Mum & Dad

ANNIVERSARIES

Today was my mum and dad's 43rd anniversary. That's a long time sharing a life together, bringing up kids and ultimately looking after each other. Having a stable family environment means so much - especially for the sake of the children. Studies are showing that children from broken families have a higher chance of becoming involved in crime or can suffer mental disorders throughout their life. 

Who knows where I would have ended up if it weren't for having decent parents and a stable family life. So it's thanks to them for being so strong together that I'm able to be the person I am today. 

It's also why spending as much time with them as possible, particularly celebrating their success on making such a monumental occasion, their anniversary, happen every year. Because what are we without our mum & dad. It's a day to be truly celebrated.

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...

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. 

Carpe Diem

SEIZE THE DAY

It's too much taken for granted that each night we go to sleep, there's another day waiting for us in the morning. When we're young and seemingly invincible, the days seem long and old age so far away. We make plans for the future and often put things off that we believe can be better done at a later date without being fully aware of the vulnerability of life. If we're lucky to be living in a war-free country, safe town/city, or place where the odds of seeing another day are already stacked in our favour, we'll still not think much of the ultimate conclusion that awaits us. We blindly live our early years and wait for that planned long retirement to come. 

Better odds

We feel indestructible in our 20's, even in our 30's we can push the boundaries, but in our 40's, the capacity to regenerate and heal, diminishes, so there has to be some consideration to health because by 50's and beyond, any damaging lifestyles & habits not put into check, will be even harder to remove or fix. 

It could be you

It's not a nice thought - but getting a life-threatening illness can be a bit of a lottery apparently. Fresh research indicates that following a healthy lifestyle free from stresses may give better odds for living a fuller life for longer, but it could all boil down to luck at the end of the day. So don't put off today what can be done tomorrow. Do make the most of your parents, grandparents, friends & loved ones and face each day as if it were your last. Chances are, focussing on the positives and surrounding yourself with love and purpose, will raise the odds of being around, healthy & healthy for a very long time...but don't delay - seize the day!

Car Karma

BAD LUCK

I am definitely unlucky when it comes to my vehicles. I've never had to sell a motorbike because every one I've owned has been stolen or severly vandalised in a botched theft. The same bad luck with theft and damage goes with my cars. A couple of weekends ago, my classic Mercedes was driven into whilst parked on the street outside my house. This is the 3rd time this car has had someone crash into it and do a runner. It's bright yellow, so you'd think they'd see it! I've pretty much come to expect an insurance claim every couple of years as de rigor. I can't be this unlucky can I - or is it Karma? I've been pretty decent in recent memory. All I can say, is - I hope the other person is a believer in karma for doing this damage and driving off!

I'm going to get it fixed up and if anyone would like to hire it, or one of my other cars, contact me.
Here's the website - thesuninmyface.co.uk