Get the Message - Electronic

I've always thought of you as my brick wall…

Well, it’s the end of a most extraordinary April. Thirty days where we’ve been exposed to a huge amount of information both in the media and online. It’s been a time of huge change and acceptance for most and as a broadcaster of such online information, I thought I’d investigate what I’ve been broadcasting to anyone prepared to listen.

Isn't it sweet?
So on close inspection, I’ve posted every day in April, using my tried and tested ‘Quotebox’ method on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram. Of the twenty-five quotes (above) from 1^st - 25^th April, they appear to fall into one of four message categories:-

• Inspiration
• Inquisition
• Instruction
• Imitation.

Inspiration

Interestingly, only 10/25 fell into the ‘Inspirational’ zone. The main reason, I believe, for broadcasting my thought for the day. And as a ‘Transformation Coach’ - surely my ‘raison d'être’, a key daily message - a catalyst for personal reform. My aim to post a thought provoking statement to change lives forever – with a 40% ‘inspiration’ success rate.

Inquisition

For the want of a better word beginning with ‘In’, where instead of being Inspirational, my quote was in fact more of a question. In my quest for delivering ‘Inspiration’, luckily only 2/25 of my ‘Quotes’ asked for a direct response.A waste perhaps, as the questions go unanswered.

Instruction

These were the days where I delivered a simple message of personal ‘improvement’. A surprising 36% where my daily messages said ‘Do this’ in a variety of combinations, at maximum volume in some cases. And when I say ‘Surprising’ I’m genuinely ‘Surprised’ as my aim is to lead, not to shout.

Imitation

When I hear or see something that’s inspired me, I like to share it. Yes, it can be a lyric from the Bee Gees - ‘Stayin’ Alive’ or Kate Bush’s - ‘Sensual World’ or dialogue from a TV Show or Film that’s resonated with me. So folk can enjoy them as well, I always name the source for a quick ‘Google’. The songs especially always highlight to me how it felt to live through those times – from artists that I admire for their sheer skill and creativity. There’s no need for my list of ‘twenty albums that have made an impact on me’ – if you are a regular blog reader, you’ll already know what they are.

Take my independent point of view…

And of course, it’s only how I see and perceive the world around me – it’s designed purely to provoke thought and inspire and following my investigation I’ll endeavour to be more ‘Inspirational’. Especially, as we continue to endure our toughest challenge in living history.

Getting my Message?

1,052 Marathons, 255 Ultras, 9 Guinness World Records & 15 Marathon des Sables

Entangled - Genesis

A Year to Remember...

I wonder what we’ll think when we look back at 2020. It’ll certainly be a year that we’ll never forget - for obvious reasons. However, when we look back it will be only one of the many extraordinary times that will be etched deeply into our living memories. It’s all a bit dark right now isn’t it?

Yet when I think of sunnier days and happier times, my mind immediately takes me back to 1976. The year of the ‘Big Drought’. I had some great replies when I asked my social media platform yesterday if they remembered that year. There was a whole spectrum of replies. As a 14-year old boy myself, I remember it very well. It was an unprecedented time. A time post-WW2 where the country came together to face an unheard of national crisis – which we survived. Sounds familiar?

If you experienced 1976 for yourself you'll remember that Summer went on forever – well that’s how it felt anyway. As I clearly remember, it finally came to an end in a cataclysmic thunderstorm on the evening of Saturday 25^th September - when we all breathed a huge if somewhat soggy sigh of relief. Never have so many people in one nation prayed for rain!

The thing is, everything comes to its own natural end and runs out of steam. The Corona-crisis will too. It’s going to take time and strength to get through it – and a bit of nostalgia of better times. The current trend of listing and nominating albums that ‘meant-a-lot-at-the-time’ underlines just how much we love to hold onto the ‘good old days’ and in my case reliving that long hot, carefree summer with a dose of ‘More than a Feeling’ or ‘Entangled’ rather than the dreadful ‘Save your kisses for me’ or even more-dreadful (if that’s a term) ‘Mississippi’. Gave me a warm sense of belief as well as relief from yet another bad-news-broadcast on TV.

Time will heal…

Forty-four years’ on from 1976, (a matter of moments it feels to me), so much has happened. We’ve seen the rise and fall of the Space Shuttle, Concorde, Video, CD’s and the Floppy Disc. Will Apple, Facebook and good old Google be around in Forty-four more years’? Who knows but new life-challenges and inventions, will come and go – they always do. The terrible things that happened in 1976? Well, we tend try to forget the bad stuff don’t we and move on to rise out of the ashes. Rebuild. Stiffen our upper-lips and make the best of what we’ve got. 

Just like we did in 1976.

1,052 Marathons, 255 Ultras, 9 Guinness World Records & 15 Marathon des Sables

Complicated - Avril Lavigne

Why'd you have to go and make things so complicated?

Is it just me or have the past four weeks been a breath of fresh air? Has the lockdown actually been good, not only for social distancing, but a welcomed ‘time out’ from our over complicated existences? I mean in ‘lockdown’, I haven’t actually been anywhere, and my car hasn’t moved an inch. I haven’t been into a shop, spent any cash from my wallet or paid for something contactless once in over a month. It’s kinda weird, yet kinda refreshing. Okay, my Costa Coffee and Starbucks loyalty points aren’t looking so promising but then I’ve saved a fortune by not using the motorway services as an excuse to supply myself with ‘Medium Americanos with space for milk.’

It gets you thinking doesn’t it? I mean, I’m not even sure why I ever started doing the whole coffee thing in the first place. And if I’m being honest, I’m now of a mind not to start that particular habitual process again. Somehow it just got into became the norm as an essential part of any long journey. But not any more…

If you could only let it be, you will see…

It’s one of a hundred different things I can think of, where I’ve inadvertently over-complicated my daily behaviour. Removing these unnecessary might provide some much-needed air to breathe and time for personal growth. Growth stifled by our own complication. How many times have you pushed and pushed to get things done or accomplish a goal in record time only to fail when given time it would have happened of its own volition? Patience with yourself being key to being patience in any situation.

You're watching your back, like you can't relax…

If you are paranoid, then the current situation isn’t probably helping your mindset right now. However, with the right faith in the Ministers working on our behalf and stories like Captain Tom raising well over £12M for the NHS we can hopefully keep thinking warm thoughts and keep us working as a nation - together. Well let’s hope, eh?

Chill out, what you yelling for?

And when you shout and yes, we all feel like shouting right now – try to remember what you were shouting about before the lockdown started and you’ll appreciate just how much your horizons have changed in a matter of a few short weeks.

Life's like this, you fall, and you crawl, and you break…

Because sh*t happens - It always does and over the years’ I’ve always riding the crest of a wave before I found myself flat on my face and crest-fallen. But when it’s happened, I’ve always dusted myself off and got back on with the task in hand. Maybe with a simpler modus operandi. And if this is where you find yourself with at least another three weeks of a less complicated existence under lockdown, take a close look at what you aren’t missing as you might not miss it in the future either.

Lots of Marathons, Ultras, Guinness World Records and Marathon des Sables...

Ray of Light - Madonna

‘She's got herself a universe gone quickly, for the call of thunder threatens everyone’ – Ciccone, Curtiss, Leach & Maldoon.

I’ve always really connected with Madonna’s 1998 ‘Ray of Light’ album and especially, the title track of the same name. On a random playlist, I listened as I ran my hour of daily exercise near my home, earlier today. It seemed particularly apt as the sun was shining on a beautiful Spring Day in Cardiff. In any other time it would simply be the heralding in of a much needed Spring. Today it heralded the one thing that everyone the world over is hoping for – HOPE and a ‘Ray of Light’ that will get us through the dark times we all face ahead.

Let’s face it, with so much illness and death in the news, it can’t get much darker can it?… So what’s going to get us through?

I believe the ‘Ray of Light’ we will need has to come from within. The ability to adapt to change and the strength to keep fighting no matter what happens, combined with the flexibility of mind to new thoughts, ideas and routines will have to become a reality for anyone hoping to overcome the greatest threat to mankind in living memory.

Survival will not only depend on our state of health but also our state of mind. The desire to adapt to a new world as yet unknown will not only define us, it will challenge us to our limits as we try and rebuild our future past. A past that will never be the same. 

Things will be different. Things have already changed for instance, when this is over:-

• Will Pubs and Restaurants ever be the same? 
• Will Business meetings still need to be face-to-face?
• Will People continue to work from home?
• Will the NHS ever recover?

Sharp questions – but hand on heart I believe that things will change and slowly recover. I also believe that and any glimmer of an inner ‘Ray of Light’ will help us adapt to a better ‘Coronavirus Recovery’. Forgetting the politicians and endless newscasts - being ahead of the ‘Doom and Gloom Curve’ will make everyone’s day brighten up – and we can at last be #backstronger. Until then keep safe, stay healthy and be patient as  we all ‘wait for the time when Earth shall be as one’.

Amen.

1,052 Marathons - 255 Ultras - 9 Guinness World Records - 15 Marathon des Sables

& 26 Year's Dry