I’ve been known to hero-worship someone from time-to-time. I’ve even anointed people with guru status. And, I’ve believed everything that guru has said and taken it as gospel and blindly followed him. As I’ve gotten older and not necessarily wiser, I’ve realised that it’s a dangerous game to put your destiny in one person’s hands. The challenge […]
Prison genre movies appeal to something inside me. I’ve watched dozens: The Shawshank Redemption, Jericho Mile, The Green Mile and The Hurricane to name a few. And, loosely lumped into the prison genre are prisoner of war and 2nd World War concentration camp themes too … Schindler’s List (more a Holocaust story) and The Great […]
I find people irritating. Not everyone, you understand. Just some of them. You know the ones. Those that say they’re going to do something and don’t. Those that are humble and self-effacing when they shouldn’t be. Those that say they’re going to lose weight and then don’t do anything about it. Those that say they’re […]
A favourite dinner topic, around our house when I was growing up, was the UFO crash (with five aliens on board) in Roswell, New Mexico on July 8, 1947. That’s how you roll when you were born to liberal parents in the 60s and 70s. Discussions about the Illuminati, Nessie, Big Foot, Dogons, Sirius, coincidence, […]
Here’s a hack I use to ensure my happiness (most of the time). When you’re in the traffic have you ever slowed down and given someone a gap so that they can cut in front of you? And, after this courtesy, have you expected a gesture of appreciation … a raised hand or a quick flick of […]
I’ve no doubt that you’ve heard the idiom “Like looking for a needle in a haystack.” It’s based on the idea that it’s hard to find a sewing needle in a haystack. It means when something is almost impossible to find. It got me thinking about the Holy Grail and the Arthurian legends attached thereto. Just […]
After his book launch an author complained that one of his best friends never bought his book. He ranted, saying that he expected his friend to support him by buying his book. He got nods of agreement from the the rantees. The author went as far as saying that he was prepared to terminate the […]
Have you ever experienced the relief when a car alarm that has been going off for the last hour, stops? Suddenly you can take a breath and think clearly again. But, if it isn’t a car alarm, it’s some other distraction that’ll keep us out of our heads. I love distraction because the reality is […]
“This is no time to make new enemies”. These were the last words of French writer and philosopher, Voltaire on his deathbed when asked to foreswear Satan. I, of course, have no problem making new enemies (and upsetting old enemies) on a regular basis. Yes, I know, being arrogant, self-absorbed, difficult, short-tempered and petulant – […]
In this article Eric Traub suggests the corporate world has much to learn about talent from how Tibetan Buddhist monks learn.