Posts tagged “New perspectives”

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Why is there so much backwards thinking about retirement?

Posted on 18th April 2018 at 07:30

A couple of weeks ago we focussed on one of those well known clichés which most people have never stopped to think about. Living to work versus working to live.

As so often is the case, our observations have inadvertently ruffled a few feathers and led to some rather “interesting” conversations (!). Particularly with those who have always worn their long working hours as a badge of honour and are now seeing them in a rather different – and less positive – light.

So, while we’re on this topic, we’d like to give you a rather different perspective on a related topic. Retirement.

Ready? Then here we go.

Do you live to work or work to live?

Posted on 4th April 2018 at 07:30

We know this is a bit of a cliché – and one you may well have heard many times before – but it often comes to mind when people talk about what they do.

What interests us is that they rarely describe exactly what they do in a way that’s easily understood by the other person. “I own and run a business making widgets for the engineering industry” OR “I design and build bespoke homes for people” OR “I help people improve and maximise their health.”

Instead they’ll give you their job title which, often, isn’t very helpful at all. “I’m a Director” OR “I’m a Builder” OR “I’m a Doctor.” And, by prefacing it with “I am”, their job becomes their identity.

Although it may not feel like it, Spring is here

Posted on 21st March 2018 at 07:30

With the Spring Equinox yesterday and the clocks going forward to Summer on Sunday, we have two important signs this week that Spring has arrived. And, even better, Summer is just around the corner!

To our ancestors, as well as anyone with strong links to the land and natural world, it’s an important time of year. The farming and gardening year are both well underway, with the promise of things to come.

It takes as long as it takes

Posted on 28th February 2018 at 07:30

We love passing on the stories that we hear, particularly those – like all the best fairy tales we enjoyed as children (!) – which have a moral at the end.

Are you sitting comfortably? Then here we go.

A travel writer was on assignment in Hawaii and taken to meet a local dancer who does the traditional – and ancient – Hula dance. Not, as you’d expect, a young girl but an older lady. A much older lady.

She begins with a demonstration. The music begins and she starts to move. Her hips swivel in a spiral. Her slender hands move in a wave. She beams with pleasure. And, as with all true experts, makes it look effortless.

So the obvious question is asked.

How long did it take for her to master the dance?

A few weeks, perhaps. A month. A year.

Is vaping really the healthy alternative to smoking?

Posted on 21st February 2018 at 07:30

We’ve recently been away for a few days and were amazed to see a huge sign in a shop window. It proudly proclaimed “Smoking is dangerous. Vaping is the healthy and safe alternative.” We should quickly add that this wasn’t in the UK but, even so, we were still surprised to see vaping being marketed in such a blatant way.

Interestingly, conversations with smokers have confirmed that this is their understanding of vaping and explains why so many are now making the switch. The question is whether it’s true?

When did social media become anti social?

Posted on 14th February 2018 at 07:30

This week we’re going to take a brief trip back in time to the mid 1990’s. Whether it’s a walk down memory lane or a living history lesson (!) do join us for a quick visit.

Back in those dim distant days, the internet was shiny and new. Not only was it dial up – which was incredibly slow on a good day – but far from user friendly. If you were fortunate enough to have access to it, you used it for a short period of time and then got on with the rest of your life. It was a novelty and, once you’d finished using it, you rarely thought about it. Surfing, other than that involving a trip to the sea and a board (!), had yet to become a mainstream leisure activity.

Who's afraid of the bogeyman?

Posted on 7th February 2018 at 07:30

With the Flu season now in full swing, accompanied by near hysterical reporting in the press about it being “the worst ever”, it really is time for reality check. Not to mention a dose of that seemingly rarest of all commodities, common sense.

In recent years, the Flu season seems to have started earlier and earlier. Hardly has the summer begun here in the UK, when stories start appearing in the press about the forthcoming Flu season. How new strains are appearing in the Far East / Australia / fill in the blank. That they’re all heading for the UK. And it’s going to be the worst season ever. The picture painted is of Flu rampaging its way round the world, a sinister figure with evil intent bent on worldwide domination. A bogeyman for adults.

It’s enough to make you want to retreat to the safety of your bed, pull the duvet over your head and stay there until it’s all over.

But is this really the case?

Clutter clutter everywhere...

Posted on 31st January 2018 at 07:30

As many people may know we rarely watch television. This means that the vast majority of what’s on the “one eyed monster” completely passes us by. So it’s always interesting when people mention the programmes they’ve been watching. And, sometimes, a complete revelation (!).

As so often is the case, several people have mentioned the same programme recently. It’s about people filling their homes with all sorts of hoarded “treasures” and the effect this then has on their lives and relationships. Sadly, many of them are on the verge of losing their homes or relationships, with drastic action being required to remedy the situation.

Thankfully, for most of us, we’re nowhere near that stage. However we do all have “treasures” – or clutter – that we don’t seem to be able to deal with, for whatever reason. Or rehome. Whether that’s on E Bay, a charity shop or the local dump / recycling centre.

Bin lorries in disguise

Posted on 23rd January 2018 at 07:30

Having read the title, we know what you’re thinking – that we’re going to be talking about healthy eating, detoxing or something similar this week. After all, it is the start of the year, with many people still feeling the effects of overindulging over the festive period. Well, you’re on the completely wrong track!

Instead, we’re going to pass on a great story we’ve heard recently, albeit involving a rather unlikely topic. Road rage. And if that sounds like a rather unlikely topic, bear with us, it’ll all make sense in a minute.

An easier way to start the new year

Posted on 3rd January 2018 at 07:30

First things first. Happy New Year. We wish everyone a very happy – and healthy (!) – new year. May all your dreams – or at least some of them (!) – come true during 2018…

As it’s the first blog of this shiny new year, it must be time for our annual post about new year’s resolutions (!). This year we’re not going to focus on the traditional approach to this annual ritual – and, sadly, why it simply doesn’t work – but on a completely different one. It still has the aim of improving your life which, after all is what it’s all about, but in a way you’ve probably never thought of before.

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