It’s a beautiful space. On the banks of the River Mersey is a small park called Vale Park, not far from New Brighton. It’s nestled behind trees through which you can look out at the river and see the profile of Liverpool against the sky. The city’s profile has changed radically in recent years with … Read more
A recent coffee with a friend and colleague (thanks Nick) started me thinking about this whole business of imposter syndrome. I’ve written about it before and frequently encounter it as a coach. Here we were looking at it again, when Nick asked a really interesting question. Is imposter syndrome linked to class and background? As … Read more
This is a poem from the collection I am writing at the moment – called “alice reimagined”, a series of conversations with the anima. I despair of Alice sometimes especially when she is out and I have no-one to talk to or she is in and I have no-one to talk … Read more
As I write this, I am about to take a break for a few days. In the run up to it I am in the usual heat and frenzy of clearing the decks, getting stuff done and cutting a dash before I head for the imaginary door. It’s such a productive time. Over the years … Read more
Productivity, there’s a challenge. And yet the world is full of people who claim to be experts in it. If you google it you will find countless pieces of advice, many of them conflicting each other. And that’s because each of us is unique. We each need our own approach, our own systems to make … Read more
We look at what is measurable rather than what is meaningful (Warren Buffet) You may already be aware that I work in the world of research in my day job. It’s a place obsessed with measurement. If something looks really interesting and of value, the next step is to look for a measure. Is … Read more
We are taught by the mindfulness movement that meditation is about stilling the mind, but that is only one type of meditation. This one is known as single-point meditation (sometimes also referred to as samatha), focusing on one object (which could be the breath) to train the mind to still and quieten. This is the … Read more
Back in May 2013 I wrote: “it’s impossible to be a blogger without being a blagger” and I read that again earlier today. It started me thinking about the place of ego in a blog. And that sent me off down an attention rabbit hole, where I went looking for the books by Daryl Sharp … Read more
There is so much to write about. Like the crazy life – things coming at me from all sides. Ideas that I could harvest. Stuff that I should remember. And in the midst of all this chaos, there is a still and quiet voice reminding me what is important. That voice says – what is … Read more
Some quick notes about narrative approaches and complexity. This is a topic that I have studied over the years, and am revisiting now – looking for ideas. I have read fascinating material or attended workshops by the following: Dave Snowden – his work on narratives and narrative capture, plus his theories of complexity. Eve Mitleton-Kelly … Read more