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 …
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 …
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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 …
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 …
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 …
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39 things I know at 39
1. Manage your testosterone Testosterone for men is essential and the defining hormone that makes a man a man. High levels make you feel confident and rambunctious and aggressive. It makes you lean and muscular and gives you a strong sex drive. What's not to like? In terms of testosterone, we're supposed to be half the men our fathers and grandfathers were. Testosterone is produced at night and your body needs sleep and dietary fat to produce it. So eat red meat, nuts, butter and oil and get your sleep. And stay away from stress as well as stress produces cortisol, the stress hormone, and the testosterone killer. 2. The mind and body are …
To paraphrase Jocko Willink, Decisiveness Equals Freedom
The legendary Jocko Willink says that Discipline Equals Freedom. I take this to mean that accepting and embracing discipline and structure in your life will take away the need for willpower as well as paralysis by analysis and procrastination. In recent days, I’ve been feeling good and I think it’s down to making decisions, quick decisions and good decisions about things big and small. Deciding yesterday in a Waterloo pub that I’d book us in for lunch in 25 minutes in St. John and Uber it there was pretty good. (Angelique seemed to like the decisiveness) And today, we took inspiration from my sister and decided to sell our flat and …
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