“People don't notice whether it's winter or summer when they're happy.” Anton Chekhov

Savouring a view out to sea from Gavanan Beach near Oban.

Life’s reality can be our singular viewpoint of it and not one governed by the outside influences that swirl daily about us.

(*There is a more concise version of this post if you scroll to footnote at the bottom of this page.)

What glasses are you wearing today when you look at life?

Can you see the Robin?

Can you see the beauty in all including people, no matter what?

Do you need glasses given to you by others, by society?

Are you looking with clarity at your life, or is your viewpoint opaque, clouded by a focus on others? By wearing glasses given to you people and society, and so wearing their world views.

It is so easy to be myopic as to what others have done to you, not done to you, your world situation and where you are; compared to being yourself, true and authentic, living each moment at a time, recognising what has been and may come, whilst not being and living in moments past and yet to come.

I always remind and encourage people to draw their sphere of influence inward , from that which is outside of them and self; for self is what we truly control. And in controlling self we have direction, purpose, clarity. We live in our moments when we focus on self, not the moments of others.

"What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness." - John Steinbeck, "Travels with Charley: In Search of America"

Scottish mountains when sailing into Oban. The rugged beauty of winter.

I like the quote and its symmetry to weather. The reality is that winter balances summer and vice versa; both are really mirror images. Yet the interpretation one can put on winter is darkness, cold, damp, wet, snow, despondency. But this is an interpretation. Is not winter also something to be marvelled at as a season of beauty, of both hibernation and recovery for new growth and life, and also a time of reflection, of closing in together in warmth with loved ones?

To Mentor is to Grow

This is something I have done for years and for the most part freely believing in the mantra of giving back what was freely given to you. After all how much of life to you really need to live and enjoy life?

What I have learnt is that a lack of self belief and faith, of low self esteem, of people pleasing, of fear of action to lack of goal and dream planning is down to the interpretation we have of life including ourselves, which is a product of the glasses and thus viewpoint we were given from birth. And that it is possible to re-engineer all of this and simply remove the glasses and adopt a viewpoint of self, others, world and all that we are comfortable with.

Through mentoring I grew others and I grew myself. I learnt to be empathetic, caring and considered.

Sailing into Oban, with Ben Cruachan beyond. I see its rugged and towering beauty and cast aside my worldly beliefs and marvel at what can await me.

In simple terms I wasted so much time thinking about other people, other places, and other things. It did not matter if it was a house to live in, a job to aim for, jealousy or anger, or worse hate of others, bemoaning a situation I found myself in, usually blaming others for this, hours spent conniving my climb up the corporate ladder, or worry pangs of what people thought of me - The list went on ad nauseam.

I was very shallow, insecure, eager to please, easily led back then.

Thankful not anymore.

What glasses are you wearing this winter, or do you need to remove them?

found us

I now realise I gave good advice when mentoring or advising in my 10 years of found us but did not necessarily follow it myself!

I do now.

I took my glasses off which jaundiced my viewpoint to one of believing I was not good enough, people better than me, and spent too long worrying about others.

Now, I just focus on me and how I can live in each moment and I now achieve so, so much more.

I care for but am not worried as to other people. Why should I be? Nor do I worry as to places or events, let alone what’s happened or may happen.

I now teach this approach (and actually have done for a while) and people I work with, especially the senior ones. I now do think each senior person with all their confidence are quite insecure beneath the surface. And that’s okay. That’s being authentic and believable. Rather than the usual approach of positioning oneself with bravado, knowing it, and keeping people at distance for fear of being found out.

*Sweary Footnote - the simple version for those who can’t be bothered to read my post.

There is a chap called Craig Johnson who once said to me that the world is 50% c**ts and 50% non-c**ts. I still remind myself of this fact.

Where will your journey take you when you become free of what you were? Disembarking the Isle of Mull ferry to Oban.