Late ’95, I moved to London for the second time and got a job as a luggage porter at a swanky hotel near Marble Arch. I’d worked in a hotel before, loved it, and thought this would be the same … Didn’t quite work out like that. Tips were everything, and £100 a shift wasn’t particularly unusual. In theory, there was a complicated ‘honour’ system in place that dictated how tips were divided – but
The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong at the broken places. Ernest Hemingway Kintsugi (which translates to ‘golden joinery’) is a Japanese art form that uses lacquer mixed with gold to repair broken pottery. The idea is not to hide the breakage, but to celebrate it – the restoration becomes part of the history of the object. The results are extraordinary. It is inevitable that when we choose to take risks, not all
For many years now, I have been an avid fan and follower of Seth Godin. His books, podcast, and online courses are all excellent, but it is his daily blog that I find provides the most value. (Which is interesting in itself – he gives away his best ideas for free, every day…) Seth considers himself first and foremost a teacher, and his main area of expertise is marketing – but his ideas are applicable
With the growing awareness of the risks around the internet and how much of our attention it is taking, It’s understandable that this is accompanied with deep levels of scepticism and pessimism from many quarters. Data breaches, deep fakes, device addiction and social media abuse are just some of the things that people are rightly worried about. I’m one of the few people I know who is optimistic about how things are progressing. Don’t get
My Portuguese Water Dog, Scout, turned seven today. [If you’re wondering why the breed seems familiar, it’s what the Obamas have – I got mine first, though]. I’m not one of those dog owners who treats their pet like a surrogate child, but there’s no doubt that she’s a big part of my life. Aside from the two walks a day, she is a factor in virtually every other decision I make. She’s taught me
I’m not sure there are ever any absolutes in life – least of all when it comes to Love – but if anyone can help with this sort of problem, then it is the deeply thoughtful Maria Popova and her fantastic Brain Pickings website … A social media link yesterday led me to a deep dive into some of her writing and book reviews, which revealed an essential paradox that exists in all great love
I’ve been massively inspired this week by an extraordinarily moving talk I heard on The Moth podcast. Elizabeth Gilbert – she of ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ fame – tells the story of the last months of her partner Rayya’s life. The piece that particularly resonated with me was when Liz talks about her plans for Rayya’s last days … without giving too much away (please, please listen to the talk – it’s wonderful), Rayya and Liz
I did my first live gig as a drummer about 3 months after I first picked up a pair of sticks. I don’t remember much about the playing (which is probably a good thing, frankly!), but I can clearly remember how incredibly nervous I felt. A few weeks ago, I facilitated a corporate event for an amazing organisation called Goal 17, and was equally as nervous … but … it was a very different sort
“Man is a goal setting machine,” said Aristotle, more than 2000 years ago. That message has been echoed time and again by lots of very smart people in the intervening years – everyone from Seneca through to Benjamin E. Mays. I’ve had some success with goal setting, but the simple fact is that none of us achieve every goal we set ourselves. Using the idea that goals are set in stone but that deadlines are
Some of you will remember the 22 Push-Up Challenge that did the rounds last summer, raising awareness of PTSD. Like a lot of people, I was nominated by a couple of friends. I remember wondering if there was any point to it – would filming myself doing 22 push-ups really make any difference to PTSD sufferers out there? I anticipated doing a few days, and then probably letting it fizzle out as life got in
Weekly [digital] email to help navigate the [analogue] world …
Weekly [digital] email to help navigate the [analogue] world …
