Inwards, onwards & upwards
A journal of invitations, ideas & inspiration to keep you moving from where you are to where you want to be
The trees that fell down.
In Arizona a biosphere was created by planting trees inside a dome.
Only, once they grew to a certain height, the trees fell over.
The roots hadn’t grown strong enough to support them.
Because there was no wind.
Roots, it turns out, are made strong through resistance.
And if there’s nothing to resist, the roots are weak and the trees fall down.
Bring back the video shop.
It’s 1991, I’m 10 and it’s Friday night. That means only one thing: Blockbuster Video.
My mum takes me and my best mate Paul to choose a film. We have around 100 to pick from but we’re only interested in the new releases. In the era of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Bruce Willis dying hard and Val Kilmer’s Batman, this is a 10-year-old boy’s weekly highlight.
One for all and all for one
This month I’ve been thinking about people.
Meeting people. Leading people. Understanding people. Managing people. Celebrating people. A huge portion of our time is spent gearing our emotions, attention and actions around people who aren’t us.
And yet, they can be such hard work. Hell is other people, Satre famously observed. So why do we fill our lives with them?
Reinvent your ‘to do’ list.
Take a look at today’s ‘To Do’ list.
There’s a chance it’s mainly made up of three things:
Stuff other people could and probably should be doing.
Stuff you intended to do last week/month and has been on the list ever since.
Stuff that’s quick and easy to do that you’ll probably do by the end of today giving you the illusion of productivity but that doesn’t actually get you any closer to your most important goals.
Am I right?
It comes down to either skill, attitude or decision-making.
It comes down to either skill, attitude or decision-making.
You can work on your skill. This is 15% instruction and 85% practice.
You can improve your attitude. This is the power of mind over matter.
But getting better at decision-making?
That’s really difficult.
Here’s why you need a ‘to not do’ list
Ever feel like you’re not quite doing any one thing well?
Work, parenting, friendship, partnership, diet, sleep, exercise.
As though, in an attempt to do it all, you’re not really doing any of it?
Standing still can be the most active choice.
Standing still can be the most active choice.
Top corner finishes are thrilling. Slide-rule through-balls are awe-inspiring. Tricksy skills are great fun. Crunching tackles are invigorating. Finger-tip saves are gasp-inducing.
But one of the most impressive techniques involves doing nothing at all.
‘The dummy’ is the ancient footballing art of standing still.
Make moments matter.
Make moments matter.
Which do you remember:
Being 7 or your 7th Birthday Cake?
Your first relationship or your first kiss?
Your first job or your first pay cheque?
Sometimes we forget that we live life not as a continuum but in moments.
Moments that are mostly forgettable and occasionally remarkable.
A remarkable moment is a short experience that is both memorable and meaningful.
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