Keeping an eye on the Calendar

PLANNING DOWN DAYS

Something as simple as making plans for some extra recovery time after a fun-filled boozy weekend is all we need if we wish to stay on top of the hangovers and illness picked up from overdoing the partying. Yet, this is rarely been something I've looked at in the past.

By taking a regular look at a diary, blocking out the weekend's activity and forward-planning the week ahead, we can all make better decisions for when and how long we want to push the fun limits. We can then make a good judgement call with a measure taken against the importance of having a functioning brain for the week and for better taking on our responsibilities where anything less than being on our game will suffice.

Therefore, every Sunday afternoon, I now look at my diary for the week. All mutual diary events shared with my partner have to be agreed in advance and shared, but if there's events planned that aren't showing, they may be crossed off altogether. This means both of us are now much more on the ball with our timings and coupled with a new attitude towards freelancing/portfolio working and being punctual, makes for a much better way of managing life to counter having any sick down days.

Trusting Our Instincts

THE SIXTH SENSE

In the modern age, man has come far along the path of knowledge to unlock the wondrous workings of the natural world, the mysteries of the known universe and now claims to fully understand the workings of pretty much everything through the appliance of science.

So, when there's strange phenomena occurring outside the known realms of science, the scientists will be quick to jump on these happenings to dispel them as paranormal and make moves to explain them through sound reasoning and scientific fact. However, there are just too many other-worldly occurrences going on that cannot be easily explained through conventional wisdom.

A number of people have been shown to have special talents - a kind of sixth sense, and it's my belief that we all have the ability to use these powers - we just need to recognise when they are working, what they mean and how we can use them to benefit us.

Call it a hunch, a gut instinct or just a thought that comes from nowhere which has relevance to a particular situation. The amount of times for example that I've thought of someone who I haven't seen or heard from in a while and then mysteriously bumped into them or they contact me from out of the blue. Picking up on thoughts coming from other people's minds seems to be another trait I have a sometimes freaky ability in doing. Again the scientists are moving towards finding a way to do this with technology and there have been recent telepathy experiments with some early success transferring information across continents. However, there are already many examples of people having this ability to pick up on brain energy or telepathic thoughts, just as there are other examples in many cultures throughout history of astral projection and even more recent science-backed examples of remembered past lives from young children who would have no way of obtaining the detailed information they possess and the scientists no way of explaining how they got it either.

It's worth considering there are logical explanations to what seemingly cannot be explained with rational thought, just as it is worth investigating and not completely discrediting the paranormal activity that some of us are more sensitive to feeling than we wish to believe is possible. And some of the following powers may be accessible to you and I to some degree, if we just accept that they could actually exist in the first place.

Telepathy

Mind reading

Clairvoyance

Reincarnation

Astral projection

We are all made up of matter and electrical energy after all and it is the way we connect with everything around us that gives us the potential to harness these sixth senses. In order to better do this we have to give up on the idea that we are separate and in fact one and the same energy as everyone and everything around us.

Summer's Peak

AUGUST BANK HOLIDAY

The last of the year's bank holidays comes with mixed feelings. Easter felt like a moment ago and now we're already at the end of August. The time is going so fast and life is feeling so short. It's been a good year so far and the summer has been fun, yet, the bank holiday in August always feels to me like a desperate attempt to capture the last of good times before the nights draw in. It's actually still the peak of summer and we have plenty of time before autumn sets in again, so we should keep the keep the spirits high without going too hard with the party action.

I always seek to find alternative ways of doing the August long weekend, in some ways to avoid the madness and make it last but also to break the chain of waking half dead on a Tuesday. The options are always the same. Get away or stay in town. The roads, airports, trains are full, expensive and stressful places to be. The destinations are often awash with the die hard family fun seekers - their quest to keep the kids entertained at all costs, or the city escapees - avoiding being caught up in the inner-city endurance test that will be the Notting Hill Carnival or one of the many other festivals going on around the cities and towns.

I'm sure one day, I'll manage a stroll in the park, a read of a book by a brook or a quiet potter in the garden. Hopefully, if I get another 20-30+ summers, this kind of activity will be enjoyed in the last 10 years. For now, it's a mix of clearing some chores off the to do list, grabbing some me-time to read, write, play music and juggle friends, partying and fitting in some rest - so not to feel so rotten come Tuesday.

Saving Trump Cards

PLAYING THE LONG GAME

When negotiating, defending or justifying a position, we need to hold back some of the big cards for the final play out if we wish to win the game we're playing. It's fine to lead with a couple of big cards if you have them, but you need the other cards to back you up and if they're not there, you'll have to play a little smarter. By holding back and allowing the other player to believe they have the better hand to win the majority of 'tricks', they will get complacent, over-confident that the game is theirs and reveal their plans early - ultimately playing some cards that would have best been saved back themselves.

Showing a defeatist attitude early on is a great tactic for playing trumps. This is also handy in negotiations and for winning against more powerful and confident opponents. I find that revealing the hand towards the end is also a great demotivate tactic for breaking down a bigger, stronger and more confident opponent. Because, when the battle hasn't gone their way, their confidence is quickly to dissipated and the balance of the game can magically turn in your favour.

Flexible Time Management

MAKING TIME WORK FOR YOU

Being punctual is something I've talked about before. Definite timings are key for being better in control of our decisions and reliable with work, friends and sticking to important deadlines. It can help us to manage our lives better and means we have to really think about what we are doing and saying if we are to be seen as solid, reliable and dependable types.

Freelance Flexi-Time
Being a multi-job, flexible worker, it really does need a tight time keeping routine for us to be able to fit everything in and plan out the enjoyment times in between the working ones. This is an area where we have to be really definite and firm with others that we share the time with if we are to make it work. Something I've experienced today, is that most people have a completely different take on time and unless we are up-front and clear at the beginning to mutually agree terms, we will bend our timings to fit them and miss out on the things that we wish to do, or compromise others who are organised and punctual, just to please the others that are not.

Good deeds

BANK OF KARMA

Today, I visited the bank of karma. I hadn't intended to go there but I realised that the act I was playing out was way beyond the mention of money. I don't even know this person that well but I feel that the art of giving works best when it is to an unknown, or a relatively unknown at least.

So, to give hours of hard graft for a noble cause, means I've now deposited into the universal bank. If there is interest on this deed - great, but I have no need to draw on this for the foreseeable future and who knows if and when the dividends will be paid back. All I know is that my muscles ache but my soul feels soothed.

Back To Basics

PAINTY FENCE

Re-learning simple tasks like walking or painting can be therapeutic and rewarding. We can see these actions for the simple movements that they are but if we study them closer, focussing on the flow of each movement, the engagement of our muscle motor neurons to produce delicate & intricate steps/strokes, we can see the true beauty in such basic motions that we are able to produce with our bodies.

Making each footstep slow and deliberate is a form of meditative yoga practice, as is the focus on breathing. If we think of movements as a way to connect with the air and earth, each movement has more significance in what we do.

Painting brush strokes can also be focussed on to quieten the busy mind and allow clarity to come through. Because when every stroke is applied carefully and deliberately, we can immerse ourselves in the 'now' moment. It's amazing to see that also practicing deliberate yoga breathing techniques while painting, a state of zen can be entered, equal to that felt while doing a martial art like Qi Gong. I don't think my painting partner was aware of these thoughts while singing along to a tune from Kiss FM....Still, I'm reminded of a great scene from an '80's film that relays these thoughts perfectly. 

After having such a frantic work life in an office for many years where I was caught up in so many mindfully stressful situations, I've now managed to find working pleasurable again, at the end of a brush. 

I've deliberately taken a very low-brow, low-stress, low-responsibility position in my current role - my only focus being on the painting. How rich and rewarding this position has been, seeing the immediate results of my work manifest in front of my eyes all the while leaving my mind to be free from noise. 

While I am able to continue working this way, It's my aim to invest my full attention to this new painting task, just as the sushi apprentice does repeatedly, in perfecting the rice for their master over many years. 

Be Sure About One Thing...

MAKE IT YOUR WORD

Mean what you do and do what you say. Give the message that you have integrity. If you are true to what you believe and stick to these beliefs, you have more substance than the vast majority of people who cannot stand by their core ideals, let alone morals.

It's tricky staying true to your word. Even without trying, we tend to slip up and unconsciously vocalise something we mean but have no real intention of keeping to. And if we could just listen to ourselves more often, to really think about what we are putting out into the universe, we would take more time to consider the value of what we're talking about. How many times have we spoken up in the spur of the moment, gotten excited or swayed into saying something to others that we cannot stick to? Countless times. All that can be forgiven, but if we can't look someone in the eyes, shake their hand and commit to an agreement, then we have nothing of any true value.

Staying ahead of the Curve

BELIEVE IN THE WHY

If we wish to follow the truest path in life, we need to identify the reason why we want to take it. Innovators in business have identified where their products have been successful over their competitors, because they have started from the very heart of why they are doing what they do.

A study about Diffusion of Innovations shows us where the greatest achievers move their products through and past the point in the curve where success is realised. In the following video, Simon Sinek identifies where success comes from the heart and by starting with the question 'Why' we choose to do what we do, we can all be more successful in life.

Running To – Not Running Away

ESCAPE TO VICTORY

Jonny Bealby's amazing story of travel, book writing and the events that led to him starting up an adventure travel company, all began with a tragedy.

When Jonny was 26, travelling through Kashmir, his life path took an unsuspected turn when his then soulmate/girlfriend died in his arms. Jonny was knocked sideways. So, while all his friends were getting married and embarking on a more conventional path through life, he was off riding solo on a motorbike through Africa.

His adventures across some of the most amazing and hazardous parts of the globe have inspired many others to travel and through investing energy in his travel company, he's found a calling that has brought both fulfilment and success.

In interviews with Jonny, he talks about his adventures and the inspiration taken from his many travels which inspired him to write books and in turn, how writing led on to making a TV show - things he believed, as a dyslexic, he'd never be good at doing. 

All the time he was moving further away from the path his friends were taking. By crossing continents on his own, often through dangerous parts of the world, everyone believed he was running away. And yet, when he returned to Kashmir, the very place forming the start of his altered path, he realised with his newfound success in the adventure travel industry, that he'd been running towards his calling all this time and not away from it.

The Inspiration Net

THE INSPIRATION INDUSTRY

Self help books, websites showing videos of inspirational leaders like WOW Talks and Ted Talks, podcasts, business entrepreneur websites and business gurus offering the killer tips to become a successful leader like they have done...it's all a big industry in itself.

Caught In The Net
It seems everyone wants to become a guru for success these days, as it often brings 'success' in itself. Just look at the sales of self-help books alone. But what is success if it's not money and fame. I'd say working less hours and spending more time with family, friends and loved ones is success. I'd also say doing good for the community by contributing and connecting with others is success and when it's given freely, not really seen as work either.

The inspiration industry is warped, because it's mostly focussed on getting money and fame at it's core, whereas success and happiness is really not about money at all. In fact, I'd say that success is about enriching the soul and therefore any commercial gains become valueless when compared to the appreciation received from someone that's been in need of some love, respect and help.

If we look at success in these terms, everyone who can freely give to others is successful and should be seen as an inspiration. Forget the inspirational talkers as a motivator, we can all be successful and start today through acknowledging that we have the immediate potential right there in our grasp. We can get up on the ladder of success right now purely by donating freely to those who are greater in need than ourselves.

Caught in a Fast Moving Flow

SWIMMING AGAINST THE CURRENT

When the pressure of multiple time-sensitive jobs mount up, like they have done for me today, it takes a quick head up from the tasks at hand to assess the situation if we are to avoid a catastrophe.

These sudden changes in flow can catch us unaware. From a seemingly easy sea of tranquility, I'm now caught in a fast moving rip of important jobs. A rip current in the sea will take you out far away from your safety zone and drown you....unless you know how to deal with it. The same applies in a work dilemma. If we don't assess the situation in time, we'll be swept up in the frantic panic before finally succumbing to the stress of no easy return.

This rip metaphor may seem an odd one but it's symbolic of how we feel when trying to tackle many jobs at the same time. Panic and fear take over. While it might suddenly put a seemingly overwhelming burden of tasks for us to clear from the in-tray of life, like a rip tide, there's always a way to tackle the fiercest current and these flows are rarely that wide. So take action quickly and swim with the most pressing jobs sideways out of the rip. Focussing priorities on getting clear of the most ferocious stream will help us avoid being swept out any further. Once the danger of being swallowed up passes, even though it may seem far away from where we want to be...if we can just stay calm, we should be able to muster enough energy to deal with the slow and steady swim back to the safer waters of tranquility.

Wasted Talent

TALENT WITHOUT DISCIPLINE

Kirkland Laing had a gift. He was a naturally talented boxer who took on and beat the legendary boxer Roberto Duran in 1982. Kirkland, a Jamaican immigrant from Nottingham, who grew up in the poor parts of East London, had the prospect of becoming a success as one of the greatest British boxers, which would have brought Kirkland fame and fortune. But, Kirkland was someone who did things his own way and despite the best intentions of those closest to him to curb his partying antics (often going at it hard the night before a bout), he managed to blow his money and any future of making the millions of pounds so deserved of a gifted fighter. After beating Duran, he went on a year-long partying spree at the point when he should have focussed on becoming a world champion. Kirkland eventually slipped into obscurity, filling his days with gambling, drink and drugs. He could have taken a different path, but he lacked an important tool that talent needs in order to shine out - self-discipline.

Kirkland talked in this video about one day giving up his partying ways and writing a book on his life. A book has been written, but not by Laing. It's called 'The Gifted One' by Oliver Jarrett. This story of greatness unrealised is the same story we all can have played out in our lives if we allow it. Planning out our fun times to fit around much needed work focus can be achieved through having daily assessments and checks, insuring we never lose track of our intended life path.

Fun Allowances

KEEPING THE FUN TIMES IN CHECK

The Summer is a special time. It's an opportunity to venture outside more when the days are longer and brighter, to share experiences with our family and friends. 

This year, I've made a pact with myself to mindfully focus on making changes to my life. The years are rolling by and for the most part, I seem to have been living on autopilot. For sure there's been a lot of fun having a lot of fun, but now's the time to make better decisions to really make something of the coming years.

Whoever said you can never have too much fun, doesn't know how to really push it...because having fun can be tiring. And having so much fun that your brain is numb from the excessive partying, means the fun stops. And if you have some work priorities to deal with, this means the responsibilities fall by the wayside. August 17th is my other halve's birthday and it's always a lot of fun - but it starts beginning August and goes on for the whole month. So, August is always a measure of the fun levels. Right now I'm tipping on the burnout scales. Fun is costly too, so I think August is one of the most expensive months of the year for me. I'm now going to need a frugal few months just to get back in good financial health!

Next year is my girlfriend's 40. That means an even bigger celebration. So rather than start the summer in May, I'll look at having just a 1-3 month Summer of fun and use the time better for something constructive instead. That may entail taking on some project that needs full attention and commitment to keep me out of trouble but that will be my new quest going forward

Corporate Reins

REINING THEM IN

Large corporations are taking over the world and our lives. More and more stories are popping up in the media where these conglomerates are being shown up for being the out of control, soulless organisations they are. They need to be restrained.

Reading Noam Chomsky's book 'Understanding Power', I've learned how we've allowed these organisations to control government, media & education. It feels hopeless to be able to change the balance of power but many still continue to conform. However, there comes a point where enough is enough, so a revolution is sure to happen as this tipping point is reached in the not too distant future.

As I look for new books on Amazon - I find it increasingly harder to support this organisation now I see how they are treating their workers. This information on how workers are being treated, is readily available on the internet. It's clear that Amazon is not alone in failing to uphold it's bogus 'principles' as a moral leader in the corporate arena.

The truth, taken from this extensive piece in the NYT is that everyone is so caught up in the corporate push to deliver more and more, that it's of little wonder that anyone has time to consider/assess their health or even have the time & energy to get out from a harmful work environment. Workers likely continue through fear that the grass will be no greener on the other side of the fence.

The following excerpt taken from the NYT report, rings true for me after witnessing similar treatment working at another large corporation, News International (News UK) - "The NYT article prominently features anecdotes describing shockingly callous management practises, including people being treated without empathy while enduring family tragedies and serious health problems."  Thankfully, some people are now coming forward at Amazon Anonymous to let the world know how they are being unfairly treated.

It won't be too long before other large organisations are flagged up and held responsible for callous behaviour to their employees and measures taken to curb shareholder pressure for growth in exchange for worker's health. The tide is turning as more focus on supporting our workers will follow the investigations into tax evasion and other unethical practises going on in the UK, I'm sure.

Reaction Formation

OPPOSING FORCES

Understanding why some people have such extreme reactions to situations is the key to uncovering the truth behind where that person may be keeping real feelings in direct conflict with their projected feelings and objectives.

So, for example, if you find that something, someone or a situation makes you angry - take a step back to look at why this has caused such a strong emotional response in you. The reason you've become upset could likely be masking something else that you're either in denial of, deceiving yourself or insecure about. If you can identify these times and try to discover where these feelings conflict with your own, you may learn more about yourself and where you can make greater improvements. The following video explains how these reflections are teachings we can get great benefits from if we tackle them face on.

The Smiling Judas

If you've ever been betrayed by someone and unable to pinpoint where the betrayal came from, you'll maybe experience some overly sympathetic responses from those around you just after the incident. This can often be a key indicator to find those guilty of stabbing you in the back. Because, the smiling, caring display from the first person to console you, are potentially displays of their guilt - because it was they who played the role of Judas. 

The Judas is within us all. It's not just how we treat our friends and colleagues eiher, we betray our true feelings and ultimately ourselves all the time. Knowing why people do the opposite of what they believe in, is an important tool for seeing through self-deceit in ourselves and in others for both personal development and for achieving success in our life.

Reaction Formation is a recognised ego defence mechanism used to protect us when we feel anxious or threatened. These responses are not under our conscious control. It's important to identify these reactions to better know when or why people are being the opposite of what they appear and Dr Neel Burton's book called Hide & Seek will help us to look closely in the mirror to identify what we want and who we really are.

Job Satisfaction

WE CAN'T GET NO...

Satisfaction in the work place. Job love is beyond reach for the majority of us these days. Work hard, play hard is the old saying. You put the effort in at your job and enjoy the benefits the money brings you doing all the things you like in your free time. And if the work was fun and rewarding too, it was an added bonus. Unfortunately in the modern workplace, a lot of the fun has been sucked out, the 'work hard play hard' saying has been replaced with 'work harder for less money or we'll find someone else'. We are left with little time and energy to play with and worn out at the end of another long day and week to really enjoy what little is left anyway.

To thrive in a job, we need motivation in order for us to put the effort and time in. You'd think it would be money that increases motivation, but it's not. Having a rewarding job means we receive appreciation and recognition for doing something well as a number one factor - money comes way down the list.

The top 10 factors are:1 Appreciation for your work
2 Good relationships with colleagues
3 Good work-life balance
4 Good relationships with superiors
5 Company’s financial stability
6 Learning and career development
7 Job security
8 Attractive fixed salary
9 Interesting job content
10 Company values

Customer Services

GETTING WHAT YOU WANT

Angry, feeling let down or needing to vent about an injustice that has befallen on you? Customer service numbers are set up for the very purpose of dealing with any complaints we may have and to keep the customer happy. 

Turning On The Charm

Some poor soul's daily job, is to deal with a barrage of disgruntled customers that in some way believe they've received a poor service on some level or other. Out of the many people calling to voice their dissatisfaction, not one person is going to phone up and in a friendly voice say, 'I just wanted to tell you how pleased I am with your company's service/product'. It's unlikely that, in their haste to scorn the internet provider/phone network (or whatever they are angry about) service, very few will consider enquiring about the other person's welfare or what they plan for the weekend.

So, if you want to be in the tiny percentage of customers who recognise that another human being is on the other end of the phone / in the store / just doing a job to pay the bills, etc....be civil and nice. Make banter, get their name and start off the conversation with some friendly chit chat - followed by 'I apologise for what follows, as I've got a bit of a gripe about the product/service and I know it's not your fault'. See how much better the result is if you make it much easier for the other person to like and actually want to help you get a good result. 

A lot of these centres are measured on customer feedback - often with bonuses on positive outcomes. They are the ambassadors for the company after all. If they can offer a solution to retain a customer - and even encourage that customer to praise the service in a survey (they normally ask how likely you are to recommend to a family/friend) - they get job satisfaction and we get a good result. 

I have managed to turn around quite a few situations to my favour by being charming. With banks and mobile phone customer services complaints, I've even managed to get money back, bills reduced and extra benefits thrown in. Often too - the call had gone so well that I've even managed to get direct extension numbers and email addresses not usually given out to the general public, all making future customer service enquiries even easier to deal with. 

The bottom line is...remember to pull in your emotions. Detach yourself from the issue and connect with the person on the other end of a phone. Job satisfaction is the biggest motivator in any place of work. Give yourself the best chance of success by encouraging others to deliver and therefore allow both parties to get what they want with a satisfying smile at the end of the call. 

Catching Up on Power

REQUIRED READING

Up until recently, I'd failed to pick up any of the books written by one of the greatest minds of our generation. I'd heard the name, know he was a free thinker and even seen him interviewed by Ali G (AKA Sasha Baron Cohen) and yet I've never read any of his books. I've always believed I was fairly well read and especially knowledgable about the more left-field authors like Noam.

I've been through a bit of a catch up these last couple of days - listening to, watching and reading some of Noam's books. These books are required readings for everyone if they are to truly understand how and why we as human beings have arrived at a situation that has to change for the better if we are to survive as a species. Understanding Power is is an easy to digest book - covering a very complicated, yet very revealing topic on how supreme power in the USA has culminated in us arriving at the current status Quo.

Some will say he's a bit of a conspiracy theorist and discredit his writings - but it always pays to keep an open mind. Be prepared to feel a bit uncomfortable when the pennies start to drop. It completely makes sense that powerful families, corporations, governments and ruling classes would want to keep their power. They'll stop at nothing to stay at the top. Knowing a bit more about how the world goes round, will open our eyes to some of the dealings that are going on amongst these power-hungry elite. I suggest we all have a catch up with Noam Chomsky to get a better understanding about what the powerful are doing right now and see how we can all collectively make a change for the better.

Charity Bargains

GIVE AND RECEIVE

Buying clothes from the second hand shop has completely lost the stigma it had from when I was at school. The stick we'd get from the bullies once they suspected we had on a hand-me-down, was enough to get a reputation for being somewhat of a lower classed citizen. Kids can be so cruel.

Through the college years it became a right of passage to wear charity shop attire. It was expected that everything worn had to be quirky cool clothing from a charity shop. But then a decent wage packet came along and suddenly second hand clothing was eradicated from the wardrobe.

With all the cheap clothing now clogging up the high street stores, likely produced unethically in poorer countries, it seems we're already making more stuff than we actually need. Adding to the fact that I'm bringing in very little money at the moment, I've made a pact to only buy from charity shops.

I like the idea that I'm giving to charity at the same time as treating myself. Today I bought four items that will serve me well. I was just looking for a pair of shorts, but in my search, found a hoody, vest, bag and shorts - all for just £22! There was a really nice shirt and a jacket which would have added another £14.50 to the total, but unfortunately, they were both a bit too small. Still, this shop Fara has so much great stuff that looks as new, for under a fiver, why go anywhere else?!

Low-Brow Working

ODD JOB MAN

There's something quite liberating about being a grunt. By that term, I mean somebody who does the heavy lifting, digging and general manual labour. You don't need to think much, it's a good physical workout and the pint at the end of the day tastes that much sweeter when you're finished too. 

Having been stuck in an office for many years, it's nice to know that I'm going to be outside a bit more. I've been mostly wearing shorts for the summer and I don't wish to go back into an air-conditioned office and plonked in front of a screen 10 hours a day. Needless to say, I will still be doing some of the work on a computer but will happily factor in some digging & carrying into my new portfolio way of working. 

I recall some years back - between jobs, when I worked for a landscape gardening company over the summer. It was great being up early, outside in nature, watching the bids take the worms from my newly-turned soil. It was a happy time away from the corporate life. And so, I relish utilising the time I have at the end of the summer to get some hard earned beers in after a an honest day's graft once again.

Isolated Living

GETTING AWAY FROM IT ALL

Living the dream can be tough - especially if that dream's to get away from the rat race. Cutting ourselves off from the safety and comforts of modern living to be at one with nature in far away lands, takes a special kind of resolve. 

Living in the UK, within a major city like London with food readily available on the doorstep and where the protection from emergency services gives us a greater sense of security and the belief we can live without fear, leaves us more worry-free time to get on with doing what we enjoy. But it could also be said that the illusion of city security stops us taking risks and takes away the very essence of what truly makes us feel alive. 

Opting for a riskier path is something a select group of families have gone for in exchange for a daily life full of adventure, by escaping to the wild. They have chosen to live in potentially dangerous parts of the world - gaining a level of freedom that we, in our developed cities, do not have. 

One thread that I observed while watching Ken Mcloud's documentaries, was how passionate the men were to have found meaningful purpose in their daily lives. The women were also complimentary of their chosen paths but nowhere near as much as the men - and likely spoke more in terms of their commitment to the cause in support of their partner, relationship and greater good of the family. 

Having a protector/provider role and a use for the fight/flight mechanism other than avoiding a drunk down the pub on a Saturday night or sticking up some shelves in the kitchen with the man-drill just doesn't cut it, so I can appreciate the extremes some guys are going to, often somewhat selfishly and at the expense of isolation from other friends and family. There needs to be more middle ground - meaningful, self-sustained living options available closer to home. With the rise of new trends in self-builds, off-grid and sustainable living, maybe we'll see more of these kind of living options closer to home and without the need for such isolation extremism. 

Monster Moves

MAKING A CAREER MOVE

Taking the leap from the seemingly safe environment of a full-time job into the unknown of freelance - or 'portfolio' working - can all seem a bit daunting. This is a situation where I am finding myself heading towards.

We can choose to stick to the one 'craft' or career - but there is not really any such thing as a job for life these days. So it's a good idea to get used to the idea of taking on multiple jobs and having diverse ways to bring in some money to pay the bills - even if those jobs seem a little dull and beneath us.

A job for most of us is simply a means of bringing in money to pay for the things we like doing. But there's a few lucky people who have the kind of exciting job they really love doing.

Imagine how being a monster truck racer must feel?! Thing is, doing the same thing over and over for years gets boring no matter what it is. And doing something we know we're good at but offers no new challenges, just means we're not learning any more. That's something I can look at as a graphic designer...but how does that work for car crushing?

Watching Dan Patrick - USA Monster Truck legend perform at this weekend's Santa Pod finals - with more than 30 years in Monster Truck and dragster racing, he's still 100% investing his energy in the industry he loves so much. Coming out of retirement to compete once more, I was amazed at the very humble speech he gave after coming a measly third place. It was evident from the excitement in his voice that the buzz he gets from crushing cars was still just as strong as when he first competed. It's because he is always seeking better ways to improve the cars and ultimately his performance - hence why he owns a lot of the patents for the modern day truck and has been a real visionary in the field of monster truck racing.

While I would like to have been given the chance to be a Monster Truck driver - I always believed it would eventually get boring, just driving over cars every time... but maybe that's not the case....Dan still loves doing it more than retirement....hmmm, I wonder if there's a driver's job going that I can add as part of my work portfolio now he's retired?!

Knowledge Is Power

THE POWER IS IN OUR HANDS

The power to gain knowledge is within reach for us all. Great scholars and free thinkers have dedicated their lives to gathering information and writing it down for all to read. If we want to get our hands on these great writings, it's all out there - thousands upon thousands of words waiting for us to look at in books and on the Internet. If we want that knowledge & power, it just means reading and digesting a lot of information. 

There's so much great stuff out there to learn and I could quite happily do nothing but soak up knowledge every day, except there's so much else that also needs to be done and it's about finding the quality time to go it. 

20 Pages Per Day

So, the smartest way to get through so many of these books, is to allocate time around the other important tasks and chores. I've been making a pact with myself to read at least 20 pages of a book a day, which can be tough at the crack of dawn and equally at the end of the day when the eyes are tired but if we stick to certain times - it makes it easier to stay on track with a daly routine.

Training The Eyes

One trick I've learned, is to train my weaker eye. My left eye does most of the work and my right - which is perfect but lazy, cannot see the words as easily or as clearly so it doesn't get much use. To get it fired up in the morning, I bought a beautiful aged leather eye patch off Etsy and wear it in the mornings when reading my 20 pages. I now have a much stronger right eye and don't have to squint my left eye shut - avoiding headache-inducing tension from holding one eye closed.  

Robot Reader

Another technique I'm using is to turn on the built-in iPhone dictation tool. There's a better quality version that you can download called Alex, which adds the breath and pauses, making it seem more natural. It's not perfect, but considering the audiobooks are usually over £10+ you can get the iBook, ebook, kindle or web pages read out while cycling, on the tube, in the car or lying down resting your eyes - that way the daily total pages go up considerably and the quest for genius becomes ever more closer!

Taking A Review Of The Positives

A QUESTION OF PERSONAL TASTES

We all have different tastes in what we like and don't like. For certain open minded people (myself included), trying and experiencing new and different things in life is what's enjoyable and doing the same boring thing all the time, not much fun and hence not enjoyable.

On the whole enjoyment scale, there's many shades of grey. For others who have definite tastes, this means their preferences are very black and white. They either like something or they don't - ie, they have very distinct opinions of things that can make them happy and equally make them unhappy....sometimes even really angry. 

I appreciate that there are certain activities or foods etc. that can bring about feelings of great pleasure but I find it so strange that someone can strongly dislike certain things in their life to the point of rage. We're not talking about injustice or corruption here, we're talking about not replacing the soap or the loo roll in the hotel loos and then to tell everyone else about their long whiney opinions via the internet....it all seems such a waste of valuable time.

Yet, if you read through reviews on sites like Trip Advisor, you can see there's hoards of people expending their time - dragging out their misery even further by leaving long negative reviews - mostly on such trivial matters that it boggles the mind at how these people can enjoy anything at all. Why do they do it and do they realise that nobody really cares? We ideally need a filter to switch off all these types of reviewers so we can read the most helpful of reviews.

Thing is....I really like Trip Advisor, mostly because I can read these sad reviews. Although they offer nothing to me for making a decision on staying at a particular place or not, they are entertaining. And, the madder they are, the better it makes me feel about my own judgements and general positive outlook. I know I shouldn't laugh at some of the ridiculous reviews that people write up on their miserable holiday and I really wish I could help them to see how ridiculous they are being about their loo roll not being replaced, but it seems some people thrive on finding problems with even the greatest things in life.

Visiting some of my quirky and most favourite places a couple of weekends ago, I couldn't help but get swept up in some of these miserable people's lives and get dragged down for a while myself. Thankfully, I was able to move to a spot out of earshot and it was there in that moment that I realised how poor a lot of people's lives are. Having one of the most idyllic views in the UK on a beautiful sunny summer's day, with a cold beverage in my hand and the girl I love at my side, I pulled myself back through after being subjected to the negative energy around me.

It struck me at that moment, that I have a duty to speak up for the sane. I just had to put my first review on Trip Advisor to counter the negative reviews. I now vouch to do more positive reviews - giving credit where it's due - to counter the bad reviews, so others may benefit from hearing how a positive life experience should be. 

Penniless Living

THE MONEY MERRY GO ROUND

Money makes the world go round - or so they say. Yet the ride's not much fun for those with no money and no means of getting any. However, there are alternative ways to sustain a free lifestyle by gifting, charity and off the land without requiring any money at all - you just have to learn how.

Thankfully, there's brave people out there like Mark Boyle, who have shown us that it is possible to live frugally and away from the 9-5 grind and they've helpfully written blogs and books on their experiences that offer us manageable solutions for getting free from the rat race.

The Gift Economy
Acquiring stuff for free is a lot easier these days through channels like Freecycle, Craigslist and through many other barter websites - and even Gumtree has the odd freebie on their site too. Streetbank is a great new service for offering time and services for free and reciprocated in turn with gifts through other members. The idea being that it is the act of giving that forms stronger bonds with strangers from within your local community, who then become your friends.

For specifics like getting around or places to stay, there are also sites for sharing transport and letting people stay in your home or for volunteering in exchange for getting 'thanks' credits that in turn can be exchanged for receiving other items and services that you may need.

Community is key
Connecting with localised communities to form groups and to help build sustainable living in city centres as well as the rural areas has already taken off in the UK with LILAC. This is very encouraging for others who are struggling to keep up in an increasingly unaffordable climate as the powerful corporations take over the buying up of land mass and property in our cities - and show us how we can make this possible in our communities too.

Portfolio Working

LEAVING THE 9-5 BEHIND

Get up, go to work, eat, sleep repeat. Where is the time going? So much of it is spent in the office - with a small remainder left down the pub where we anaesthetise our brains from thinking about how we are going to dig ourselves out of this rat race. Life is short - and will be even shorter if we don't allow some time to look after ourselves more. High-stress levels, lack of sleep, missed meals and poor nutrition - no wonder so many people are walking around like zombies. So, what's the options?

Diversification
Taking a set of jobs that can free up our time to investigate other revenue streams, allow time for doing meaningful voluntary work and spending more quality time with our loved ones is the way forward. This might mean we have to downsize, eat out and drink less, buy second hand and be a bit more frugal - but, providing we can do this - it means that dream of being a writer, artist or having time to work for a charity is possible.

Making a few notes on the skill sets that we have and how many hours a week that we work is a good start. Then put down a portfolio of these skills into a CV that can be sent out or uploaded to a website. It's then up to us to be up-front and honest about our hours that we wish to do when we go for an interview and make the most of the new life that we've found.

Testing The Metal

ALTERNATIVE STRENGTH TRAINING

Training for an endurance event and want to harden the resolve? Try a festival. Cutting down on food intake and jumping around in a hilly field with no sleep for 3 days straight will test the strength of body. This, combined with a bit of time invested at the gym, will help with your half/full marathons, sprint triathlons and any Tough Guy equivalent assault courses. 

But, after all this weekend revelry, if you can then push through the day after to perform a tough 6am start doing intense boxing training - when the mind is saying no, stay in bed - that will really prove you have the strength of character to take on an iron man race, euro event or ultra marathon. I truly believe that after this morning's boxing session. 

The Power Of Music

GOD IS A DJ

Having a quality DJ present with the skills to play a memorable track list of tunes, forming the soundtrack for an event and which has the power to brings people together, is something quite remarkable.

For someone to lay down track after track for hours at a stretch, to create a great musical moment in a gathering of people's lives, takes some real talent. It's strange then, that these very people are often obsessive and quite geeky types themselves. Social misfits to a degree. Maybe it has to be that way - we can't all be the other side of the decks dancing up a storm, or there will be no banging soundtrack to remind us of all the good times wasted having good times!

Festival Magic

BLOWING OFF STEAM

It's essential to let our hair down occasionally so we want to throw off our worries and feel some freedom from a modern conformist way of life, but it can at times, take us close to insanity as we shut off our minds to fully experience a state of abandon. And that's the way of a good festival. 

Dancing around in a field with a good set of close friends and like-minded strangers, all getting a bit too twisted on the hooch, forgoing sleep and taking on very little food for a few days - can bring about a magical mindset that resets the mind and brings about this much needed sense of freedom that we can only get through carefree abandon.

We see this practice in many older cultures too, where trance-induced drum beating and mind altering potions are taken to bring about these altered states - for joining communities together, healing the sick or connecting to the greater forces in the universe. Nothing has really changed in that regard as is evident with the modern dance music scene that's influenced our hedonistic culture - a rite of passage that so many of us go through to lose ourselves at the many festivals across the world. 

The Value And Excellence Scale

QUALITY NEEDS VALUES

Revisiting Georgham - another favourite spot in North Devon this week, we were again reminded about the 'UP' and 'UP AND OVER' theory that I proposed at the start of the trip.

On this journey, it's been clearly shown where some places have continued to thrive while others have lost out to complacency. Reliance on previous good ratings must be a common problem for many establishments. If they seemingly drop the ball for even a moment to allow disgruntled customers to leave a low rating on Trip Advisor, it can mean a decline in visitors & revenue - which then has a knock-on effect with the quality of staff employed and further adds to the downfall of a potentially great establishment as they struggle to cope with tired, over-worked, under-qualifies staff. 

We witnessed this effect recently at one place where they clearly failed to appreciate the relevance of leadership - leaving inexperienced staff at the helm in the True Lovers Knot), who didn't pay heed to the small details (bizarrely, replacing loo rolls is high on the list for complaints on Trip Advisor) and lost focus on the fact that the customer is always right. It's amazing what a complimentary desert or drink on the house can do to correct a minor - or even a major niggle - yet this has rarely been offered in the places where I've had to speak up lately.  

It's not just the establishments that fail to recognise leadership and over-delivering on service for retaining happy punters, it can also catch out the long established venues too. So many places think that having good reviews entitles them to hike up the prices. They need to retain a measure of humbleness like Pumblechooks do - a particular favourite of mine in East London, yet they get above themselves time and again. This is a big problem for a lot of places that I've frequented over the years and why very very few stay 'UP' (certainly in my estimations) for very long. 

It's a fine balance giving quality and value at the same time. The Kings Head in Hursley had it but alas, has it no more. But the Kings Arms in Georgham had - and still has it 10 years on. It's a real achievement, even with new management and so many different staff over the years, to retain the core values that mean this place can provide such a high level of quality food & drink. And all delivered with consistently great service at such great value, in comparison to the many other over-priced places around today and likely, not tomorrow.