After I heard the news of the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, I thought I’d do something different to pay my respect by visiting the statue of Queen Victoria in Reading town centre. Acknowledging/remembering one who passed before her as a focal point in my daily photo while giving my small node of respect.

Turns out I was not the only one with the idea as it has been nominated as the official place to lay flowers in Reading. When I found that out my heart sank, I really didn’t want to see a sea of dying flowers piled up.

I’ve never really understood putting flowers down (although I appreciate the ritual brings some people comfort, so would never say don’t do it).

Especially at the moment, I’d hope Queen Elizabeth II would rather see people heating their houses or feeding themselves/their children than putting down flowers that will be swept up in a week.

Thankfully when I arrived there was only a small selection of flowers laid at the base of the statue.

There was however a steady stream of people pausing at the statue, looking at the flowers, the notes, taking a moment, paying their respects, then moving on with their day (much like myself).

And this gave me faith that people are finding their own ways to acknowledge 96 years of life and 70 years of service.

Rest in Peace Your Majesty

One of the big questions about this project is explained in more depth on Day 4

This one came up in my ‘Back to School’ post yesterday but has been bubbling around in my head for a week now.

It started when a connection liked a post on LinkedIn. It was a post sharing this video https://www.instagram.com/p/Chj2E57g2Tu/ where a US senator is questioning the CEO of Google about its ability to track people.

The question was ‘I have an iPhone, and if I move from here to over there… does google track my movement’
He just did not want to hear the ‘not by default’ as an answer. He was not going to accept anything other than a YES that he believed to be the true. He did not want to consider that the question (or the information needed to answer is) needs to be more complex.

But he was not alone. The entire thread (now at 710 comments, 525 Shares, and 2577 reactions) was littered with people replying ‘of course google knows’

My response on LinkedIn was:

-
Mr. Pichai should have answered "I'm from google not apple, or your cell provider"
This is someone who does not know anything asking a question and not wanting to hear the answer.
It's a bit like asking someone from Halfords if my Ford has OEM or aftermarket car mats. Even if you asked Ford they could not tell you without looking.
a) It's an iPhone using a version of iOS, ask apple what they know and track (via gps and cell)
b) Ask your network contract provider what they track via cell tower usage
c) Declare what google products you have on your iPhone and if the settings let them track your location (when using and not using the app)
If you ask crap questions don't expect yes or no answers.
-

As it turns out the clip is actually from senate interviews back in around 2018 (maybe before), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-lMIGV-dUI and there are other questions where Mr. Pichai does actually point out the iPhone is made by a different company.

But here we are 4 years later with the same ‘It’s obviously YES’ mentality from a large number of people.

Questions should be used to increase your knowledge, not attempt to prove your point. And to do this you need to hear the answer.

#businesscoaching #askquestions #hearanswers

One of the big questions about this project is explained in more depth on Day 4

I have been seeing lots of back-to-school posts in my social feeds over the last few days and something inside of me wanted to say, ‘good luck (with your next academic year’. But instantly there was a knot in my chest.

We should not need to wish people luck with their education!

So, what did I really mean?

It is something like this:
Be curious, have fun, listen intently, ask questions (for clarity), ask questions (for insights), be prepared to hear the answers (especially when you don’t understand or agree). Play with ideas and concepts as much as memorising the information. Be actively involved in your learning.

Learn how to learn (how you learn), visual, auditory, reading/writing, or kinesthetic etc (we are never 100% in one style and there are more than I’ve listed). Not so that you only ever use that style and dismiss the rest, but so that you know when that little bit more patience and attention is required.

Obviously, all age dependant too, so in general ‘good luck’ 😊
And for those of us that are not going back to school, this all still applies. We can be active in our own growth and learning too. Be it out of necessity or for the pleasure/fun of learning.

Questions:

What have you learnt recently?
Was it for pleasure or out of necessity?

#businesscoach #businesscoaching #backtoschool #learntolearn #havefun #becurious

One of the big questions about this project is explained in more depth on Day 4

Feeling a bit better and managed to get out for a bit of a walk today which is way more than I have managed for the last few days.

While out saw the results of the recent rains with the grass at the park starting to recover from it’s very straw like state recently.

One of the big questions about this project is explained in more depth on Day 4

Day 100 should be some kind of celebration at reaching another milestone. But the 'generally a bit tired' from yesterday seems to be a bit more than just that as absolutely no energy today. So the celebration will have to wait.

There is still a photo to post thought

One of the big questions about this project is explained in more depth on Day 4

Generally been tired the last few days, nothing major just not been getting much sleep.

Usually getting out to take my photo perks me up, fresh air, exercise etc. But today my body was having none of it. So that is reflected in today’s photo.

Think an early night is in order.

One of the big questions about this project is explained in more depth on Day 4

I noticed this tree while on a walk 3 years ago (and took a photo) and marvelled at how it was growing.

It had reached an obstacle, the iron fence, and had grown around it, through it, over it, embracing it, literally absorbing it.

You can see the gnarly protrusions and scars where the bars have made the trunk take a different route, the years of persistence the not giving in it continued to grow.

And here we are 3 years later, the same spot, the same tree, the same fence. But if you look closely, it’s not the same tree, it’s not the same fence that you can see.

There is more tree and less fence. Some of the scars are almost healed with the bars barely visible anymore.

Growth happens whether you like it or not.

On the good days when we do everything right we grow in skill, knowledge, confidence, we improve our fitness and health. We grow up, we grow out.

And on the bad days, when we avoid things the doubt grows, when we get rejected or make mistakes the fears and the pain grow.
How we deal with this is what matters.

It is on (or usually just after) these days that we can (my suggestion is we need to) make the choice to work through them, Embrace them, Absorb them, learn from them, gain strength from them. Be like the tree own the growth.

Know your scars and know they may be tender at times but they will heal and you will come out the other side. Be able to look at them, recognise them and know you overcame something before and can do it again.

Questions:

What are you actively working on growing within yourself at the moment?
What negatives are doing their own growing inside that you need to own?

#businesscoach #businesscoaching #growth #personalgrowth #businessgrowth

As I mentioned yesterday has been a shift in energy in what I’m doing here, and even while writing this post which was originally titled ‘Holding back’. Holding back felt wrong, it felt heavy, sticky with the outcome of it being negative, which is not what I was trying to get across.

So, I went back to yesterday post and reread it, just to make sure I was not repeating myself (which is something I hate). On reading it I was bizarrely surprised, what I was holding onto was the title ‘doubt’ and not the sentiment that I had expressed while writing. The message that had come out that had felt so good at the time, but had quickly been swallowed up by the original thought.

The expression of Yes, acknowledgement of the shift, THE REMINDER to go back and read some old post, who would have thought I would be yesterdays post I would be rereading so soon!

So, leaning into the shift, what is moving?

Well, the original concept was to write (like this) about what I was experiencing from taking and posting the photos, what came to mind in the moment, what came easily and where I struggled. And that worked, but after 90 days I’m feeling there can be more.

More sharing of different topics, digging a little deeper into thoughts and ideas I’ve had for years. More suggestions from you where you would like an opinion or insight. A bit more planning into what I write, not just spur of the moment musing.

This is where the ‘Holding back’ was in a way relevant.

There are times when what we were doing worked and worked well. We want to hold onto that by not moving on. The trouble is, as demonstrated by the flurry of days with just photo, that not moving on not only prevents the growth, but slowly stifles what is there.

Therefore, I feel it’s time to add in (not replace fully) something new.

Question:

What would you like to hear about? (Please send by PM or comment if you have a request)
Are you holding back on something right now?
Do you need to at least take the step of talking it through with someone?

#businesscoach #businesscoaching #EnergyShift #Holdingback

One of the big questions about this project is explained in more depth on Day 4

#50DaysOfShades Day 86 of 50
Ever since I started putting frames and labels on the photos, I’ve been feeling different about these posts.

I’m not sure if it is something to do with them being more identifiable or if it’s just the extra, boring, step in the process of uploading. But I’ve definitely felt a shift in the energy around processing the photos, writing and posting.

There has been a definite switch to posting less images per day and less inclined or inspired to write.

Maybe some doubts creeping in about what I’m doing, the value to me and to you. Yet as I share this there is something inside that says yes.

Yes, to posting
Yes, to writing
Yes, to being uncomfortable with all of it.

A reminder to stop thinking (all the time) and start (get back to) feeling.

To maybe reread my own posts about acceptance, being gentle, being creative, and working with habits.

Question:

What was the last thing you did where doubts started to creep in?

One of the big questions about this project is explained in more depth on Day 4

When I stated this, it was going to be 50 days and here we are 40 days later with me having done an extra 24 bits of writing (on top of the 38 I did within the 50 day).

So all in all it’s got me writing more, even if there has been a bit of a lull over the last week or so. And hitting the 90 days is a good reminder to get back into the routine of just writing.

One of the big questions about this project is explained in more depth on Day 4