You saw me coming - I know you did!

Is it amazing that we don't bump into each other all the time? or maybe it's a learned cultural habit? I certainly took it for granted until recently.

I like to run. Yes there it is - out in the open. Yes, I'm one of those characters you see darting across roads, down paths, across the park or down your street. We usually set off from home and navigate a 'route' worked out previously or sometimes on the hoof.

Anyway, yes we (well some of us), travel at speed. Yes, we (some of us) are fairly quiet as we run along.

BUT - You can usually see us coming. The clobber a runner wears in public is hardly discrete. We only look acceptable (some of us!) when actually running. 

So, we are visible and the normal situation is moving at a speed far greater than walking pace. This presents some danger for the runner and pedestrians.

Most runners I know are very aware of this problem and adjust their direction or pace to leave a safe space between themselves and pedestrians and other hazards like cars, buses, lorries or even bicycles.

The question that i'd like to float out there is why do pedestrians not reciprocate? 

There seems to be a reverence for pedestrians. Why is that? I've had pedestrians step in the way on purpose, forcing me into traffic or watch me coming and refuse to even take one step aside so I can pass. What is it about running that produces this behavior? 

OK - rant over. That's me ready for a weekend run........ 

Something for the weekend?

There is something earthy about hiring a white van for the weekend – a surprising tonic. 

Recommended and cheaper than a weekend away! You are high up in the cab looking down on everything from a new perspective while simply moving items from A to B. Would that classify as a Zen moment?

You also get that definitive ‘job done’ feeling at the end – something rare in life these days don’t you think?

My two helpers were certainly in reflective mood…….

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Dunking metrics

Everyone likes tea and biscuits right?...right?

I'd always thought they were a guilty pleasure, to be consumed under cover of darkness or with the curtains closed..

But no!

Recent observations and investigations reveal a groundswell of tea and biscuit lovers letting it all hang out and proud.

Likely to break off I think....

But wait..not just being open about biscuit love, but recording and sharing the very details of that love...you know the details that are subconscious, but REALLY matter like dunk-ability, absorption, hold-together-ness, etc etc...you know!

Could humble biscuit appreciation be a new plank in face to face networking?! try it, I bet you a packet of chocolate digestives it breaks the hardest of ice...

Process or Analytic - which is best?....fight!

If you had Mr. Process in one corner of the boxing ring and Mr. Analytic in the other - who would you bet your money on?

I saw some 'stats'..! that said process thinking trumps an analytical approach in terms of value delivered 6 times over. I was dubious. Surely by using both you could deliver value 20 times over either one on their own?

Which end of the problem is easier to chew?

Coming at a problem from both ends can provide a bit of healthy friction with a strong appetite! 

No time for reading? then multitask!

The Kindle has changed my reading life. Amazing the places/times you can squeeze in a quick read.

There must be a blog out there devoted to 'where you read yours'...

Anyway, I'm reading a good read at the moment, which is one of those books that give you something to think about every few pages. Great for those of you who like to steal a little e-reading!

Where or when do you like to indulge in a good book? do you reserve different times for different kinds of book?

I can read and water my tomatoes...oh yes, great at multitasking me!!

Great place for a sneaky read away from the kids

An art or timing?

Heard the phrase "The art of the possible" lately?

I've noticed it creeping into the language of change. It seems to capture the mood of reaching or leaping beyond the constraints of today using a creative approach.

The 'art' bit is where it's at. 

How do you generate some attention to appreciate this art?....is it all down to timing in the end?

A great track captures this for me - enjoy!

"........You can be hurt by love or healed by the same"

A tingle in the belly?

How often are you asked for your "gut feel"?

How do you feel when you are asked for it?

Have you thought about that before?

I'm always amazed by the power, speed and accuracy of gut feel. I do wonder as complexity inexorably increases we'll see a resurgence and recognition of gut feel as a serious tool.

Seems research is catching up with what we all think, but can't put our finger on...The science bit...

If you've got time for a longer read, David Brooks "Social Animal" explores the 'no decision without emotion' theme in an entertaining way. The bedtime read bit....

So, how do you train yourself and others in gut feel?

Maybe start by not asking for a 'gut feel' if the person looks in need of a snack!

Naked without?

What makes you feel naked without? 

It's one of those questions that you could probably guess what many people would say these days. 

But it's also one of those questions that never ceases to surprise as well.

I asked my youngest daughter (aged 7) what she'd feel naked without. She looked at me for a few seconds, said nothing and went off in search of a writing pad and pen. A few minutes later, she presented me with this;


One day I was looking for my gloves. I couldn't find them. I looked upstairs and down as well, but I couldn't find them. "Never mind". I will go without them.
When I was walking to school my hands were cold, so I had to put them in my pocket. My friends made fun of me for not having my gloves.
My mum bought me new girls gloves and that was embarrassing.
Then one day I saw a red pair of gloves on the table, but they weren't mine. They I saw a black pair on the floor and they were mine. Finally, I had my gloves back.
Now no-one makes fun of me.

The Author!

What questions do you like to ask that give surprising answers?

There's a word for that..........

The Germans have a great word for worldview - ‘weltanschauung’. I know, tough one to get your tongue round? Click to hear to be fair to them, I think they defined the term and our feeble word tries to get there.

The dramatic and mysterious sound of the word somehow fits the fantastic concept of each person having a different view of the world expressed through their day-to-day language and the impact this has on others. The world moves on this stuff. It does for our cat, who 'needs' a place at the table now...

Seems the Germans have a knack for words like that. How about this one 'Wirklichkeitsanalyse'. Click to hear I'll leave you to look up what that means to you....deep I know. 

Do you wish you could find just the right word to describe something?

You need transition time!

Have you ever considered the myriad decisions, events and actions you navigate to arrive at the moment you’re in? Is navigate the right word? Is it more hang on for the ride? Or are you always ten minutes behind schedule? I bet you don’t engage in bar stool analysis about your week every Friday night down your local – with your family! Some people call it a ‘Family Meeting’.

I often raise the subject of regular family or relationship meetings with people I meet and either get baffled looks or instant recognition with comments like “yes, it’s great, we thought we were just weird. Good to hear someone else is as strange as us!”. Seems you've discovered this tool or you haven’t.

The beer flows and the conversation rattles along as you clear your mind of the week’s clutter and I swear you can actually see a physical change in yourself and others taking part. It’s more than a few drinks and ad-hoc bullshitting - this is free self help! It could save you a bundle in more ways than you think.

Self Help!

Be good to hear how you "wash the dust of the day away" as the Irish say.....