Author Archives: NCS

Read the manual Don’t operate this equipment Do not tamper Don’t open This is what most of our life has become, a series of infantile instructions saying you are an idiot, you can’t be trusted. Any manual that starts “how to read this manual” is a big red flag. The infantilism of our everyday livesContinue reading “DRTFM!”

I pick up the proverbial pen today with energy that can only come as a result of someone taking the time to give me some encouragement. Thanks to that person for your kind words. I begin this post after sitting at the dinner table and hearing about the work day of my grown up children.Continue reading “Pride and Prejudice”

January is a great time to talk motivation. As we return to work and try to remember our passwords. This post was a great example of when a person is wrestling with how to start something. I sat at this blank page for 10 minutes. Waiting for the motivation fairy! It never came. I justContinue reading “Waiting for wind”

Just a briefest of posts today about something we all can do to make people’s day better and make a change with very little effort. I have received encouragement and I can attest that a few words of encouragement during a failure are worth more than a thousand words of praise after a success. NoContinue reading “Encouragement is all we need”

I don’t know if you have had this, but I always come up against it when I’m telling a story is this damned difficult problem of where to begin? So it was this morning, when in a sleepy dull state called ‘The 1st of January stooper’ I find myself. I was in desperate need forContinue reading “2023 what will it bring?”

Maybe it is because I attended two funerals in two weeks, maybe because someone in our street took their own life last week, maybe because I caught up with my closest friend this week for the first time in eight years and I know I left it way too long. Maybe it is less recentContinue reading “Thinking”

I have attended two funerals in the last two weeks and learned a neighbour of ours took their own life which really made me reflect on the fragility of life. So I sat in the little yellow beach hut and wrote a brief thought about fearing what might happen and hoping what might happen inContinue reading “Fear of nothing, hope for nothing and be happier”

I am writing this in my little yellow beach hut after a week of travel. A week of networking and listening to customers share their stories. I was in Zurich for a week with work meeting hundreds of customers. The experience was overwhelming at times. The week was a great time to learn and growContinue reading “Reflecting on a week in Zurich”

I wanted to share a summary of a series of book written by the greatest living philosopher Nassim Nicholas Taleb. He created the Incerto series, which is 5 separately published books. Fooled by randomness, The black swan, the bed of procrustes and Anti Fragile. Anyway firstly I urge you to read fooled by randomness, inContinue reading “Incerto Series; Fooled by randomness”

Today I want to write about pity and specifically self pity. We all have experienced what Hamlet described as “slings and arrows of outrageous fortune” Whether it be an accident or some unfortunate set of circumstances most of us can say we have suffered in some way. Some worse that others but we rarely getContinue reading “Why me? why not me?”

Am I positive labelling by writing that most that read this blog want to be better?. Be that better at their jobs, better parents or just better people. I think this is a safe space for us to confront the darker sides of our nature. In all of us there lives an urge, for hearingContinue reading “Resist the urge”

I have not slept that well this week. So I thought I would write as I burned the midnight oil. I was watching the news and seeing the terrible situation in Ukraine and they interviewed a guy who said he would stand til the end and never cower to the oppressor. That act of defianceContinue reading “Ukraine, the lion in winter”

It was Aristotle who wrote “Knowing yourself is the beginning of wisdom” and I have for 47 years now been on that journey. So when I noticed something it was interesting to reflect on. I have been angrier of late, less patient, more prone to react, prone to get caught up in other people’s dramas.Continue reading “When the universe speaks, you listen”

I have not written for over a month. Well not written on here anyway, ironically I have wrote more in the last 30 days then in a long time which might be somewhat of an excuse for my absence. I am a great proponent of the pithy maxim from Benjamin Disraeli which said “never complain’Continue reading “Wisdom on the road to recovery”

I am writing this blog post after I was asked a question by a parent who was envious of how much my children read as children and how they are both committed to reading loads in the their early adulthood. I will first though explain a little background if you will bear with me. OK,Continue reading “How did you do it?”

Over the Christmas break many of us would have watched movies we treasure and have watched many times. Our family movie is ‘The Princess Bride’ it is a wonderful movie for all the family and full of so many wonderful quotes. Who can forget: “Life Is Pain, Highness. Anyone Who Says Differently Is Selling Something.”Continue reading “As you wish”

In the Holiday Break I enjoyed reading in coffee shops. Now I am back to work I get my fix using this youtube channel to get the same vibes, noises and sounds. I find some noise, maybe a little jazz or easy listening and the sounds of people talking is a great calming energy forContinue reading “Reading in coffee shops”

Merry Christmas to you all. I was blown away this year by how many people took the time to tell me they are reading these little posts. I really appreciate the words of support and encouragement. You and I have almost rounded the sun once more, and so it’s time to think over the HolidayContinue reading “Hills to climb”