The All Blacks are probably the most consistently successful team in history, having dominated Rugby Union for decades, perhaps almost a century. In the professional era, they have a win rate of 86%. James Kerr is an author who was embedded with the All Blacks for 5 weeks. It’s written so lyrically and with such pathos, that it’s almost like poetry. He weaves powerful Maori proverbs into All Black sayings and shows how these teachings can enrich and guide us in life. Maori believe that the haka draws up tipuna, our ancestors, from the earth to the soul. It summons them to aid us in our struggle here on earth with the sound of ngunguru, the low rumble of an earthquake: Tis death! Tis death! I may die! I may die! Tis life! Tis Life! I might live! I might live! Chapter 1 – Character Waibo ma te tangata e …[Read More]
Mindset
4 speeches to put fire in your belly and put hairs on your chest
These speeches will make you stand a little taller, with your chin held up, with your chest puffed that bit further out. And put fire in your belly and hairs on your chest. I watch these whenever I need inspiration and some courage. Hopefully, they give you some too! Al Pacino’s speech in Scent of a Woman (1992) If you haven’t seen this film yet, then watch it before this humdinger of an ending speech. For a very useful transcipt of the Pacino’s barnstorming speech, see this link from American Rhetoric. Arnie’s 6 Rules of Success Arnie is the man. Plain and simple. Champion bodybuilder, self-made millionaire businessman, blockbuster A-list acting legend, Governor of California, all-round great guy. Listen to this. Rocky’s speech to his son in Rocky Balboa (2006) Every Rocky film (except Rocky V of course) has made me cry. Floods of tears. The final struggle of the …[Read More]
What’s really holding you back? Truly?
If we start from the position that we all have potential, then why is there a gap between where your potential self is and where you are at the moment? How big is that gap? What is your true potential? It might be that your true potential is way more than you think it is. In which case, the gap is even bigger than you know. Step one is where you are now. Step two is looking at where you think your potential is. So this might be being a writer or being an artist. Step three is discovering where your true potential might be (and you would need help from outside to discover this). This might be being a rocket scientist, climbing the world’s highest and most difficult mountains. Step four is addressing how to bridge that gap and narrow it as much as possible. Do you think that …[Read More]
Slow the fuck down. How taking your time a bit more will help you enjoy your day.
I’m generally rushing and multitasking most of the time. I want to squeeze in a podcast in the shower, watch self-improvement videos on YouTube, read business books on the bus to work. I cook quickly, wolf it down and wash up like a dervish. Two things I’ve read recently have made me question this mode of doing stuff. Firstly, I read a great article on Medium by Aytekin Tank (which I haven’t fully digested yet). It’s called: Why reading 100 books a year won’t make you successful. In it he says reading as many books as possible in the shortest amount of time won’t make you successful, and that actually it harms the very reasons why we should read in the first place: (1) it destroys reading for pleasure. The best books I’ve ever read are probably the classics such as War and Peace, The Odyssey, and The Iliad. There’s no way I read these …[Read More]
Discovering Mel Robbins: a summary of her message and her 5 Second Rule
I recently discovered Mel Robbins on Instagram. She puts out great Instagram content such as: “What would @oprah do?” – That simple question is the key to making better decisions. It’s what I always ask myself when I’m weighing options and have a tough decision to make. By asking “what would @oprah do”, I literally CHANGE the way I think. It’s called the “power of objectivity” and in this video I share this powerful tool with you. – When I consider any problem from Oprah’s perspective, I silence my emotions, think creatively and have the ability be more strategic about the choices in front of me. It works like a charm. – Now it’s your turn. Who do you admire? Tag them. The next time you have a decision to make, stop and ask yourself what would they do. A post shared by Mel Robbins (@melrobbinslive) on Aug 23, 2018 …[Read More]