I’ve just got the bus to the metro stop and am now on the tram on the way into town. Granada. Where I live now. Again. I first lived here for two years when I came to Spain in 2014 after living in London. I lived in a small village in Almeria in the south-east of Spain for the last seven years. We have a … Continue reading Memento Mori on the Metro in Granada
I was recently reading about Kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing pottery. Other than being aesthetically pleasing and delicately minimal, what caught my eye was the underlying motivation behind it being that gold or silver lacquer is used in the repair process on the understanding that the piece is more beautiful for having been broken. Unlike the commercial Western of idea of replacing broken things … Continue reading More Beautiful For Having Been Broken
Being who you really are can be challenging. Maybe your opinion differs to the ‘group’ or you don’t feel confident enough to say what you think even though you’re sure you’re right. Perhaps you’ve spent years being somebody else and you’re not sure who you really are anymore. Whatever it may be for you, rest assured, you are not alone. Some people seem to be … Continue reading How To Be Who You Are
Fancy a challenge that will give you some clarity in your personal or professional life? The question in the title of this post may initially sound odd with its double negative, however it is in fact part of a set of questions called the Cartesian questions. I’ve noticed that my coaching clients often find these quite challenging at first, especially the last one, however if … Continue reading What Won’t Happen If You Don’t Do It?
I love listening to podcasts and while looking for some new ones, I recently noticed a facility on my podcast app where you can ‘speed listen’. I presume that the objective of this is that the faster you listen, the more you consume, the more productive/better/faster you will be in your own life and this sounds like it could work well — if that’s how … Continue reading How To Be Happy Being Slow
Is it money, fame, and glory? This can be true to varying degrees for many people, but if you are not one of those people, what is your real motivation for doing what you do? I watched one of my favourite films ‘Sideways’ last night. Spoiler alert if you haven’t seen it! At the very end of the film and after having made several mistakes … Continue reading Why Do You Do What You Do?
It’s the question we always hear whenever we are at an event or social gathering. Once we have broken the ice and found out the other person’s name, what is the default first question of the ‘conversation’? Our first question to a complete stranger is to find out what they do during the day to earn money to pay their rent/mortgage/bills. Maybe we like our … Continue reading I Don’t Care What You Do. I Want To Know Who You Are
According to my taxi driver this morning, a change is as good as a rest. Maybe it was because I hadn’t had my coffee yet, but I started wondering if that was really true. What are the benefits of change? Is change really restful? I often find that people see change as quite a stressful experience. The unfamiliar ‘chaos’ can be hugely challenging and quite … Continue reading Is The Grass Always Greener?
A while ago, I spent a few months travelling across the USA and one of my favourite places was the rather laidback city of Portland, Oregon. There is a thriving food, art, music and craft beer scene and it’s also renowned for its slight hippyness. What’s not to like? Maybe I could sense something in the air, but it was while wandering around this wonderful … Continue reading How Portland, Oregon Can Help You Appreciate Life More by Doing Less
If you’re setting up your own business, working for somebody else, writing a book, creating your own art or whatever it may be, what do you want to say that makes you different to everybody else? How will people notice you over the white noise of the world? Maybe you’re writing a novel for love, for money or both, but does the world really need … Continue reading What Do You Really Stand For?
Nothing’s perfect. Nobody’s perfect. Nowhere is perfect. Perfection is a myth. Imperfection is the reality of our lives. Whatever ideas the media may try to sell us with seemingly perfect families and bodies among other things, there is no such thing as perfection. We give ourselves such a hard time trying to be ‘perfect’ that we forget that being imperfect is who we are as … Continue reading Perfection is a Myth and the Enemy of Productivity
I’m a big fan of using to-do lists to help me get things done and may even be a little dependent on them. However, I recently saw this quote on one of my favourite websites which made me think about them differently: “Life isn’t a big to-do list.” Leo Babauta (Zen Habits) Of course, it’s a very simple idea and yet it can be a … Continue reading How Sitting Still Can Make You Stronger And More Productive
Away From The Noise 