Steve Ridgley

the oxymoron of water

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India Monsoon Flooding

We need water to survive.

Depending on circumstances, our life expectancy without water is between three and ten days.

Water is crucial to our very existence. A life giver. It supports the growth of our natural habitat and most of the food we eat.

In fact we are composed mostly of water.

Yet in recent weeks we have seen how much damage water can cause to our way of life. Crushing infrastructure, destroying livelihood, breaking spirit, even bringing death. Floods in the UK are thankfully infrequent, although of course, in some parts of the world, water in the form of storm, tide, flood, sadly takes life more frequently.

Water – essential for life, yet a powerful force that can bring death and destruction.

Water – a live giving life taker; true oxymoron.

when French toast trumps oatmeal…

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If you watch The Big Bang Theory, you will know about Sheldon’s breakfast routine. For anyone who doesn’t, Sheldon, the main character, has a set breakfast on each day of the week. It’s an occasionally recurring comic theme. In one episode, Penny, a neighbour, is over in his flat cooking French toast for breakfast. Sheldon points out that Monday is oatmeal day. At the end of the scene Sheldon throws the French toast in the bin, remarking “smells good, what a shame it’s Monday”.

Today is New Year’s Day. Happy New Year.

I have just been out. I passed a large number of people walking, in groups. It seems customary that we go for a walk on this day, either to visit friends or relatives, or maybe just to walk off the Christmas excess.

In a few days it will be Monday, and for many of us we will return to work. That’s the routine. Work during the week, weekend off – for most of us anyhow.

Does it ever strike you as strange how we structure our activity around the structure of the day, week or even the year?

Why do we walk on this day, not on the 4th or the 19th or March the 8th? Because this is New Year’s Day, and custom says we have it as holiday and we walk.

Why do we start work on Monday? Because that’s what we seem to have set up as the norm. Sunday, the day of rest. Handed down from religious belief over centuries.

I notice at work how it has become quite commonplace for people to work from home on a Friday. An emerging time bounded custom or practice.

How much is our activity, our freedom, our choice governed by routine, custom and historic ritual structure I wonder?

We largely get up at the same time, maybe retire to bed at the same time. Eats meals to a schedule. Do things on certain days, at certain times. This is fine if that works for us, but I wonder how much of this is without conscious thought? Just a pattern, a ritual. How much is driven by societal conformity, by organisational rhythm, by peer expectation?

Maybe we should more consciously choose what we do and when? Do what we want or need, right now? Do what makes us happy in the moment?

It doesn’t have to be oatmeal Monday. You can have French toast, just because you feel like it and it smells good.

Happy New Year everyone.

are you collecting?

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You probably have a loyalty card, or six. Maybe you collect points from buying petrol, from visiting your supermarket, from buying coffee, from a number of high street stores? These days we aren’t loyal to one retailer, but the retailers still strive to buy our loyalty. Actually they are spending to protect themselves from our disloyalty. It’s a game. They offer points for us to save for gifts or for money off future purchases, and we dutifully collect the points. Theirs, and often their competitors too.

It seems we like to think we are getting something for nothing. It seems we like to save and to reward our saving endeavours.

So… what if you were rewarded for being loyal to who you are?

What if you had your own loyalty points system? Gaining rewards, gifts and bonuses from living your life in a manner congruent with your sense of self?

Every time you act in a way aligned with your values and beliefs, you gain satisfaction points. Every time you behave or act in line with the things that give you meaning, your account is topped up with a sense of purpose and fulfilment. Every time you do something that makes you happy, you get a bonus injection of joy. Every moment of enhanced self awareness gets you a small gift of learning.

Be loyal to yourself.

No card required.
No account needed.
No password to remember.
Meaningful, priceless, lasting gifts.

karaoke you

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Singing someone else’s song is fun… but it’s not your song.

In life, when you stand up to the microphone…

Sing your own song.
Find your own words.
Hum your own tune.
Strum your own beat.
Make your own rhythm.
Voice your own story.
Connect with the hearts, minds and emotions of others through your own lyrics.

Don’t sing a karaoke version of someone else’s life.

Sing yours.

are you intent?

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As 2016 approaches, you may be contemplating what the new year will bring.

Setting goals for ourselves is commonplace at this time. Custom has it that we set out to kick a habit, to lose weight, to set a sizeable, but theoretically achievable, objective. To resolve to make a change.

But what if instead we set an intent? A daily intent?

For example, today my intent is to laugh.
Today my intent is to take time to reflect.
Today my intent is to do something kind for a stranger.
Today my intent is to learn.
Today my intent is to get to know someone new.

Try it. It may surprise you. Just by setting your intent, your unconscious seems to direct you to fulfil it.

Live life daily.

Sale bargain, or are you losing out?

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time value

At this time of year it is traditional to shop. The sales are on. It’s customary to scour the high street for bargains. To surf the online super highway for money off deals. We like getting something for nothing it seems; or maybe it’s the sense that we have outdone our fellow shoppers, beaten them to the bargain?

The irony is we can spend a lot of time looking for the deals. Some even queue. For hours. I wonder if we put a price on our time and, if we do, is the deal as worthwhile?

What’s an hour worth to you?
How would you judge?
Your hourly pay rate?

If you live to 75 years, you have a total of around 650,000 hours in your life.

What’s an hour worth to you now?

Is that deal still a bargain now?

 

shall we play that game?

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Returning to work after a holiday is…

Well, what is it?

How do you complete that sentence?

Returning to work after a holiday is…

… difficult?
… to be relished?
… depressing?
… a relief?
… a right pain?
… worrying?

I wonder what is to be learned from our transitions in and out of holidays?

The rush to leave. Clearing the inbox. Completing the ‘to do’ list. Handing over. Readying the house or the family for the break. Buying what you need; food, gifts, tickets.

If you are going away, checking you have everything at point of departure (tickets, passports, money etc). Securing the house. Telling neighbours, friends, relatives.

Then the return. Knowing that work will have been piling up. Checking your emails the night before. Anything urgent? Can you clear the junk? Getting your work bag, clothes, technology ready. Dealing with the nervous tension in your stomach. Packed lunch?

First day back. Easy routine to fall back in to. So much to catch up on. Nothing has changed. Tell everyone about your break. Listen to their story. Let it all fade into memory. Focus on the work. Rhythm found.

Until the next time.

Why do we play this game?

can you imagine…?

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What if Brussels sprouts were square?
What if turkey meat was blue?
What if parsnips tasted of coconut?

Believable things? Maybe, maybe not. But you can imagine them.

What if next Christmas you were more aware of what you do and why?
What if next Christmas you knew your purpose in life, why you are here?
What if next Christmas you understood more about your unconscious beliefs and motivations; what made some things possible and some things hard for you?

What if knowing these things gave you more choice, more freedom, more joy?

Imagine that.

Merry Christmas

image by t1na (deviantart.com)