David Carradine Kung Fu

David Carradine, Photo Copywrite: Jano Rohleder

“I know Kung Fu!” Neo

I really hadn’t been planning on doing this blog but after posting a very short comment on another blog about Carradine’s death I’ve had a week’s worth of hits on this blog in a day.

So never wanting to waste anyone’s time let me give my personal thoughts on David Carradine and then if you’ve come here from the other blog Sable Variety you will have something to read!

I loved the show Kung Fu when I was a kid because it showed that actually you could be a nice quiet person and still be powerful. At school and in later life I’ve met a lot of loud, angry people who feel strong by putting others down.

I’ve seen this in colleagues, managers and directors. I’ve witnessed career assassinations and put downs for no other reason than to raise the doers feeling of self worth. I’ve seen people be criticised or over looked for being too quiet or two nice.

And yet some of the strongest, most intelligent and most trustworthy people I have met have been those same quiet people. So Kung Fu for me was when growing up a moral support of the quieter life. No boasting or bragging was need according to David’s character in the shows.

I remember clearly the scene where he was waiting to be accepted into the temple. There are lots of other kids with him applying but as time goes on they start to play games or wander off. Only Caine (David’s character) is left waiting patiently when the doors finally open.

Once inside the temply the others rush forward and grab what they can. Caine again waits until asked. I could draw a few parrallels there with scenes I have witnessed on client visits across a few different industries.

So I will always remember David with affection. I didn’t follow him in his later work but his Kung Fu show was a whole lot of fun when I was a kid and gave me hope that the quiet path could be strong.

For that I’m grateful and I hope, whatever the events that surrounded his death, he is remembered kindly.

Regards

Stephen

PS If you have come here from the blog The Sable Variety feel free to stick around and explore – Edenchanges is a training company with a blog aimed at personal and professional development.

Voices of the Dead and Not So Dead

There was a death in the family last week and I guess that has caused me to think a little more about life and death than I would normally. I got to wondering in particular about what you take from a relationship. Not in the material sense but in the sense of wisdom and knowledge.

You see my stepfather who died last week was a successful business man who had travelled extensively, married, divorced, remarried, survived several recessions and generally someone who had lived a full life. And, being an intelligent and educated man, he learnt from the experiences that he had lived and that made his opinion one that was worth listening to.

And I wonder now whether I fully tapped into that wisdom that he had and that wondering has gotten me thinking about the other people that I know and whether I speak to them enough. It is easy to not ask a question and to have shallow conversations that skirt over complex issues but I am now of the opinion that the real wealth in our relations can come from putting our pride or our expectations aside and asking questions of those we know.

So whilst I didn’t ask enough questions of my stepfather let me share something he did say recently. A piece of business wisdom that is so simple that it often gets overlooked and yet ignoring it has brought down many a company.

“Get the cash.”

There it is. Simple yet fundamentally right. Whether you are a large or small company; whether you are international or local; get the cash. Because if you don’t your business has failed. It doesn’t matter about your sales pipeline, or even the number of sales you’ve made if you aren’t getting paid.

Now my stepfather was an accountant so I guess that was a natural thing to expect him to say but I’d challenge anyone to tell me he was wrong.

So always remember two things from this blog – talk to those who are wiser than you whilst you have the chance – whether a family member or business connection; and get the cash.

Do those two things and I guarantee success.

And Roger; you will be missed and I truly wish I had asked more questions.

Stephen

Driving in Bad Weather

With snow, sleet and ice challenging me it took three and a half hours to drive to work this morning. And my radio doesn’t work.

And that’s okay.

Because it gave me time to think about things. I came up with a new perspective on Hope and Faith and the connection between the two which will come up in future blogs and possible a far future ebook.

I also thought it might help to share some facts that I have learned the hard way about driving in bad weather. These are things that people tell you and you know you should do but you don’t always get around to. After this morning’s journey I’m a believer in them!

Leave a lot of space between you and the car in front - on eight occasions this morning my brakes failed to slow or stop my car! The anti skid system (ABS) kicked in so the car didn’t skid but neither did it slow down either!

If I hadn’t have left some room I would have hit the car in front.

Fill up with washer fluid - two days ago I ran out of window wash. It was a problem but I was able to make it to the nearest garage and get some. Today the blizzard I drove through obscured the road markings completely.

I would have had to abandon the journey if I hadn’t have been able to clear the screen properly.

Check your tyre pressure - whilst at the garage two days ago I invested 20p and put air in my tyres.

I can assure everyone that this is not technical at all but rather a very simple and quick process merely involving find your car make and model on a chart, pressing a couple of buttons, putting the air hose to your tyres air intake and pressing a final level. Simple.

Today slipping and skidding on the snow and ice I was very grateful that at least the tyres were balanced and the slipping and sliding wasn’t made worse by uneven tyre pressures.

Charge your mobile - well. . .ahem. . .this is the one I slipped up on. I knew my phone battery was low and felt it would hold out – I was wrong.

Now my car radio doesn’t work; and that’s okay because I like to think in the car and when I want some noise I use my phone or Zen MP3 player to play radio plays (especially those by Decoder Ring Theatre).

Naturally the Zen was at home and my phone ran out of charge. So for the last hour I had the privilege of silence. That in itself was okay but less okay was the fact I couldn’t update work on my progress or simply talk to someone else.

If I had been forced to abandon my car and walk I’d have been unable to call for help. From now on my phone is going to be permanently charged up.

Be patient - finally it’s okay to be held up by bad weather and it is so much better to be a little late to where you are going than turn your journey into your final journey.

So don’t get angry, stay calm, watch the roads and take the time to think or listen to some music. . .assuming a working radio or MP3 player!

As I’ve said after this morning’s drive to work I’m a believer in the above rules and I’d urge you to believe them to.

Until next time; safe driving.

Stephen

Stephen Hart

Photo by Krystal with thanks.

Happy Birthday Doctor Who

“Imagination is more important than knowledge.”

Albert Einstein

Happy Birthday to Doctor Who the British TV show that is 45 years old today.

I’ve been a fan as long as I can remember and it has given me such entertainment and inspiration over many, many years.

So thank you; to all involved.

To last 45 years is not only a triumph of the efforts and dedication of so many talented people over the years but of imagination. That pure, brilliant substance that lies in all of us.

May The Doctor continue to travel for another 45 years in his Tardis and may all of us, the enriched viewers, find our own imaginations and be brave enough to act them out.

Until next time; thank you Doctor.

Stephen

Stephen Hart

Congratulations Obama

Nothing too serious in this entry simply a well done and congratulations to Obama and condolences to McCain.

They have both put a lot of effort into their campaigns and I thought that John lost with dignity, which given what he has lost is proof, if anyone needed it, that he’s a true professional. He deserves some credit for that and for the campaign he ran.

What I thought was particularly positive was to see the crowds, throughout the United States, celebrating Obama’s victory. I think it is fair to point out that ‘feeling of optimism” as the first positive change that Obama has made!

Just think what a great difference it will make to the United States to be run by a popular president who has the support of the people!

Well done America for embracing change and for appointing such a dynamic leader.

I truly hope that the feeling of optimism will last and that the changes will continue to be good.

I really look forward to his inauguration!

Until next time;

Stephen

Stephen Hart

The Girl in the Polka Dot Skirt

Travel broadens the mind and I had the privilege to travel on business today.

I meet some new sales people and worked with them, and their managing director, to further their business goals which was a lot of fun and very rewarding.

Now the travelling was also a  hoot! Six trains in a day might seem like a burden yet like so many things in life it all depends on how you view things.

Today I was able to take some time to work on a project on the first train, develop a new training program on the second and chill out to a brilliant radio play from Decoder Ring Theatre during the third and fourth.

The real highlight, and the event that has prompted this blog occured as I was waiting to board the sixth and final train.

I was waiting on the platform in the autumn wind for the train to fully stop and the doors to open when I noticed an attractive young woman standing to my left also waiting to board the train.

She had a really ‘together’ look about her with a sharp fresh haircut, short billowy skirts and black tights – not to mention good legs!

Now what struck me was her bearing and poise and I was impressed that someone dressed for warmer weather could ignore the cold wind that was blowing across the platform with such apparent indifference.

Her skirt had a polka dot pattern and then, and this is the kicker, I realised it wasn’t white polka dots on a blue background it was little white skulls on a blue background! Now that got my attention!

How brilliant is that. Some one not only had the originality to make a blue polka dot skirt with little white skulls instead of dots but then someone else had the sheer nerve and sense of humour to pull off the look.

What a fresh approach and what originiality. I applaud it.

What I love about this is that in no way shape or form is it a look or style that I would want my wonderful wife to adopt, or my daughter for that matter but what I can appreciate, and I love is, that there goes a true original. Someone who is willing to walktheir own path in life.

In a world of mass production and copy cat fashion it takes confidence and thought to show you own style. This young lady did it subtly and in breath taking style.

A lesson for us all!

Until next time,

Stephen

Stephen Hart

PS the graphic is from the work of Miss Frankii Wilde with thanks, other examples of her work can be found at:

http://missfrankiiwilde.deviantart.com/gallery/

A List of People

Recently a friend of mine at work emailed me a list of the casualties suffered by the British Army in Iraq. I wasn’t sure why he had sent it round apart from the fact that he is an ex-military chap himself and I assumed he was sharing some news. It seemed like quite a long list of names and the email it self took a few minutes to open on my machine. So I deleted it.

Simple as that, deleted it, click.

And then…

Well then nothing happened, at least not at work. What did happen outside of work however was that I, that very night, watched a television show, one of my favourites, and in this particular episode the character are talking about the list of dead from that day in a fictional war. The scene played out like this:

Character 1: “Sir… the latest casualty reports have been posted.”

Character 2: “How many this time?”

Character 1: “Including the troops lost at AR-Five-Five-Eight… seventeen hundred and thirty.”

Character 2: “Seventeen hundred and thirty.” (quietly)

Character 1: “That’s a lot of names.” (Sympathetically)

Character 2: “They’re not just names… It’s important we remember that.

(to himself) “We have to remember…”

Now watching that scene brought me to tears, not only because of the fictional story that was emotional and hard hitting but because art had imitated life absolutely and it had found me wanting.

So I want to say that the character was right. We have to remember that the names in the news are real people. Out of respect of their choices, out of respect for a fellow person we must remember that. This isn’t about being about anti-war; this is about being a decent person.

Now I don’t know exactly what difference it will make to the world to remember that they were people but I know it is the morally right thing to do.

So for myself I went back to my email software and found the deleted email with the names of those dead soldiers and I read the names, I read the names of those people, all of them. And I wondered what type of people they had been, what their hopes had been and who had been left behind.

Again I don’t know what it accomplishes but it feels right.

Let us never forget it is not a list of names, it is a list of people.

Until next time;

Stephen

Stephen Hart