Category: Family

Ikigai

Blogging about: How To Find Your Ikigai And Transform Your Outlook On Life And Business

Listening to all the former colleagues and current contacts who’ve been kind enough to speak to me so far has prompted me to have a think about what I want – rather than just which roles I could potentially be placed in.

No-one has mentioned Ikigai – but the conversations so far have brought it to mind. I think I saw it first last year when Rich Baker posted something about it on LinkedIn.


With no direct English translation, it’s a term that embodies the idea of happiness in living.

http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20170807-ikigai-a-japanese-concept-to-improve-work-and-life

I’m a sucker for a visual aide to thinking – especially if I can sketch it myself with sharpies on huge sheets of paper – but I’ve quickly realised that I need input from people who aren’t me.

I’d be grateful if you can help me to validate/ add to these lists:

Things I love
(I know that I should really be able to fill this one in by myself –
but sometimes I forget things)
Family and friends
Cats
Food (cooking, eating, watching TV about, Slimming World)
Reading and books
Running (and walking)
Travel (especially in Europe – and by train)
Gin
Sleeping
Dahlias
Rupaul’s Drag Race
J.K.Rowling
Dancing
Languages
Stationery
Drawing
Social Media
Organising/ planning/ writing lists
Learning new things
Things I am good at
(I might have been a bit too inside the box here –
what would you put on a list?)
Writing (copy editing/ subbing)
Organising/ planning/ writing lists
Communicating
Presenting
Social Media
Events (planning/ organising/ delivering)
Coaching
Leading (teams)
Developing (teams)
Sharing enthusiasm
Cooking
Getting to grips with a lot of information quickly
Explaining things
Empathy (putting myself in other people’s shoes)
Getting to the point
What I think the world needs
(Tell me I haven’t forgotten anything that you know I care about)
Less poverty
Less hunger
More equality (gender / LGBT+)
No homelessness
Toilets and sanitary-ware for all
No Brexit
Less Trump
More education
Social justice
No torture – more human rights
Animal protection
Employee Engagement
Trade unions
Less exclamation marks
Things I can be paid for
(Now then folks – keep it kind –
and again I think I’ve probably been a bit narrow with this)
Writing and editing
Comms planning
Events
Employee engagement
Change communications
Internal comms
IC team set-up/ team development

Thank you – once I’ve got your input I will make a beautiful Venn diagram and use it to guide me.

Cats: Rosie & Jim

Maldon Mud Race 2009 – Changed my Mind

Thanks to Dad for sending this on, he & Mum were there spectating.

I’ve always said that I wanted to have a go at this, but after watching this year’s race I’m reviewing the situation.

It’s a long clip, the race starts at about 1.40 but it’s worth watching the end to see the ‘voiture balai’ (that’d be six stout Essex fellows pulling unlucky competitors out of the mud using ropes)!

I am not good at being ill

It makes me very grumpy.  I feel like my body is failing me and that if it tried harder it would be fine.

Unfortunately after having severe difficulty physically getting out of bed this morning (and not for the usual reasons) I rang NHS Direct.

A nurse, who rang back to ask a lot of questions, tells me that it sounds like I have twinged my sciatic nerve.  I make it at least three times this morning.

The result is burning pain in the lower back and tops of legs, leading to a collapse onto the floor and writhing (if writhing is possible in a ginger manner) to try and find a position that eases the pain.  Then 5 minutes of trying to work out how to get up without incurring another spasm.

I am now ensconced in a sensible upright chair at the table where I intend to stay forever.  I’m even too scared to stand up and go into the kitchen to make breakfast in case it hastens another ‘attaque’.

Nursey says not to trouble the GP as there’s nothing they can do and to self medicate with rest paracetemol and ibuprofen.  She also says I should feel much better tomorrow.

I’m even grumpier because this is the second week of my new job.  (And sadly working from here is not an option because there is no remote access unless you have a specially installed additional phone line.)

I am never doubting my grandma’s need to carry a stick again (she carries one in case of sciatica but practically needs it).

Look at Me Being an Opinion Leader!

Someone has contacted me to ask me to encourage you to take part in a survey.  They say:

The study involves learning more about parents’ attitudes towards child nutrition, obesity and food choices offered to children at school.

This blog has been selected based on the overall content of your postings and the comments posted by your readers – so your readers’ participation would be very important. The survey findings will allow us to learn more about parents’ attitudes towards these important topics.

I’m quite excited by this!  Not since the Evening Standard contacted me in desperation has my help been sought…

My problem is that:

  1. the survey that they want you to fill in seems to relate to the American market
  2. it’s for a potato products manufacturer and although the intention seems unbiased I’m not sure

But, hey, it’s up to you: Kids & Food: What do You Think?  I’ve had a quick bimble through and if I qualified to fill it in then I would do (no kids so I can’t).

Not wishing to lead the jury, but I know what my response would be….  homemade packed lunches full of pretentious yummy mummy organics, no to school dinners until I can be sure that chips, mini pizzas, ‘chicken’ nuggets (or any kind of non free-range chicken) etc. are not on the menu.

Further than that:

  1. school dinner menus should be published a week in advance to help prevent clashes with home cooking (like they do in France)
  2. schools should not be allowed to purchase from food services companies such as brakes bros. etc.
  3. potatos would not count as a vegetable choice

However, I don’t think I’d go as far as banning jacket potatoes and am relieved to see that that this story was rubbish.

Although all of this is based on personal prejudice it’s not from a position of complete ignorance, my mum was a primary school bursar who had to outsource and then re-house school dinners and Himself works in the food service industry.

Party Preparation

The most difficult bit so far has been compiling a list of must have songs for the DJ.

This is a difficult list to make, cos it’s not about showing your cool credentials, it’s about thinking what I’m likely to want to dance to when three sheets to the wind, what my friends and family are likely to want to dance to, and what songs mean something to friends and family.

(And with that explanation, I’ve just realised I’ve left a crucial one off.)

Anyway – the list I’ve just sent looks like this:

  • Teenage Kicks – The Undertones
  • Le Freak – Chic
  • Build Me Up Buttercup – Foundations
  • Because the Night – Patti Smith
  • Disco Inferno – Trammps
  • You Can’t Hurry Love – Phil Collins
  • Dancing Queen – ABBA
  • Crazy in Love – Byonce feat. Jay-Z
  • Hanging on the Telephone – Blondie
  • Brand New Cadillac – The Clash
  • Double Barrell – Dave & Ansell Collins
  • You Can Get it if You Really Want – Desmond Dekker
  • Come On Eileen – Dexy’s Mignight Runners ( for my Nan, Eileen!)
  • Mercy – Duffy
  • Henrietta – The Fratellis
  • Standing in the Way of Control – The Gossip
  • Town Called Malice – The Jam
  • Golden Skans – The Kaxons
  • Rock & Roll – Led Zepplin
  • Once & Never Again – The Long Blondes
  • Ooo Wee – Mark Ronson
  • Valerie – Mark Ronson
  • Pure Pleasure Seeker – Moloko
  • Cigarettes & Alcohol – Oasis
  • The Importance of Being Idle – Oasis
  • Shake – Otis Reading
  • Rocks Off – The Rolling Stones
  • I Don’t Feel Like Dancing – Scissor Sisters
  • Hey Little Rich Girl – The Specials
  • Alright – Supergrass
  • Let’s Dance to Joy Division – The Wombats

You Tube: My Contribution

My breast examination video on You Tube!

The Open University has launched a YouTubeTM Channel with over 300 videos to extend its commitment to broadening access to education. YouTube is the leading online video community that allows people to discover, watch and share originally created videos.

OUView went live yesterday [Thursday]. Video taken from OU courses is available on the OULearn Channel and features household names such as broadcaster Sir David Attenborough and inventor James Dyson. Videos cover subjects from arts and history to science and nature, in bite-sized chunks of 2-3 minutes each.

OULife is a channel for the OU’s staff and students to upload their own videos – from graduation ceremonies to video blogs. The launch includes a series of video blogs where OU staff and students talk about what they’ve learnt from YouTube.

Here is my contribution “Wot I learnt from YouTube”.

Thinking of you Grandma.

Clothkits Kid

Big Birdie Skirt from Clothkits
Big Birdie Skirt from Clothkits

 

Clothkits is back!  Woohoo!  I am dashing out the door to buy a sewing machine before I forget how dreadful I am at sewing.

I was a Clothkits Kid – and loved it.

Many years later, we were having a summer bevarage en-famille in a beer garden and wondered over to a car boot sale next door….

There we found mine and my sister’s Clothkits wardrobe for sale at a considerably marked-up price!  My mother’s handiwork had stood the test of time.

See more at Seventies fad of kit clothes is born again and Is home made better than off the peg? and while we’re having an ethical bent see Chazza shops entries at CK’s Random Ruminations (Happy 30th CK).