Monthly Archives: April 2016

The people I know of a religious bent often seem to me to need to feel that life has some sort of purpose to it. I, on the other hand, have no need of such a purpose. We just are, in the same way that all others animals are. Yet, I do feel very much that I need to do something worthwhile while I’m here; other than just keeping the system working. I won’t change the world, although I might have some small impact. As I like to think that I have had. Not as much as I would have liked although I intend to make up for that by persevering well past conventional retirement age. As I am doing.

Yet, I have to admit, that the last few years have seen a change although, hopefully, not a permanent one in this respect. I have found it harder to push myself. Fortunately, not enormously so but in a way that I haven’t had to do previously. As I’ve mentioned in previous blogs, some blind instinct drove me and served me well. I thought less and just got on with it; whatever it was.

Well, the past year or so has seen a, personally, more contented and considerate me and that seems to have made a difference. Before I was very sure even when I knew I wasn’t.  I needed that surety. So, to use a mathematical expression, what I did was “reductio ad absurdum”, something I still do although less forcefully that I did in the past.

I still, however, have much more to do before I put my feet up but recognise that I will now have to work harder to do it. What I am now exhibiting is a little more perseverance. Long may it continue.

My third book, “Lessons From a Chequered Life” is about to be published so I can, I feel, now really call myself a writer; especially when I have two more books in hand. Which thoughts prompt me to write the blog that I’ve been putting off for a couple of weeks.  Perhaps, to quote Pete Seeger, “There is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven”. Then again, perhaps, I was just being lazy.

Now a good friend once said of me, “To Mike, age is just a number”, while another was kind enough to say “As he gets older, he gets better”. I take both of those as enormous compliments as they are comments that, I hope, reflect the “me” I now feel myself to be. They stem from a belief that life is there for you to shape to enable you to live your dreams. After all, although they can help, no one else can actually do that for you. There is an alternative, however, which is to let life get in the way; as, for many, it does. So what’s the difference between living by one or other of these mantras?

Well, having moved very clearly from one to the other of these in my mid 30’s, I now see that, not only do I not have to live by the former, but that living by the latter has actually helped me to achieve things that I’d never, previously, thought possible. It has also given me the impetus to want to do more. So, how has my mindset changed and how do you try to match these conditions to your particular personal circumstances?

Well, what is interesting in this process is that change creates change whereas stasis doesn’t and can’t. So, think about what you really want. And I mean REALLY. Then work out the steps that you need to take to start the process off. Then take those first small steps. If you’re like me, you’ll be amazed at the difference. All you have to do is try.