Because Every Word Matters
It has been quite some time since we had inspiring leaders who put the people ahead of themselves, led by example and united us all with hope and common purpose. In the midst of the worst health and financial global crisis in a century, the people of the world are looking up to their leaders for help, guidance and reassurance. Unfortunately, this is what they currently see.
Imagine how life post-Covid would look like, six to twelve months forward, or possibly even further down the track. Would things ever go back to how they used to be? probably not, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing, is it. Let’s have a preview on a foreseeable future and how this pandemic might change the world for good.
I’m not a big fan, to say the least. It’s been three and a half years since he got into the White House, and I still can’t believe it actually happened. Trump is a clown, a racist, egocentric, it’s all about him and his tweets, everything else is just fake news. He clearly lives in his own world, in a different dimension, where his reality is very different to what most others see. But now, with the way he is managing the COVID19 crisis, enough is enough.
Evidence suggests only one in five people enjoy going to work, feeling engaged and motivated at all times. That indicates 80% of the workforce is unhappy, unengaged and literally miserable. Given the average full time employee spends most of their day at work, we got a recipe for a bucket of frustrations and lack of productivity in the workforce. Clearly something is wrong with this picture.
A few months ago we were all deeply involved in the Climate Change debate, especially down here in Australia where the bushfires were raging across the nation. Then, all of a sudden, came along the Coronavirus and literally stopped the world from spinning. The Climate Change debate is not on anyone’s agenda anymore.
As most of us are forced into self isolation to stop the spread, bend the curve and save lives, the future is unknown and nobody can predict how long these unprecedented circumstances would last. But is it really that bad? surely some good things can come out of this madness. So before we start to lose our minds, let’s try and explore the things we can control, to try and make the best of this period.
The world has gone mad. People are losing it, hoarding toilet paper and groceries. It’s the end of the world as we know it, we are all going to die. So, is this how it all ends? Coronavirus is causing havoc around the world, but it seems like the biggest problem we are currently facing is just not the flu-like mysterious disease, but the panic that drives human nature to take some extreme measures.
It’s summer holidays in Australia and we normally go with the traditional Aussie camping holiday close to one of many beautiful beaches along the East Coast. However, this time around, as horrendous bushfires are all over the nation, we were forced to cancel our plans and look for other alternatives.
For someone considered to be one of the greatest male tennis players in the open era, we expect a lot more. Novak Djokovic. Yes, he can play tennis. Yes, he’s one of the best returners in the game’s history. But no, nobody likes you.
I don’t tend to come up with whole new resolutions for the new year (or decade in this case). For me, it’s a natural evolvement of the goals I’ve previously set, those I should be working towards every day, and those I have to remind myself are much more important than anything else in this world. This year, because it’s the beginning of a new decade, I came up with 10 things to guide the way into the new era.
Bushfires all around Australia, becoming more and more extreme. Fricky thunderstorms tearing through cities in minutes, leaving hundreds of broken trees and electricity poles. And yet, the Australian government keeps ignoring the facts. Climate Change.
When we grew up, back in the 80s and 90s, America was the land of dreams and endless opportunities, the place you go to make the impossible possible, a country offering its people a better life. But things have changed… So many civilian casualties in mass shooting across the states, and yet absolutely NO ACTION by the US Government to change it once and for all.
We all know sugar is bad for us, and yet most of us are addicted to it. Soft drinks, cookies, cakes, chocolate, you name it. But sugar is not just in the obvious sweets we consume. The secret lies in hidden sugar. It’s everywhere…
The world is changing, the weather is becoming more and more extreme, temperatures keep rising, our blue planet is warming up, the icebergs are melting, these are all scientific facts. Yet, as we are heading towards a disaster, there are still many people who ignore the facts and do absolutely nothing to stop it. Our World Leaders.
In recent years the debate over the Tennis G.O.A.T has been going on and on. Who is the Greatest Of All Time? Some say it’s impossible to compare between the different generations, others argue that it should be clearly defined by the most number of grand slam wins. Tennis is an amazing sport full of statistics, and one could spend an endless amount of time going through the figures, compare between the champions and keep the debate going endlessly.
What if someone told you that today is your last day and you’re invited to your own funeral tomorrow afternoon just before sunset? how would you feel about it? would your eyes be filled with tears because you’re going to miss watching your kids growing up and you’re not going to be there for them? will you be disappointed that you haven’t fulfilled your dreams to travel the world or finish that book you’ve always wanted to write and publish?
It’s the 21st century, and we are all rushing and running around, chasing success, wealth and dreams. But do we care to stop for a moment and think – how far have we come? What have we achieved? What do we already have that we should NOT take for granted?
When thinking about traveling with children, most people would probably imagine a luxury holiday in a nice resort on a Pacific island, or a flight to classic Europe to see major attractions including Disneyland of course. However, that’s not what I’m talking about. Ever thought about a Caravan Road Trip?
Have you ever had this conversation in your head, or with a friend or colleague? It goes like that: “I hate my job. I’m not learning anything anymore. My career will never progress over there. The job is monotonous and chaotic. All I do is fire fighting. I cannot go on like that. I have to stop lying to myself. It is time to move on”. Well, easier said than done…Â
Where can you find true leadership these days around the world? Nowhere but the most remote and maybe unexpected place on the globe: New Zealand. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has proven to be the only light in a very dark world. While USA, UK, Europe, Russia and Australia are swept by nationalism and trumpism, a dividing leadership which is hardly able to articulate a single sentence without blaming, hating and promoting White Supremacy.
My mum passed away just over a year ago, after fighting Melanoma for nearly 3 years. Apparently 10 years ago, people who were diagnosed with Advanced Melanoma had a very poor prognosis and were literally sent home to start saying their goodbyes to family and friends. In recent years, global research breakthroughs have tripled the life expectancy for advanced melanoma patients. My dear mum was one of these patients.
So you wanna be a writer, and you’re willing to dedicate whatever time you have to write your own special blog, the manuscript you had in the back of your mind since forever, or the novel which would be your first real breakthrough. How do you do that while juggling family, kids, work and everything else in your super busy life?
On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your self-confidence? Would it be right to say that most of the human population is not confident enough in their own abilities? How do we get to the point where we are happy with what we see in the mirror? How good is the feeling of walking with our head up high, where we are true to ourselves and don’t give a damn about what other people think about us? Well, we do care, but we are confident enough in our way so people would just have to accept it.
Here’s a story: we had this short seminar at work where they talked about identifying “Your Strengths” leading towards using them to accomplish your goals. This is when I realised my Top Strength is Prudence. What does that even mean? It’s about time I look inside, stare at the mirror and ask myself some serious questions. It’s time to take more risks and make a change.
You know it’s time for a CHANGE. A Change you have been longing for. For way too long. But you just don’t do enough to make it happen. You keep pushing it back. Procrastinating… Every new year brings the thought of a New Year’s Resolution. This is when we all resolve to change an undesired trait or behavior, to accomplish a personal goal or otherwise improve our life. This could be your time to finally make things happen.Â
Living away from home? Torn between your obligations to your own family – wife and kids, and the family you have left behind – mum and dad? You chose to live in a different continent, so that’s the price you have to pay – living with endless, consistent, torturous GUILT.
Once you hit the middle age you start experiencing the probability of “the end of the road” around you. Our parents are aging and it’s hard to accept that, however while this is a natural thing after all, you suddenly realise that You and your surrounding friends and colleagues are surprisingly aging as well. Who would have thought!
It’s official. Life is completely hectic. Unless you live in a picturesque village on the mountains away from civilization, your 21st century life is busier than ever. Rush rush rush, you know it’s way too much, but you cannot stop. We find ourselves constantly busy, with an endless list of things to do. So, how can we force ourselves to focus on our most important tasks? Make progress on self-motivated projects? And most importantly, achieve our goals.
Are humans really capable of multitasking? Are some better than others? Are women much better than men? Effectively, when it comes to complicated tasks which require a high degree of concentration, none of us can do it properly unless we are completely focused at it, one task at a time.
Ever thought about what was the hardest decision you had to make in your life? Life tends to take us through different challenges and you might find yourself at a crossroads. Some decisions might be straightforward, while others might take you through an emotional battle, sometimes an unforgiving roller coaster.
Language is an interesting thing, and more so are traditional phrases which are widely used in each and every culture. One of my favorite phrases is in Arabic, and it says: “Kul Kalb Biji Yomo”. So what does it mean? well, it has quite a powerful meaning.
I never actually thought about it, what’s going to happen in the days and months after losing a loved one. Then, about a month after I lost my mum, I came across a new terminology – “The Grieving Process”.
