Author Archives: NCS

It is in my inquisitive obsessive nature that from time to time causes me to fall down a rabbit hole. It usually starts with book or an essay I have read. With the Internet at arms length the rabbit holes are unavoidable. So it was that in the last two weeks I have fell downContinue reading “Vincent van Gogh Rabbit Hole”

In the last eight years I have taken to writing letters, yes that’s right real old fashioned letters. I read through some letters my grandad wrote to our family, how wonderful to see, hold and smell a link to him so many years after he had passed away. The letters were a physical link toContinue reading “Writing to say thanks”

I am sad today, someone vandalised my little yellow beach hut two nights ago. My little shed by the sea has been damaged in the night by God knows who. Magaritaville is my Beach Hut’s name and it is where I do most of my writing in spring and summer as well as talking toContinue reading “Feeling Sad today!”

Taking a break from my computer screens, iPad and phone screens to write something by hand is something I find joyful. Writing a thank-you note, congratulatory message or such notes is a wonderfully rewarding and enjoyable process. I write daily in two journals, one long hand with all the daily recollections verbatim. The other smallerContinue reading “Writing, with pen and paper”

They say smart people are those that notice patterns. Things that are relevant to us in an ever more complex world. They say smart people are able to connect the dots and make deliberate concise conclusions. It is in fact just the opposite! In a complex world the challenge is to ignore things. To disregardContinue reading “Being smart is…”

In nature we never repeat the same motion; in captivity (office, gym, commute, sports), life is just repetitive stress injury. No randomness. Nassim Taleb; bed of procrustes

I have a confession to make. between you and me, I travelled internationally last week. I travelled first to London, then to Bath and getting away with that I traveled to Florence, I walked those beautiful little streets and and then to top it off I roamed the Amalfi coast. Of course, you probably guessedContinue reading “Breaking Lockdown; Sneaking out to Florence”

Do you have difficulty saying no to people? We are all placed in positions where one person asks something of you. It could be a request for your money, or your time, the team’s time, a work reference or merely an introduction to a colleague. It is understandable if you struggle to say no sometimes,Continue reading “No is a complete sentence”

It has been one year since our first national lockdown. Marie Curie, the charity and 60 others are inviting us to join in a minutes silence at 12 noon and to also go outside at 8pm for a candle vigil (show of light). March in the UK at least is a windswept month which beginsContinue reading “A national day of reflection”

Have you ever seen a sign like the one above? They are usually near a playing field, or a disused parking space. It says ‘no Dumping’ that is a pretty good motto for writing in general and certainly this blog. Even if you do not identify yourself as a writer, you are! You write hundredsContinue reading “No dumping”

It’s my 26th wedding anniversary today so off work and planning to walk and read with my Wife Melanie. I did want to write a short post on helping people and not waiting to help. It was prompted after I had some mentoring sessions. A young consultant I mentor said they would love to helpContinue reading “Helping others; Don’t wait”

The title of this post is a quote by Walt Whitman. I think it might be my most favourite quote and how I try and live my life. It is a lot easier to be mean than to be curious. So mean people, on top of being selfish, are also lazy and uninventive. Try andContinue reading “Be curious not judgemental”

The Friday evening started like any other we have spent in a national lockdown. I finish up my meetings, Melanie is making dinner and my daughter is setting the table. I walk in from the home office to the main house and I stop for a second, I have a text. “Have you ever readContinue reading “The stories we tell ourselves”

My favourite artist is Vincent van Gogh, the artist responsible for starry nights, sunflowers, and Irises. His whole life he was plagued with self doubt. He didn’t start drawing until he was 26, and didn’t pick up a paintbrush until he was 28. We all face moments of self doubt, some more than others, seldomContinue reading “Self doubt; and endless starry sky”

At the heart of every barrier we create for ourselves is self belief or more accurately lack there of. Unless you feel confident in your abilities you simply won’t be in the right frame of mind to chase a goal ambition. It’s natural to feel a little nervous when we take on a new challengeContinue reading “Self belief”

Worry is not trivial, its a silent killer and you need to be aware of it. Take a walk with me and let’s explore the ‘path of the worrier’. Let’s say you have a concern at work. Something maybe you kept to yourself, perhaps you are worrying about losing a big deal or a familyContinue reading “Worrying is killing us”

Swing for the fences is an idiom I first came across while spending more time in the USA. It means to put all one’s power into one’s swing while batting, so as to hit a home run. The idiom is used to explain or encourage a person to put the maximum amount of effort orContinue reading “Swing for the fences”

I was a poor student at school, I did better at college, I excelled at university. Early education and the prescriptive curricula was not for me. College allowed for self expression but I was not in the right head space to enjoy it. At university they expected self expression and I was ready to speak.Continue reading “To every thing there is a season”

Thirty years ago, a spacecraft, bound for the edges of the solar system, someone had the genius of turning back the camera and looking towards Earth. Turned back toward Earth it took a picture. The image it captured accompanying this post, came to be known as “Pale Blue Dot.” It was captured on February 14,Continue reading “The pale blue dot; The only home we have ever known”