool with these two guys fighting for the prize behind us in tow. That's when we first caught sight of the Dream Catcher. Compared to all the other boats, this one was sleek & sexy and reminded my girlfriend of Duran Duran's Rio video of which she was a big fan.

The game was over for us at that point. We'd already shown our hand. So when another young man who'd been observing stepped up and told us he thought there were a couple of spaces left on this boat - we were hooked in. There was a little resistance, but I managed to negotiate a middle figure between the premium and budget price as it was all mutually agreed that they wouldn't now fill this boat and we were cutting it fine to get a charter at all - it now being so late in the day. The other guys had now either called it a day or made late deals with others who were playing out for a late bargain and we were now alone with the last guy. After paying the money, as I was filling in the form, I noticed a caveat regarding over-booking and boat re-allocation in bold type by the signature space. A small prickle of doubt came over me for a brief moment - then subsided as the clipboard was handed back....surely this deal was as good as it sounded? Almost half the price of the premium cruises and on the best looking boat in the yard...

Too good to be true
The old adage that says 'if it seems too good to be true - then it probably isn't' - turned out right on this occasion. The Dream didn't come good and the Dream Catcher sailing yacht didn't leave port that day with us and 12 others on board. Instead, we were relegated to one of the larger boats loaded with drunken teenagers. I suspect we actually paid more than the 30 or so others to board one of the nightmare boats - and the shrewd sales boy that had found a real life dream catcher to draw in suckers like myself, had not only managed to fill his boat, but also take a considerable chunk of extra commission in the process. The Dream Catcher didn't leave the port that day and I suspect it rarely did for anything less than at the full asking price. But, what it did do, by being moored at an opportune spot for luring in potential customers in all it's shimmering glory, was to sell in the dream.

There are bargains to be found but 'buyer be aware' that if there's a market where fantastic potential gains can be made, chances of finding these dreams can be very slim, as the competition to find the dream will be met by those selling it too. Always read the small print!

Hormonal Balance

TESTOSTERONE

Losing sleep, poor diet, high stress and environmental factors can all have an effect on our health. If we're aiming to get fit and gain muscle, we have to ensure we're in good physical shape before we train. One of the factors affecting our training ability could be a hormonal imbalance.

Certain hormones like testosterone are required by both men and women for maintaining a healthy and balanced state and it is essential for gaining muscle too. There are natural ways to boost testosterone levels and some of those methods are centred around having regular forms of exercise. So the key is to have regular daily exercise, even if they are just walking and stretching just to keep the functions of the body working and in a healthy state. Yoga is a great way to do this.

Oestrogen-Mimicking foods
Oestrogen is another sex hormone found in the body when controlling reproduction in women as well as maintaining bone health and other factors in both men and women. There are some plants and foods that have natural oestrogen-mimicking properties, like Soy.

Having too many foods that contain high levels of Oestrogen can have an impact on hormone balance and particularly effect men's fertility. So, understanding which environmental factors and foods could have a negative effect on us are well worth learning about if we wish to remain healthy, avoid negative symptoms ranging from mood swings to hair loss and increase the chances of remaining disease free.

Keeping A Balance
The advantages of maintaining good testosterone levels can be witnessed in both men and women alike. Often, a busy lifestyle, along with the stresses and strains it presents daily, coupled with a tough training routine, can all negatively impact our hormones and ultimately, our health. Fenugreek has been used for centuries and is said to boost testosterone levels, essential for recovery after exercise.

Supplementing diets with the right minerals, vitamins and health-boosting supplements, can aid in combatting fatigue and assist the body in maintaining optimum health. Supplements are not and should never be substituted for a balanced nutritional diet – but certainly, in the right amounts and for the right circumstances, can be invaluable to those seeking loftier training goals.

There's many more brands of supplements on the market today offering solutions for boosting performance. Always be sure to make your own judgements about what's right for you/your body and consult your doctor if there are prolonged bouts of low energy, problems with sleep, recovery and mood etc.

Additional information on the above brand of supplements, can be found here.

Communications Management

PHONE ETIQUETTE

It's great having an all-in-one communication device. It's really good for keeping abreast of what our friends are doing and communicating with them when we want to. Trouble is, there's going to be times when we don't want to be communicated with and there also needs to be times when we are not using the phone so we can enjoy what we're doing at that moment - like sharing some quality time with another group of friends.

Unfortunately, a lot of folks just don't have any phone etiquette. They clutch it in their hands, like a security blanket and check on it regularly like a new born baby, oblivious that every moment they check their phone, is a moment taken away from the situation they are already in. They don't realise that it's disrespectful and rude to the friends, family and colleagues they are meant to be with in that present moment. They are being ruled by the phone.

Do Not Disturb
There's a function on iPhone (I'm sure they all have them now) that allows only favourited contacts (like your mum & dad or partner) to get through, pushing everything else to voicemail and keeping any other notifications quiet too. Switching over to this silenced mode is my first thought when I take my phone out to a function and I'll now often keep this mode on while I'm working and whenever I'm needing a bit of quality time to do something like: watch a film, read a book or take a walk in the park.

Everyone should be using this do not disturb function. It will not only help us to stay more focussed on a task to increase productivity, but also improve the quality of moments we share with loved ones.

Super Foods

NATURAL DIET SUPPLEMENTS

Taking supplements with our diets can help boost our overall health & vitality. There's pills and powder for everything to increase our energy, repair damaged cells and all manor of other health benefits.

Health food shops are full with all kinds of potions proclaiming to cure our ills and make us feel super human. However, when there's so many natural food source alternatives out there, we should turn to these first rather than pop the pill or ingest the 'quick-fix' powdered variety.

Here's a list of some of the more common natural super-foods found in As Nature Intended and likely other health stores in the UK.

Tastes Of The World

LITTLE ITALY

Today I feel very fortunate. I'm energised and full of vigour. I ate a hearty Italian meal last night and it was as good as any meal I've eaten in Italy before. I purchased this meal from the supermarket on my high street for very little money.

Considering that Italy is over 1,000 miles away - the Prosciutto hams were so succulent, the Sicilian olives so sweet and the fruity red wine such a joy to savour. What great value this meal was. We took a moment to appreciate how very lucky we are. It's the privilege of living in an affluent period, in a country, city, town and place that has three major grocers in very short walking distance - plus health stores, discount food outlets and a whole load of smaller specialised grocers including Indian, Greek, Polish, Chinese plus even a Whole Foods just around the corner.

Eat Your Blessings 
If we ever get caught up in ourselves - worrying/stressing about our jobs, our debts, our relationships or even allowing something as simple as the weather to get us down - we need to consider that millions are on the poverty line and under-nourished.

In a privileged society, we can bring the best of the flavours of the world into our homes for very little money. So, sparing a thought for how fortunate we are before eating a beautiful meal, will lift a negative mood and should encourage more of us to do some charitable work too.

Pain Threshhold

LEAVING YOUR COMFORT ZONE

If we want to make improvements in anything we choose - one has to constantly push the boundaries. This means being out of our comfort zone a lot of the time.

It's fear of the unknown that makes us want to stay in a familiar place. Go with what you know, as they say. This is fine to a degree, but I propose that we should be actively learning all the time. If it's the not knowing that makes us feel uncomfortable - we just need to know it to beat the fear. Be it learning a new job, language, visiting a different country/place or training for fitness - we have to keep ourselves away from the easy known path and on to the one of discovery if we want to expand our horizons.

Small Achievements Lead To Bigger Ones 
We have been doing a little morning routine every day that helps prepare the body and mind for the day. Part of the exercise routine includes doing some 1 minute 'planks'. These are relatively easy to hold, but doing three in a row is tougher. The other day, my partner and I missed a set and decided to do six in one go to make up for the ones missed. That was a big decision at the time - suggesting we double what we'd been doing already, seemed too arduous a task! Thing is, once we'd made it to five, the sixth one was really easy compared to how number three had been feeling the day before. This is because we moved the goal. The focus was on six and number three, which was now only half way, flew past as we dug in and pushed towards the final number six. This was an eye-opening revelation.

Don't Underestimate Yourself
We were so surprised at how much easier six planks had been in relation to three that it's now six planks every morning as the norm - and this quota will be re-assessed again as we get used to six over time. This is the right mentality for success and exactly how people who don't push boundaries, get stuck in their ways. They underestimate their potential. Sticking to what we know and do well means we'll never progress and rise above the norm.

Break Habits To Form New Ones
Start small and see what differences can be made by just changing simple everyday tasks, things like - the route you take in every day to work, the places you go to eat and even the clothes you wear. Create new patterns of routine, break cycles of tasks that you do unconsciously every day and try things differently. This will create a more open mindset, free us up to a new way of thinking and put us on a path of discovery away from the comfort zone.

Second Hand Goods

GOOD AS NEW

Every day, someone, somewhere is packing off something to be taken to the second hand shop or sold on eBay. These are goods that have had some use but are still good for more. The reasons for throwing them out may just be that there's no room for them or that they don't get used enough t warrant keeping them.

We're all conditioned consumers in this day and age - and retail for some, truly is a form of therapy. We're simply a couple of clicks away on Amazon, from what may just be another impulse buy...

The economics of purchasing
My brother has gotten really good at sniffing out bargains on eBay. He'll always choose to look for a used item before buying new - especially when it comes to kids games and toys. The kids are usually involved in this process. What this means, is that he is teaching his kids about the value of money and economics when it comes to purchasing. Understanding monetary value, knowing how to negotiate and when/why to purchase is not something we are taught in school. Using kids toys as a model - buying at a fraction of the original price, using and playing with it - then selling on again, quite often making money at the end, will stand these youngsters in good stead for when they grow up and buy their own house etc.

Grabbing a Bargain
Many people are oblivious to how they spend their money. They live to and beyond their means and without controlling their desires, they buy stuff that ends up in the cupboard or in a storage unit gathering dust. Quite often, they'll want bigger, better, newer versions of the same thing and the 'old' one will just be in the way. There's bargains to be found. Hence, when I decided on buying an Omega VRT352 Juicer (normally around £300+), I had to look for a second hand one to justify not spending more money than I spent on a one week all inclusive holiday to the Canary Islands! Here I found one on a really great website called Preloved. And everything I've purchased on here is just that - loved and looked after. So for a very easy purchase at £165, I'm really happy to have found something that is guaranteed for 10 years and potentially will boost health and vitality at a bargain price.

Setting Limits

RESTRICTIONS

Yesterday, I reminded myself to get back on track with timings and routines. Small things have slipped and it's having an impact on the bigger picture. And unless we keep regular tabs on our routines for meeting goals & objectives: tweaking and adjusting for the flow of our lives to incorporate necessary modifications, they will become mis-aligned and slip further from our control.

One of the factors where we slip up, is where we try and take on too much in one go. Setting limits on ourselves is a great way to avoid over-consumption of food, drink, information and therefore avoid tiring ourselves out by having too much work or play in our day.

Self-Assessment
Every factor of our lives needs to be looked at for where more or less time needs to be invested. Improved efficiency can help free-up some extra time. Leaving us more time to factor in important tasks like making necessary 'self-assessments'. Without regular checks - we can't evaluate where the tweaks are needed and over time, we'll be slipping further away from the goals that matter.

Get Military This Spring

TEN-HUP!

At the start of the year when I first started my 5am starts, it was a lot easier for me to commit to and easy to stick with once the new regime was underway. This, I put down to the fact, that it was dark in the mornings and dark again before 4pm. Therefore, it was easy to get into bed at 9pm and rise after 8 hours sleep when the rest of the city was asleep. The hibernation mentality was all I had to beat.

Now the days are so long and everyone is out in the sun - merrily having some fun...and it's hard not to get involved. I'm slipping on the 5am starts and other commitments are slipping too. So it's time to get military on myself to get everything back on track!

Setting a goal and then breaking it is not cool. It sends out all kinds of wrong messages that removes control of our actions and allows bad habits to creep back in. We can take breaks if we allow them, but breaking commitments and promises - especially with ourselves....is a big NO if we want to get on in our lives. If we set timings on these commitments, we need to constantly adjust them to make them a challenge. That means increasing the intensity, frequency and creating new goals. We have to keep putting in the hard work if we want the results.

Thinking of Sylvester Stallone again today, I was reminded of Rambo 4 (even if you're not a fan of his films, you have to admire the man). After watching this film, I then watched the interviews with the cast, crew and Mr Stallone himself. Working in over 80% humidity for 18 hour days in the Thai forest was really tough - and this was the cast & crew talking. Sylvester Stallone not only starred in this film, but he wrote, directed and co-produced it too and he's in his 60's when making this.

When everyone had gone to bed, Stallone was checking the rushes. In the mornings, he was first on the set. He had what it takes to push on through because he'd prepared himself by conditioning his body and mind over many years. That's why he's so successful and still making films today. So, if we want to cut loose a bit and have a break - that's fine. We just need to establish some boundaries and allow for down time. This is where we need to be the tightest on the rules we set with ourselves, so we can work & play hard too.

From tomorrow, following the Qi-gong 10 minute wake up routine, we have increased our morning exercises to incorporate 6x1 minute planks (with 15 seconds break between), followed by a set of posture correcting exercises. This adds up to 20 minutes of extra time needed in the morning so there has to be a fixed time to do this. The new 'military' rules mean there will be no break in this routine from today and the alarm will chime time every morning at the same time until the next re-evaluation date.

Having a fixed time/schedule means there's no excuses not to be ready - just as the army will have disciplined ways of do their routines. We pledge to continue on this routine until this current cycle is finished. And at the end of June, we'll look at what the next cycle will be.

Digging For Information

WINNING IN THEATRE LAND 

We live in a very culture rich City. London holds many world class performances and plenty of provincial theatres, showing both classic and obscure productions in glorious old theatres and smaller, more intimate spaces.

Lots of Londoners never visit the theatres and it's become an expensive extravagance to catch the west end shows - as they aim to lure the tourists in at the premium tickets prices. Understanding how the tickets work, where the best value seats are and how to dig for the right information, helped get us two decent premium seats at the last showing of Miss Saigon tonight for just £20 each instead of having to pay £75-£150. I love the theatre and we often go to smaller theatres and pay £8-£15. It means we go a lot more to the smaller shows than the larger ones. But, now I've learned to dig a little deeper to get better valued quality seats even at the major shows.

I call the theatre box office number direct (finding it using SayNoto0870), rather than using the other so-called cheap theatre ticket offices in and around town (over double the price today and not very good seats either). The key to getting the premium seats is to ask the question 'are you sure there's no other cheaper tickets?' It's surprising how the theatres will try to hide the special deals as they really want to maximise on the ticket sales at the tourist prices. When you get told the time for last minute tickets - drop everything to get into the box office in time for these day price tickets, they are usually some of the best in the house. I shall always make the effort to do this in future.

I think this same method can be applied for many things in life. Don't accept the first offer and always put that extra effort in. If you have the courage to leave chance until the very last minute....you might be pleasantly rewarded with the results!

Doubling Down

BAD BEATS GOOD

Apparently, when we have something bad happen - it takes 2.5 good things to make up for the bad. That is why when gamblers lose on the roulette or blackjack table, they double down to recoup their losses. If, like me, you're trying to get an advantage with day trading, the same rules apply. Hence why a small couple of losses have put my head in the sand.

We are all hard-wired this way. We're afraid of losses and this article covering The Psychology of Loss is really helpful if we're to better understand how to work against our fears in order to make gains and ultimately successes before loss aversion sets in. To overcome loss aversion, we need to take control of our fragile ego and this great article about developing the will to win, can help us take the rights steps.

Establishing Strong Foundations in marketing

SOCIAL FOUNDATIONS

My partner and I talked today about the evolution of social media and what it will mean to future business. Not our usual dinner chat, but, being that we're trying to comprehend 'social's relevance in today's society, in order to justify it's benefits for whatever we're doing - work or play, it is a topic on everyone's agenda it seems. Everybody is trying to get on board with it, trying to claim an understanding, trying to make it work.

I think some brave soul needs to stand up and say something along the lines of how it's not working. How our focus on it is taking attention away from where the importance lies and how we should all stop being so 'Emperors New Clothes' about it. We need to put effort into generating great ideas, crafting creative content and not on the analytics. New content moves so fast that there's little time to set a strong base for it to sit on and build up over time. Sharing something for the sake of acquiring 'likes' or 'views' or 'clicks' to measure success doesn't mean anything unless it's value can be secured. On the whole, I'd say social media today is best used as a 'for all to see' customer service portal or a celebrity gossip catch-up platform with Twitter-esque applications and...checking up on what your friends have been doing with FB or equivalent - and not much else bar the odd funny video share...?

Non-digital foundations 

Being a 70's kid, I've come to appreciate the pre-digital ways of doing things again - and I'm starting to believe more people will either go back to these ways or the digital generation will adopt & adapt our simplistic but effective methods for living well and for focussing attention on the greater things in life right in front of us at that given moment, rather than sharing it. Be that, enjoying quality time with family/friends, watching a TV show/film, reading a book, self-education or even - choosing the way we consume and share marketing & advertising.

Advertising heaven

I remember a happy time when the whole family would sit watching telly together and actually enjoy when the adverts came on. They were creative, funny and emotive works - appreciated and talked about. And what was watched on the TV, including the adverts would be discussed with friends for long after. Some of the greats are still as impactful, funny and likeable now as they were back then - even if they do sell something that is arguably bad for us like the Hamlet Cigar advert above.

Things do get shared around and talked about every day - but there's no real lasting value in it because something else comes along very soon after. This goes the same for everything being shared and advertising is way down the list of shared content.

I personally choose to avoid being bombarded with advertising wherever possible by using adblock, download/stream my films/box sets rather than watch any terrestrial/satellite TV and the cinema is surely pointless when you can watch good quality films in the comfort of your own home. It's a shame as I kinda miss those great adverts from that bygone era - and would enjoy having some modern equivalents to see what the creative measure is these days. The positive marketing messages of many great ads from my era have played a key part in retaining my brand loyalty and I question the effectiveness of advertising today in comparison.

Advertising is now so thinly spread plus we're all so pre-occupied, that there's no time to really appreciate when there is decent and relevant advertising around us. Consequently, everything - including anything of value, becomes drowned out in noise. So, if we can't go back to a meaningful, focussed and distraction-free time, what I would like to see happen is a change in social marketing to not only identify what is relevant - but filter it for when it's relevant and most importantly - when it's relevant for me. That means I won't have to un-subscribe from every newsletter, flag every spam email as junk and switch all notifications off - because there'll be moments when I'll want to read or watch or buy - but a lot more times when I don't want to be bothered. Social to me these days just means I'm being bothered. And everything gets binned. 

Looking for winning and memorable advertising campaigns - other than Meerkat (which has been thriving since 2009), there's only really Warburton's that stands out recently - which gives a nostalgic nod back to an 80's/90's film genre, cleverly connecting us back to a style of advertising from that era too. 

Long standing foundations

Fortunately for Warburton's - Stallone and a lot of my generation who now have kids, already have a long established history together. Warburton's got this campaign right by choosing an established actor from an era when the Saturday night movie was a shared family moment. The premium advertising slots were often shared family moments too and by putting this well-crafted and funny ad together, they've certainly managed to get my attention and for that reason, I'm happy to be sharing it.

Ample Kit for a Traveller

WORKING ON THE GO - LITE

When you're on the go and need the right equipment to be able to work and play - carrying around a laptop can be a bit of an inconvenience, when quite often, the smart phone can do the job just as well.

So, an ample bit of kit for me at the moment, which allows me enough power to do what I have to do without breaking the bank is to use my iPhone 5s with a few choice apps installed like Blogger, Twitter, Spotify, Shutterstock, iBooks, Pingit and of course the browser and email apps. Trouble is, there's not enough battery power and the headphone wires can get in the way when listening to music or making calls while tapping away on the phone.

I could have bought an iPhone 6 - but this company provided me with a perfectly good iPhone5s 32gb for £300 in A1 condition. To get a full day's use out of it, I slip this little battery pack in my pocket wherever I go and to make sure I've got the right cable for charging everything, I have this handy 3-in-1 USB charger lead and carry this USB plug just in case. And in order to walk, talk, listen to music and read/blog/text - whatever...without the problem of messy wires getting in the way, I use this great little bluetooth device from Sony - which works with any headphones and will last all day long when plugged in to the battery pack!

Feast Or Fast?

THE GREAT BRITISH BREAKFAST?

To start the day on a hearty feed - is for some, the best way to commence their day. For others, it's the opposite approach that works best. Whether it's a full English feast or an espresso and go - both of these breakfasts have their appeal and understanding which is best for you and when, could help with managing weight, retaining peak energy levels and assisting productivity.

Looking at the history of where the traditional brekky's ingredients have come from, shows that the Brits have begged, borrowed or stolen from the world to form this culinary (or coronary!) plate of delights. However, eating this protein and often fat-rich breakfast, will arguably be better than having a bowl of cereal or nothing at all. And, if you can tweak the ingredients to remove the fried bread (and even all the bread), grill the bacon, mushrooms, tomato, poach the eggs and drain off as much of the sugary sauce from the beans as possible - this breakfast will actually be a decent source of protein-rich nutrients. This meal will not only fill you up, but keep hunger pangs at bay for a lot longer, hold blood sugars in check and potentially work as part of a reduced carb, high protein diet - which, taken with a weight-baring exercise routine, actively help build/repair muscle and burn fat.

The case for the non-breakfast
Intermittent fasting and calorie or carb cycling are dieting techniques that have been shown to give positive results, which, coupled with an exercise programme and healthy meals outside of fasting times, can help to shed some of that stubborn body fat. The idea of fasting does sound negative - and having to miss out on a hearty breakfast can lead us to think we'll be starving all morning. Reading up on this technique a bit more, I'm inclined to believe it's a matter of mind state. Allowing our thoughts to 'tell ourselves' we'll be hungry, is something we'll need to adjust to change over a (relatively short) period of time. It takes about a week for the body to adjust and the mind to quieten - depending on who you read on this subject...

I've been trying variations of this diet for a while now. Essentially choosing the right days to cut back on calories over the ones to eat more. So, I generally tend to eat light on the days when I'm not exercising, have a hearty & protein-rich meal in the evening the day before training - delaying breakfast until after the morning training sessions on those days, then having a slightly later lunch and lighter dinner. This varying of meal sizes works well for me.

It's all in the planning. Just as shocking the body, by varying the training methods and adding HIIT sessions to the mix keeps metabolism fired up, I find the same works with fasting. Eating well the evening before and delaying eating until after an early morning training session, not only gives me more energy but also keeps me lean. This, just like all diets, is something that works well with some people more than others so just needs a bit of experimentation as I've done. The bottom line though, you'll learn more about yourself by trying dieting techniques like these and may get a better control of your eating habits as a result even if the fasting or protein-rich diets aren't for you.

For further reading on the topic in greater detail - this blog post on Mark's Daily Apple is really informative. Mark is already established as a living example and reliable advocate on healthy living, so his blog posts are worth a read before trying out fasting for the first time.

Mixed Messages

MISUNDERSTOOD

Why aren't schools teaching us to understand the difficulties of communicating with each other? We all need to learn from an early age the fact that as human beings, what we believe we're presenting and what others perceive from us are totally different.

It's amazing that we manage any level of communication at all. We're constantly making up our minds about other people from very biased and limited assumption. ie. the way they look. First impressions really do matter apparently - as we base our assumptions on someone from the very first moment we cast eyes on them. This article I read today, on the topic of being misunderstood has been a revelation for me and it's wise words should be shared with all - so we can all learn to be more understanding towards others and not judge a book by it's cover...

Out Of The Flow

NON CONFORMITY

Going with the flow can be a happy solution - a compromise for getting a group of people together or doing something easy to keep a balanced status quo. This works some of the time - but breaking free from the school and swimming upstream can get us to new places, experiences and allow us to make some amazing discoveries. 

Yesterday, for example, rather than go areas and venues already known and likely get drunk in on the bank holiday, we made a pact to go places not visited before. We walked. Planning out little bars and cafes on the way, we took a route that we'd never experienced on foot before. Stockwell. It's mid way between Balham and London Bridge and cut through by a long and seemingly dull busy road usually travered in a car, bus or bike. 

First discovery was to learn of a strong Portuguese and South American community. The Brazilian cafe on the main road offers a selection of tasty snacks and beverages, entertaining us with lively carnival music to make you feel like you're in Rio! A short detour from the main road revealed a beautiful set of grand houses and small park. Just off the square is a community space called Van Gogh Walk and a placard on one of the houses marks the place Van Gogh lived at in his time spent here working in London! Swtiching on the geocache app - we learned that there's another three regeneration areas in Kennington, all with a GeoCache to find making the experience even more like a treasure hunt. 

Carrying on our walk, the White Bear Theatre is just up from the Oval and has a very intimate space showing some very well received plays - The Pictures of Dorian Gray is now booked. We finished off our little walk with a visit to a quaint little pub called The Old Red Lion - a pub I've passed maybe a thousand times and now realised is a true London gem. It's definitely a pub I'll be visiting again soon. 

All in all, we managed to entertain ourselves with a long walk of discovery right here on the doorstep - and like Vincent Van Gogh, who also professed his love for walking the same route, we took on life from a completely different perspective and through breaking convention/conformity, found some hidden treats away from the usual places in our weekend of adventure.

Walking Moments

THE LONG WALK

Hiking long distances over rugged terrain in places of sublime natural beauty, can help open the mind for thoughts to flow and evoke a consciousness akin to that experienced when meditating. The very act of walking can bring about a sense of calm and isolation in the mountains is not the only way to access this mental state. Walking even short distances across a busy city like London, can bring about a clarity of thought that cuts through the noise and allows us to sense things around us and discover them as they really are.

This is how I, after many years of living in London, discovered parts of my home city that I'd never realised were there before and rediscovered those that I thought I knew well. Walking slowly from Wapping to Waterloo along the north rather than the south bank of the river, allowed me to take on a different perspective and view of the buildings, bridges and ships that line the Thames. Allowing more time than would usually take me to walk this route - essentially halving my usual double pace and regularly stopping to look about me, gave much pleasure and feelings of adventure. Sitting on benches never before sat on, gave yet another perspective as my eyes were fully opened to observe the ornate details on the bench itself and admire the hard work an artist had put in to create a beautifully detailed and interesting mosaic, tucked away from sight just a moment away from the busy main road.

The West Highland Way

It was four years ago today that we were walking through the Scottish Highlands on the famous West Highland Way. It wasn't the right time for me to really appreciate a walk of almost 100 miles back then. I mostly recall thoughts of boredom and not ones of great revelation as I stayed fixated on the end of the journey rather than fully appreciating the moments as I journeyed along. I know I'd treat this kind of adventure differently if taken today.

I'm currently reading an amazing book by Rory Stewart called, The Places in Between. In it, Rory talks about one man's journey walking through some of the planet's most inhospitable terrain, encountering cultures cut off from the rest of the world, often putting himself in life-threatening situations but at the same time experiencing the raw vibrancy of life by taking on an adventure into the unknown. I can't say I was in any real danger yesterday but I had an amazing journey of discovery and wonder that was found here - right on my doorstep.

We can all experience this feeling of adventure if we allow ourselves time and space to really use our senses for experiencing the environment and all the amazing things that surround us every day.