Paul Davy

There is a movement encouraging people to know and use their strengths. In positive psychology, they focus on what is right with people and build on that. The idea being that our top strengths and talents are where our greatest potential lies. If we could fulfil that potential. Then that is where our greatest performance, successes and achievements lie.   This is the arena where we can be our best.  Then I watched a video by David Goggins (an ex-Navy seal). He suggested we should ignore our strengths and focus on our weaknesses. Using our strengths is comfortable, using our weaknesses is uncomfortable. We should get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Being uncomfortable is where true growth comes from. This is the arena where you have to face your fears, your inner demons, your dragon.  This is from where you can become a better person.  So how do we go about doing difficult and uncomfortable things?  Eating frogs    “If it’s your job to eat a frog, it’s best to do it first thing in

How many people make their job the centre of their life?  How many people expect their job to fulfil all their needs? To make them happy, rich, successful, fulfilled, to allow them to make an impact on the world.  How many people want more from their job? More challenges, more growth and especially more money. They apply for new roles so that they can grow, but are rejected. They want to be involved in the next project so they can add impact, but are overlooked. They want a pay rise and recognition for the improvements they have made, but are not rewarded.  What do they do?  If the doors are closed in their faces at work then they look elsewhere.  They do something on the side.  Most people start a side-hustle.  They find another job or create a business on the side. They find another way of making money. Some extra money.  But what if it wasn’t just about the money. What if we made enough money but feel unsatisfied for other reasons? What might those other reasons be?  Enter Ikigai  

Theodore Roosevelt Junior (27 October 1858 –  6 January 1919) was a politician, writer and naturalist. He was most notably known for serving as the 26th president of the United States from 1901 to 1909.  Roosevelt took the presidency in September 1901 at the age of 42. He remains the youngest American President to assume office.   Roosevelt was one of the four presidents chosen by Gutzon Borglum to be depicted on Mount Rushmore. From Gutzon’s perspective, these four presidents represented the most important events in the history of the USA.  Roosevelt often appears in surveys in the top 5 favourite US presidents.   The Strenuous life   Roosevelt gave a speech called ‘The Strenuous Life’ in Chicago, Illinois on 10 April 1899.  The opening gave the objective of the speech.  “I wish to preach, not the doctrine of ignoble ease, but the doctrine of the strenuous life, the life of toil and effort, of labor and strife; to preach that highest form of success which comes, not to the man who des

Thomas Alva Edison (11 February 1847 – 18 October 1931) was an American inventor and businessman. He has even been described as America’s greatest inventor. At his death, he held 1,093 patents in his name. He developed the motion picture camera. He invented the phonograph, which became the gramophone and then the record player. He invented the dictaphone. And he invented the electric incandescent light bulb.  Education   One day, during his childhood, Edison came home with a letter from school. “Mom, my teacher gave me this letter and told me that only you should read it. What does it say?”  As she read the letter, tears rolled down her cheeks. She read the letter aloud to him.  “Your son is a genius. This school is too small and doesn’t have good enough teachers to train him. Please teach him yourself”  She did just that. She homeschooled him.  One day, many years later, Edison was going through his mother’s belongings. He came across the folded letter he brought home that day.  He op

Benjamin Zander is an English conductor. He is currently the musical director at the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra and the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra.  Benjamin Zander is passionate about his music. About sharing his music with as many people as he can. About teaching music in such a way that he can get anyone to engage with it. So that the transformative effect of music can help change people for the better.  Below is a story from Benjamin’s website:  “You know, a gentleman was once watching a presentation I was doing,  when I was working with a young pianist.  He was the president of a corporation in Ohio. I was working with this young pianist, and said, “The trouble with you is you’re a two-buttock player.  You should be a one-buttock player!”  I moved his body while he was playing.  And suddenly, the music took off. It took flight.  The audience gasped when they heard the difference.  Then I got a letter from this gentleman.  He said, “I was so moved. I went back and I tra