Communication

Communication is important. No doubt about it.

If you asked any woman why her last three relationships ended, communication would be the issue with at least one of them.

And you only have to go along to one of the many business courses out there to realise that communication is essential to your success.

It's not just the communicating that counts though. It's being effective in that communication.

Because if someone doesn't understand you, you're just making noise.

Ke?

Clarity

Clarity is one of those things that's pretty useful most of the time. If you can't see clearly then making any sort of decision gets pretty tough.

Sometimes it is worth just making a call and finding out afterwards though.

See?

Focus

Eyes up.

Concentrate on the task at hand.

Don't get sidetracked or distracted.

Which is all well and good, but you might not see the bigger issues until it's too late.

Little things

First

First you roll. Then you crawl. Then it's walking. After that a run.

First it's floating, then sculling, followed by freestyle.

How well you do at the first usually indicates whether you'll be any good at the rest of it.

So why is first so important? Is it just a confidence building exercise? Does it actually help your body physically prepare for what comes next? Or does it play some huge role in the wiring of your brain and the thought processes you require?

And is first just important because we humans are so competitive? Is it a hangover from when everything was decided in battle, and coming second meant being dead?

If anyone knows a famous second I'd love to hear it.

First I need a coffee though.

Not first

Positive

Ok, I've been told that my last couple of posts have come across as a bit depressing.

So to fix this, I think you should immediately start thinking of clowns. And smiles. And puppies.

But why do these things make us happy? And why those things? Surely a stranger wearing overdone makeup and an outlandish outfit belongs to young women on a Saturday night? And a baring of teeth can only be aggressive? Puppies are surely only scared, nervous, inquisitive creatures that have no bowel control and are constantly seeking approval?

Whatever the reason, everyone has certain triggers that make them feel happy. Which is lucky, because otherwise we'd be terribly depressed as a species.

Sunny side

Motivation

It's early morning, your alarm is going off, and you're trying to jistify hitting 'snooze' one more time.

So what is it that gets you up? Is it because today is the day you're going to make that big leap forward? That report will be out, the kids will be happy for a while longer, and the chances of getting fired will be much reduced. 

But so what? Doesn't the cyclical nature of life tell us that this is only temporary? Surely we'll find ourselves in the same position in a day, week, month, or even a year? So what makes you get up this time? 

Or why set the alarm in the first place? You only ignore it the first time anyway, so why not set it a bit later? 

And wasn't today the day you were going to do the big thing? That task you've been putting off for weeks? So if the big thing is done today, surely tomorrow you deserve a sleep in? Bet you won't though.

Why?

Beginnings

Start as you mean to go on is something I've heard many times.

Not a bad idea either. No point starting at a frantic pace to be reduced to a crawl later. Also no point starting slowly to get faster as the day goes on.

Actually the old hare and tortoise analogy works here too.

Still, when it comes to consistency, not many can compare to the sun.


Let's go!

Tunnel vision

When you focus so hard on one task or object that everything else is blocked out.

Sometimes it's a good thing, if you've got a deadline to meet for instance, or your competing in some kind of sporting event.

Which is all fine, as long as you adjust your focus from time to time, and get a wider field of view.

Light at the end?

Home

Well, for the next few days anyway.

And while it isn't flash, it does the job.

But I'm quite tired, so that's all I'm posting today.

Meh

Another week down. Friday is here. And the madness that is the weekend is nearly upon us.

Got much on? Doing anything special?

Are you really asking? Or did that uncomfortable silence just get too much for you.

Not much no, party on Saturday and that's about it.

I really want to tell you what I'm doing this weekend, buy social modesty forbids it. It's rude to brag. Even though I'm genuinely excited by what I'm doing this weekend, being excited is so not cool.

Na not much, just going to have a relaxiing one.

You were just asking to fill that gap, weren't you. You had no interest in my response, and didn't offer anything up for discussion. How am I supposed to get through this conversation if you don't give me an opening?

Sounds good, hope it's nice and relaxing.

Wanker

Streaking ahead

Ever noticed how time passes much quicker for an occupied mind? The old saying "a watched pot never boils" shows I'm not alone on this one.

My question is why? Why should a brain care whether it's got lots to do or nothing? Surely our minds should be taking any chance they get for a bit of downtime? Is our head really that childish that it needs to be constantly occupied?

And if it is our brain that's getting bored, why haven't we developed a 'screensaver' that will keep our minds busy with some menial task so that the time seems to pass faster.

Then again, it could be that we're trying to savour every second subconsciously, to get the most out of our days.
E
Whatever the reason, I wish my bus would hurry up already.

Post-training

Cranky pants

What is it about us humans that makes us snap when we get wound too tight?

Why is it that a little bit more frustration lets us rationalise thoughts and actions that you would normally not consider, or at least have the self control to stop ourselves.

Could it be that the psychologists are right, that the brain really is like a giant rubber band? Or is it more of a dam about to burst? The implication with both of those analogies (metaphors?) is that we have a large capacity for frustration before we snap/break, but when we do break the consequences are huge.


Perhaps it would be better if we were all teacups, with very little capacity to get annoyed before overflowing, but when we do unleash, it just needs a bit of kitchen roll (or a cloth if you're being environmentally conscious) to fix the mess.

Half full?

Doubt it

What is doubt? Is it that nagging feeling that something isn't quite right? Is it the feeling of uncertainty that makes life seem more interesting? Or is it just a perfectly normal and healthy paranoia?

Whatever it is, it always seems to have a negative connotation. Is that because past conditioning has taught us to associate doubt with the bad and unhappy? Or is it the lack of certainty which plays on the ordered mind to create that sinking feeling?

I suspect doubt is actually part of the modern survival instinct, helping us to realise that a certain situation is not quite right. The prevalence of doubt in our lives means it must serve some purpose, otherwise we would surely have evolved past it.

Let's hope most of those doubts are unfounded.

Are you sure?

Preventative negativity

Why do we believe that what we do has any bearing on events that are otherwise beyond our control?

Such things as taking an umbrella so that it doesn't rain, not watching a Footy match so that your team scores, or taking a jacket so that it isn't too cold.

And why is it these beliefs are all negative? Why isn't there a belief that if you wear a scarf it will come in handy, or if you don't wear a life jacket on your ski then you won't capsize? Possibly the only instance of positive prevention I'm aware of is tradies on site wearing the safety thongs.

The bigger issue is that we piddly humans think we're important enough to be constantly watched by some higher power who is out to get us. Just sounds a bit wet to me.

Saviour

Patterns

Strange how many things fall under that category.

Your morning routine. The work/play/rest cycle. (will not mention the moon, will not mention the moon)

And it's even stranger how much we rely on those patterns.

Just as prehistoric man (can there be anything before history?) relied on migration patterns (or so we're told), modern man and woman rely on the bus/coffee/work pattern to get their evening meal.
Anyway, my pattern is about to reach the next step. See you after the coffee.

Streaky

Phoenix

I'm not sure how this will work out.
Why?

Because I'm now the proud owner of two hours a day. Which means I'm typing this on my phone on the way to work.


I'm not sure how this will work out.

And because of a quirk on my phone or the blog editor, I have to do this in html mode.

I'm not sure how this will work out.

And a large number of the photos I post will be taken on the aforementioned phone.

I'm not sure how this will work out.

But then again, if we knew how things would work out, half of us wouldn't bother starting.

New day