It was 1987 or 1988 when I first met Michael O’Leary, the now Ryanair boss. I was 23/24 years of age at the time and had started in my first business along with my brother at Hart’s Corner, Glasnevin, Dublin. We had a small convenience store there which in which we started trading in December … Continue reading When we were shopkeepers-meeting Michael O’Leary (Ryanair) in the 80s
Category: Self Improvement
Email is poetry
When I first read the words “code is poetry” in the back end of the WordPress publishing platform I did not understand what it meant, or what it meant to convey. I think I do now, however. I am no coder, although I have a basic understanding of programming code such as html and I… Continue reading Email is poetry
Sometimes, quitting is the only option
I keep an eye on a number of YouTube channels which claim to show the viewer how easy it is to make big money in a short period of time by day trading. Day trading involves trading in stocks and shares on a daily basis and trying to make a profit from speculation in the… Continue reading Sometimes, quitting is the only option
The COVID-19 Lockdown-a Good Time For Stillness and Some Focused Thinking?
The Covid-19 pandemic is causing gut wrenching fear for a large number of business owners-the type of fear that most of them will never have encountered before, nor contemplated as a real possibility. But it’s here now. The most frightening aspects for many are They have no control whatsoever over their circumstances or trading conditions-most… Continue reading The COVID-19 Lockdown-a Good Time For Stillness and Some Focused Thinking?
Do the right thing
Do the right thing. Always. Even when nobody is looking. It’s a great habit to develop. Whether it is washing your hands and following the other directions to combat the spread of the coronavirus/COVID-19, or driving down an isolated country road and indicating to pull in, even when there isn’t another soul for miles around,… Continue reading Do the right thing
Your Best, Distraction Free, Lucid Thinking-Do You Have a Place?
There’s a velux window directly over the head of my bed. Listening to large globules of rain hitting that window in the small hours of the morning, at 3.30 am or thereabouts, is one of the best, free experiences I frequently enjoy. Lying in bed, warm, with the duvet pulled up, and listening to the… Continue reading Your Best, Distraction Free, Lucid Thinking-Do You Have a Place?
Chop Wood, Carry Water-Why You Need to Adopt This Buddhist Philosophy in 2020
It is a Zen Buddhist saying that if you want to reach enlightenment you should “chop wood, carry water”. And if you want to retain enlightenment you need to, you guessed it, “chop wood, carry water”. This is an exhortation to do the work that matters for you, and to guard against distractions and anything… Continue reading Chop Wood, Carry Water-Why You Need to Adopt This Buddhist Philosophy in 2020
Start With Why-Is Simon Sinek Mistaken?
Reading “Start With Why” by Simon Sinek at the moment and am struggling a little bit. I am only half way through and hope I can accept, or reconcile, the hypothesis put forward by Sinek. His proposition is that people do not buy what you do, they buy why you do it. He points to… Continue reading Start With Why-Is Simon Sinek Mistaken?
One of my most important tools: my journal
The journal you see on this page is one of the most important tools I own. When I refer to it as a tool I mean it is instrumental in maintaining sound mental health. It allows me to go to a place of complete privacy, solitude, stillness where I can gather my thoughts and put… Continue reading One of my most important tools: my journal
My Aim for 2020: Stillness
2020 will be the year of stillness and focus for me. That’s the plan, anyway. I want to follow the Zen saying of “chop wood, carry water”-that is, do the work that matters. Focus on the important stuff and reduce or cut out entirely the distractions, the stuff that stops me from focusing and doing… Continue reading My Aim for 2020: Stillness