Be prepared for any level of storm or sunshine in your relationships.
Here in my corner of Southwest England, we can go through all four seasons in a single day. The day dawns damp and dreary then the sun breaks through only to be followed by gale-force winds, a touch of snow, a brief downpour or two then back to a lovely warm sun.
The only way to prepare for uncertain and changeable weather is to wear layers. Stuff them in your backpack before heading off on your ramble and prepare to be regularly putting on and taking off layers to remain comfortable throughout your trek.
Coping with a toxic person is…
People forget: unlike swimming, writing is art, not sport.
I was a very competitive child. At 8, I remember riding in the back seat of my dad’s car, after a swimming competition, where I scored third. I was crying. My mom was just on a call with the coach. My team-mate — who, as I assumed, was also a friend — scored first.
“He got a gold medal and broke the record for kids his age,” mom said, handing me a McDonald’s bag with my favorite pack: large fries, six McNuggets, and a BBQ sauce. “Don’t worry, you’ll get it next time.”
My mom seemed to be more proud…
I followed ‘hell yeah or no’ and this is what happened.
Have you heard of a story where a donkey was left to choose between hay and water? The donkey was not pretty sure about choosing one over the other, so it kept thinking for a long time. It waited too long and eventually died of hunger.
Yes, I am the donkey. But I didn’t find it hard to choose between the two. But instead, I chose anything and everything that came my way and stressed over all the obligations I had committed to. This was me two years back.
Are you also overwhelmed with loads of things you love to…
Some considerations about your remote working environment
Just over 9,000 days ago I entered 37 Fitzroy Square, London and sat at an office desk for the first time. 380 days ago I entered the iconic Cheesegrater building and sat at an office desk for the last time. I hope it won’t be the very last but it’s clear I won’t be back until mid-2021 at the soonest. Ignoring a project I did many years ago with night-shift supermarket workers, this is the longest by far I’ve not worked in an office.
When the UK, and much of the rest of the world, went into “lockdown” back in…
A simple change in attitude was the key to seeing an opportunity to teach German instead of a dead-end with English.
I wasn’t motivated anymore. Everything I had planned fell into a thousand pieces. Everything I had prepared had just become useless.
What happened? I had just graduated from high school in Germany and was picked as an English teacher for a school in Mexico. Instead of starting university right away, I wanted to volunteer for a year, improve my language skills, and discover the country.
But when I arrived in Mexico, I was told that there was no teaching position at a high school and I was sent to a local university. There, I was informed that the university wasn’t…
Sometimes the signs are subtle.
I always believed I’d find The One at a coffee shop. Our eyes would lock the moment I looked up from the book I was reading; he’d smile in a way that would make my heartbeat quicken, yet I’d remain cool and collected.
In reality, it happened sort of like that — but not really. We met on Instagram, and I lived in a different state. We met in person at a Starbucks, and I wasn’t cool and collected. I managed to trip over my own flip-flop not once but twice.
I knew he was it was for me early…
Staying resilient in the face of opposition
“How can I help you?”
“Hi. I’m calling to confirm my delivery today.”
“Yes, I see you’re on the schedule. They should be arriving any time today between six and six.”
“Ok… I just want to double-check that they will in fact be delivered today. This is the third time the delivery has been scheduled, but no one has ever shown up.”
“Well, you’re on the schedule. They’ll be there today between six and six.”
“Alright… thank you.”
Guess what? They didn’t show up.
Too Much Trash
Oh, the joys of homeownership. Where apartment leasing offices and maintenance crews used to handle the…
Become an expert at reading people.
You’ve likely never met someone’s ‘true self.’
People put on facades all of the time. You might not want to broadcast your private life at work, so you’re reserved. Your friend’s perception of you might be different from that of your parents because you show different sides of your personality
While this is entirely normal, it can lead to wasting time on the wrong relationships. When I was at university, I dove into a friendship I thought seemed great to begin with, but it soon turned sour. It left me pondering my future, and I almost quit. …
Told through my story of going from a DJ to a writer.
There is a concept known as “second wind” in running.
I’m lanky as hell and couldn’t run from a tidal wave if I tried. The phenomenon of second wind goes back more than 100 years. Second wind is where you’re running a marathon and become out of breath.
Like magic, shortly after you run out of breath, you find a second burst of energy and get your breath back. This allows you to continue the race at your best with less effort than before.
If runners had a superpower then this would be it. Scientists attribute this weird event to…
Drop the conventions and find what works for you.
The day my mom asked me what I wanted to do when I grew up, I said I wanted to “create”. I later realized that “creating” is not something I can do for eight hours every day, and that a conventional office nips it in the bud.
Creating is putting experiences and thoughts into a blender, mixing well, and pouring it all out of your being in a shareable form. To pour, you must first fill. …
