blogjou

Each time you leave the cosseted and hygienic world of towns...

Each time you leave the cosseted and hygienic world of towns and take yourself into the hills you go through a series of staged transformations - a kind of gentle descent in squalor - and each time it is as if you have never done it before. At the end of the first day, you feel mildly, self-consciously, grubby; by the second day disgustingly so; by the third you are beyond caring; by the fourth you have firgotten what it is like not to be like this. Hunger, too, follows a defined pattern. On the first night you are starving for your noodles; on the second night you are starving but wish it wasn’t noodles; on the third you don’t want the noodles but you know you had better eat something; by the fourth you have no appetite at all but just eat because that is what you do at this time of day. I can’t explain it, but it’s strangely agreeable.

And since then?

Oh, since then I’ve travelled and seen the world. There’s damned little equality going about. Mind you, I still believe in democracy. But you’ve got to force it on peaople with a strong hand - ram it down their throats. Men don’t want to be brothers - they may some day, but they don’t now. My belief in the brotherhood of man died when I arrived in London last week, when I observed people standing in a Tube train resolutely refuse to move up and make room for those who entered. You won’t turn people into angels by appealing to their better natures just yet awhile - but by judicious force you can coerce them into behaving more or less decently to one another to go on with. I still believe in the brotherhood of man, but it’s not coming yet awhile. Say another ten thousand years or so. It’s no good being impatient. Evolution is a slow process.

I think one of the things that really separates us from the higher primates...

I think one of the things that really separates us from the higher primates is that we’re tool builders. I read a study that measured the efficiency of locomotion for various species on the planet. The cCondor used the least amount of energy to move a kilometre. And humans came in with a rather unimpressive showing about a third of the way down the list. It was not too proud of a showing for the crown of creation. That didn’t look so good. But then, somebody at Scientific american had the insight to test the efficiency of locomotion for a man on a bicycle. And a man on a bicycle completely blew the condor away, completely off the top of the chart.

Steve Jobs

The more choices we give ourselves...

The more choices we give ourselves, the harder it becomes to choose, like taking a seat in an almost empty thatre. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals tested the ‘less is more’ theory by reducing the number of cats on show in their adoption centre in Colorado. With 40 per cent fewer cats for visitor to choose from, the adoption rate doubled.

Remember that vulnerability is a good feeling...

Remember that vulnerability is a good feeling, it’s the feeling we get when we are about to grow or connect with something or someone important. And the best thing we can do when we know there’s something important we are putting off is to ‘eat that frog’.

Let there be spaces...

Let there be spaces in out togetherness.

Kahlil Gibran

When you start to focus...

When you start to focus on the parts of your life and the people who inspire and energize you, you remind yourself of all the good things you already have, rather than constantly being on the search for more. More ‘stuff’ is just a temporary fix; genuine abundance starts with gratitude. If you can take a few minutes each day to remind yourself of all the things in your life you are grateful for, all the opportunities and exciting choices you have, tou automatically begin to focus your life on the things and people that make you happy and bring success. Stop comparing yourself to others and worrying about the things you don’t have - focus on what’s good and how you can prioritize these things and people in your life.

I believe that being happy and successful are interdependent. Once you start doing less of ‘everything’ and more of what you love, your happines will come through your actions every day. Those who thrive make time for what’s important to them. They are fully aware of who and what brings out their happiness, so they prioritize these people and things. They have clear goals and a path to achieve them, but equally they know it won’t all be plain sailing. They embrace fear and have no time for regret.

We must be willing to fail...

We must be willing to fail and to appreciate the truth that often life is not a problem to be solved, but a mystery to be lived.

M. Scott Peck

There is a wonderful book called 'Simplicity Parenting'...

There is a wonderful book called Simplicity Parenting by Kim John Payne. Not only is it an inspiration to all parents, but I think any adult can learn a thing or two from it about flourishing through simplicity in these increasingly busy times.

The things we want the most have more risk associated with them...

It’s one of life’s cruel ironies, but the things we want the most have more risks associated with them, because we care more about the outcome - and so even thinking about them makes us feel vulnerable.