What are you doing to help the people relieve the tension?
I make a conscious effort to smile throughout the day and take the time to appreciate the little things, for example, the architectural detail on buildings. A simple smile, can reduce stress, help heart health, lower blood pressure, and boost your immune system by decreasing cortisol in the body. Smiling, genuine or even forced, prompts the brain to produce endorphins and serotonin which may have a positive effect on your mood. Try it – SMILE. I think that if we make new behaviours fun, we are far more likely to do them in a consistent and repeatable way.
Power starts from within
I Have Power
Power is joy
Power is love
Power is appreciation
Power is knowing
Power is clarity
Power is the universal energy that creates worlds flowing through my fingertips so I’ll like some of that, and I did that because I have power.
Sharing experiences
What is essential to you, and who are the persons who have helped you become the person you are?
We just don’t get to be competent human beings without a lot of different investments from others, people who have loved you, encouraged you, and wanted what was best in life for you. I know that you have had at least one person who has believed in you. As human beings we are all intimately related, so it will never be the honours, prizes or fancy outfits which will nourish our souls. It’s the knowing that we can be trusted and that we never have to fear the truth. This is the bedrock of our lives from where we make our choices, deep down we all know that what really matters in life is more than winning for ourselves. What really matters is helping others win too, even if it means slowing down and changing direction now and then. I think you don’t make change for others; you make change for yourself.
““It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eyes.” ”
External validation
c/o Health Shots
Are you comfortable in an environment where you must figure a lot of things out for yourself? I mean making decisions on your own. If you are someone who really needs a lot of validation to decide and is uncomfortable with having that blank slate and thinking for yourself then self-employment is not for you. You can grow so quickly at a start-up where you can build your skills after being thrown into the “deep end.” Contact me via e-mail to book coaching, mentoring or 1:1 sparring sessions.
Sometimes happy, sometimes sad
Two of my passions are football and fashion! Yesterday, was my birthday and on the same day we lost the King of football, Pele and the Queen of fashion, Vivienne Westwood.
A gift from me
As you heal, you need to start forgiving yourself for all the times you let yourself stay in situations you weren’t valued but overstayed in order to prove your value. Trying to prove you’re valuable to people who reject you is a trauma response. Being alone at this time of year can be hard. Reach out to me via e-mail if you need help, I’m there if you need it.
Seasonal Greetings
“May your troubles be less and your blessings be more, and nothing but happiness comes through your door. Merry Christmas - Glædelig jul - Joyeux noël 🎄🎄. And for those of you who don’t celebrate Christmas, happy holidays.”
Focus on being
© Aleksandr Simonov
Mindfulness is based in Eastern philosophy, and has been describes as deliberately seeing what is in front of you, being fully present, and noticing what you’re doing, thinking and feeling in the moment. Mindfulness is gaining recognition as an approach to business and to risk management. From my perspective, meditation continually teaches me how to develop a different relationship to my thoughts and emotions. When my mind gets distracted by the commentary, I try to refocus on the being, in other words the present moment. Focusing on these micro moments are the key to mindfulness and has helped me reprogram my stress response. More present, more aware, less wound-up, less reactive and this has a huge effect on how I deal with situations around me.
“The older you get, the more quiet you become. Life humbles you so deeply as you age. You realise how much nonsense you’ve wasted time on.”
How to maintain a healthy lifestyle
It’s a common myth that getting fit is only about eating healthy and exercising. In reality, creating a healthy lifestyle and maintaining it is also about being able to keep a positive attitude, strong mental health and a healthy self-image. Here are some key factors to keep in mind:
Get more sleep
Find time to exercise
Drink more water
Eat less sugar
Do not respond to negativity
Write more
Remove clutter
Make your bed
Be patient
Listen more
Laugh loudly
Breathe deeply
Stay calm
Be honest
The act of comparing
As humans, we are always comparing ourselves to each other and when we compare ourselves to others, we may be left with feelings of inferiority or superiority, I have always said comparisons are the theft of joy. Era comparisons are the most fruitless of conversations given the differences in variables on aspects such as science, tactics and even technology.
“Comparison is the thief of joy.”
Rational vs. emotional decision making
The University of Virginia psychologist, Jonathan Haidt introduced me to a compelling elephant-rider analogy for thinking about behaviour change. Haidt argues that we have two sides: an emotional side (the elephant), and an analytical, rational side (its rider). Haidt's analogy has it that the rider is rational and can therefore see a path ahead while underneath him, the elephant provides the power for the journey. If the elephant chooses to go in another direction, is there anything the rider could do to stop it? From a pure physics standpoint, the answer is obviously “no”. The reality is the rider is not in charge, the elephant is and chooses to go where the rider wants to go. I think the big take away from this is in life, the rider is in the head and the elephant is in the heart. And it’s a useful framework for understanding the duality of human decision making.
A full understanding
Today is my father’s 85th birthday and to mark the occasion I would like to recognise some of his good qualities:
Appreciate the people who tell you the truth.
Appreciate the people who expand your mind.
Appreciate the people who forgive you first.
Appreciate the people who open doors for you.
Appreciate the people who make you laugh.
Appreciate the people who inspire you to grow.
Throwback Thursday
I wrote this back in November 2017 around data.
Big statement as an analogy: “Data is the new oil; analytics is the refinery for the data and intelligence is the fuel.” Data for data’s sake is interesting, with good hypothesis in you’ll get some great information out but with the volume of it, there is no way to go through it without some form of analytics. And there is no way that you can do something unless you are actually the mindset that is willing to think differently from what the intelligence tells you to do, and this may be counter intuitive to what you would have thought. Then you argue with the data and try to get the data to tell the story you want it to tell.
A metaphor from nature
How do you make your work and life more robust?
There is massive value just taking time away from the office to spend time with smart, inspired people as their ideas and energy will influence you. I think we can use nature as an example for us that life is about rebirth and transformation, becoming exactly who we believe ourselves capable to be. This is not only possible, but inevitable, if we let go of the struggle and speediness, and of the need to become our best instantly and without journeying through several unique stages. Nature’s metaphor releases us from a sense of battling against our circumstances and invites us to rely upon an innate, perhaps universal, order and timing.
“To have the results that very few have, we must be willing to start doing the things that very few are willing to do.”
Courage comes in many forms
Some have argued that courage should include overcoming a fear, while others have suggested that fear may or may not be present in the courageous act. Daniel Putnam in his book, “Psychological Courage” from 2004 stated that "courage involves deliberate choice in the face of painful or fearful circumstances for the sake of a worthy goal."
The 6 types of courage
Physical Courage
To keep going with balance, resilience, and awareness.Social Courage
To be yourself unapologetically.Moral Courage
Doing the right thing even when it’s uncomfortable or unpopular.Emotional Courage
Feeling all your emotions both positive and negative without guilt or attachment.Intellectual Courage
To learn, unlearn and relearn with an open and flexible mind.Spiritual Courage
Living with purpose and meaning through a heart centered approach towards all life and oneself.
Throughout my life people with guts have been solving problems, so I think courage is the choice and willingness to confront uncertainty, intimidation, danger, and pain.
Courage is a choice
No matter the risk or failures, keep going and never give up, if you never give you must succeed. I think the first part of courage is the courage to start, to face failure and rejection with the great possibility that it will not work out and you will feel embarrassed and upset. And the second part of courage is persistence, it’s the power to keep going, to keep pushing and driving yourself.
Don’t be afraid to disrupt the status quo, and to me, status quo means mediocrity and lack of ingenuity. We are all one action or one decision away from creating a better future and changing an outcome for ourselves. Contact me via e-mail when you’ve muscled up the courage to stand for something bigger than yourself and mean it.
It's worth noting
You did not choose your:
1. Birthplace
2. Skin colour
3. Birth parents
4. Birth gender
5. Birth language
6. Birth name
7. Ethnicity
8. Born abilities
You can choose to be:
1. Humble and kind
2. Generous
3. Gracefully honest
4. Grateful
5. Respectful
6. Optimistic
7. Unselfish
8. Self-aware
Confidence is important
I think confidence builds competence and it helps us to continue to improve and move from “I know how” to “I’ll try” to “I am doing it.” A lack of confidence can hold people back from reaching their full potential. Without confidence we won’t overcome discouragement, disappointment and challenges, and we likely won’t practice. And if things don't work out at first, confidence helps us try again and directly contributes to a more positive attitude and expectancy which are contagious and can help those around us grow too.
“An artist is not paid for his labour but for his vision.”
We reap what we sow
Intelligence is the ability to change your mind when presented with accurate information that contradicts your belief.
Closed mindset
Talking
Argumentative
Taking
Arrogant
Defensive
Blaming
Rigid
Open mindset
Listening
Empathetic
Giving
Humble
Collaborative
Educating
Adaptive
Care free
Those only who are happy are those who have their minds fixed on some object other than their own happiness. For example, the happiness of others, on the improvement of mankind, even on some art or pursuit followed not as a means but as itself as an ideal end. It means by aiming less at something else they find the way. I think your success in life depends on your ability to make good decisions. Your happiness depends on your ability to not care about the outcomes.