Who do you know?

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I read on e24 that your contacts are important when it comes to landing a job. And yes, I agree, your contacts, your network, play a role when you look for a job, as well as in other situations.

It may sound a bit unfair, but let’s take a closer look.

Who’s responsible for your life?, Why, you of course.

Who’s responsible for your development? Why, you of course.

Who is therefore responsible for who you know? Why, you of course.

If we’re not happy with our situation, if we don’t think we know enough people, then we can do something about it.

It’s only me after all, who knows exactly what it is I want, or what’s important to me. So if I need to extend my network of contacts for example, then I may need to get out more, meet more people, talk to more people, give more to the world around me. I then take greater control over my own situation and get the knowledge or contacts I need, that are relevant to me.

I can’t expect for things to just drop into my lap. Because it could end up being the wrong things!

No, let’s take responsibility for our own situation. Let’s be active participants in our own life, make choices, act – that’s more fair, more relevant. And it makes us complain less. When we take responsibility, it no longer becomes relevant or interesting to complain or blame circumstances. We see ourselves as powerful resources in our own life.

Imagine how the world would look if everyone took more responsibility! Shall we give it a try?

And let’s get to know some new people today. Join a group/association/club. Start a new hobby. Invite people to a book club. Talk more to our colleauges. Who knows who me might get to know? Someone who makes us feel good, someone who challenges us, someone who gives us joy.

Because everyone we meet is important. Imagine knowing them!

The key to success

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Have you ever wondered what it is that makes some people so successful? Aren’t you sometimes curious about how they think, what they do to be so successful? Me too. I’m fascinated by people who seem unfaced by what’s going on around them and can fully focus on their task and do their best. There’s like a calm, a quiet focus, a presence that takes over and makes it possible for them to just be at their best.

That’s the case with Remix, one of the best female barbershop quartets in the world, who became European champions a couple of weeks ago in Eindhoven, the Netherlands.

When I observe the Remix members – Camilla, Marie, Hillevi och Marie, I notice a couple of specific things.

They have great musicality, they’re professional, focused and goal orientated, and yet that isn’t what makes them stand out the most. No, what I see as a big part of their success is their joy – they love what they do, they are proud yet humble, they give and by giving they contribute to the world around them.

And despite all their success they don’t take themselves too seriously. They don’t think they are better than anyone else, they keep both feet on the ground (or all eight of them!)

They know that their success isn’t dependent on the world around them, they don’t let themselves be impacted by all the stuff out there. They find their inner strength and they know to enjoy every second, they let go of expectations of exact outcomes, they know that they will do their best and that their best is good enough – regardless of what others do. And when things don’t go as well, they willingly take the feedback, learn, brush themselves off and go on – stronger and wiser.

And when I observe these fantastic girls, I wonder if it isn’t so that they have found the key to success – joy, presence, peace of mind, and an endless giving – not just for themselves, but because that’s what we people are about, aren’t we –  giving, contributing, making a difference.

I think we can all learn from this. The more we can find the joy in what we’re doing (regardless of what it is), and take control of our state (of mind), the more satisfied and successful we can be.

And as far Remix goes – look out world, they’ve got more to give! And we gratefully recieve:-)

Don’t you sometimes wish that life was a musical?

Dancing Tango in the street

I saw an ad for T-Mobile on TV a while ago. It was a train station somewhere in England, with hundreds of people passing through a large atrium. All of a sudden music starts playing and people start dancing, at first just the ones that were in on it, and then some of the others. Surprised, startled and happy. It looked like so much fun – heart warming, fun and uplifting.

OK then, if you haven’t seen it and you’re curious – here’s the link to You Tube and the video clip…..

A bit like in a musical…

You know what it’s like in a musical – all of a sudden everyone just starts to dance, the traffic stops, everyone knows the steps, the music just washes over you –  “Fame, I’m gonna live forever”!  Yeah well, you know what I mean.

Wouldn’t it be cool if life was more like a musical? If people smiled more, laughed more, danced more, jumped on car roofs more, were a little more spontaneous  Or at least looked more at each other on the tube, the bus, the train.

Let’s start a revolution! Smile at at least one stranger today! Dance a few steps on your way to the bus! Laugh for no reason! What’s the worst thing that can happen? 🙂

71 years young

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Heard on the English news this morning that a 71 year old (or young!) man had been accused of reckless rollerblading. Marvellous! You couldn’t make it up, even if you wanted to!

Apparently he had been blading in his hometown for a long time but had now expanded his view and gone to another little town, where he had been caught on CCTV, blading down a pedestrian street. The footage shows how he swerves in and out amongst pedestrians and apparently people have felt threathened by his movements. Absolutely marvellous! I’m saying absolutely marvellous as I think it’s so out of the ordinary.

We often have set views or expectations of how people should be, children are expected to be or behave a certain way, teenagers another and so on. A teenager being accused of reckless rollerblading would have been more in line with expectations. Isn’t it fantastic when people make a mark, stick out a bit, surprise a bit,  raise our spirits a bit!?

I had a big smile on my face when I heard and saw this on the news. They interviewed the man on TV, he had his rollerblades on and you could see how he was rearing to go the whole time! What joy he was displaying! He seemed to be having such a good time.  And I don’t think he was particularly dangerous to his surroundings. I do think he broke the pattern of our expectations of a 71 year old though.

Good, I say! Break the pattern! Keep your “joie de vivre”! Do what’s right for you – as long as it doesn’t hurt others and the world around you. There’s nothing wrong in stirring things up a bit or staying away from stereotyping for that matter.

So now I’m wondering what I can do to break the expectations of what a 40+ mum with small kids and her own company should be like…..

All suggestions are welcome:-).

Enjoy it while it lasts

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Isn’t it wonderful how many different ways you can look at things? England has had a lot of snow lately and as parts of the country rarely gets snow the country and its people has had some mixed feelings about it

  • Frustration about the snow chaos and the inability to keep the country going as a result of this – cancelled flights, stuck cars, closed schools and so on.
  • Fantastic joy about the snow and the possibility to go toboggoning, throw snow balls, build snow men and igloos. (I saw an English family who had built an igloo in their front garden and managed to squeeze 9 people into it:-))

I used to live in Brighton for a number of years in the late 90’s and I remember it so well. The only snowy day each year (because that was typically what it was – one day of snow a year) there was total CHAOS. And the English give themselves such a hard time about how bad they are att handling the the chaos – how they can’t clear the snow, or de-ice the planes’ wings or stop skidding about. That’s not so strange, I think – why should they have as good snow handling capabilities as we do here is Sweden, when they so rarely need it? It would most likely be way too expensive and complicated.

No, I’d rather focus on the wide-eyed enthusiasm that so may Englishmen show with regards to the beauty and romantic aspects of the snow. I heard on the English news how there are now enough pictures of snowy locations to take care of Christmas card needs for years to come:-).

And just think how fantastic it must be as a kid to on the odd occasion not be able to go to school! Something that breaks the routine, and to be able to go outside and throw some snowballs instead (which you normally only see on film). I remember dreaming about that as a child – being snowed in or something! Wow! It never happened though…. still waiting.

Enjoy it while it lasts, I say! Next year you may be back to normal again:-)