Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we're kids? If you're less than 10 years old, you're so excited about aging that you think in fractions.
'How old are you?' 'I'm four and a half!' You're never thirty-six and a half. You're four and a half, going on five! That's the key.
You get into your teens, now they can't hold you back. You jump to the next number, or even a few ahead.
'How old are you?' 'I'm gonna be 16!' You could be 13, but hey, you're gonna be 16! And then the greatest day of your life! You become 21. Even the words sound like a ceremony. YOU BECOME 21. YESSSS!!!
But then you turn 30. Oooohh, what happened there? Makes you sound like bad milk! He TURNED; we had to throw him out. There's no fun now, you're Just a sour-dumpling. What's wrong? What's changed?
You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you're PUSHING 40. Whoa! Put on the brakes, it's all slipping away. Before you know it, you REACH 50, and your dreams are gone...
But! wait!! ! You MAKE it to 60. You didn't think you would!
So you BECOME 21, TURN 30, PUSH 40, REACH 50, and make it to 60.
You've built up so much speed that you HIT 70! After that, it's a day-by-day thing; you HIT Wednesday!
You get into your 80's, and every day is a complete cycle; you HIT lunch; you TURN 4:30; you REACH bedtime. And it doesn't end there. Into the 90s, you start going backwards; 'I Was JUST 92.'
Then a strange thing happens. If you make it over 100, you become a little kid again. 'I'm 100 and a half!' May you all make it to a healthy 100 and a half!!
HOW TO STAY YOUNG 1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay them.
2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.
3.Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever, even ham radio. Never let the brain idle. 'An idle mind is the devil's workshop.' And the devil's family name is Alzheimer's.
4. Enjoy the simple things.
5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.
6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves Be ALIVE while you are alive.
7. Surround yourself with what you love , whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.
8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.
9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country, but NOT to where the guilt is.
10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity. AND, ALWAYS REMEMBER: Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally used up and worn out, shouting '...man, what a ride!'
Been looking at latest views, and a consensus seems to be forming. Some weakening of Sterling to come: political uncertainty etc. Then strengthening, with the Pound at about Euros1.25 by year end...... .......let's see.
A colleague of mine is currently on a two week business trip in China. It was his birthday over the middle weekend, in fact on Sunday. He had been on a tour of a factory, (yes they were all working on a Sunday as any other day), and went to the coffee bar of his hotel. The waitress brought him his coffee, a small cake and wished him "happy birthday". Very surprised he asked her how she knew.......
..........Reception had noted his d.o.b. when he checked in, and had informed all staff to look out for him on the day, and to wish him a "happy birthday". This is a great example of how service can really gain customer loyalty, and doesn't have to cost anything.
Whilst we manufacture and sell/market a physical product, we are essentially providing our customers with a service. How can we learn from my colleague's experience?
Sang in Carmina Burana on Sunday night at the Felsted Arts Festival. Fantastic experience, I must say. Have found a short clip on You Tube of the last two songs.........
So the pollsters tell us, the Conservative lead is, if not tumbling, reducing. As this happens, the pound falls, and the cost of UK government debt increases. Traders are concerned about a hung parliament, and nobody actually being in charge of the country. Uncertainty in politics breeds crisis!
That aside, there are other reasons for traders to feel nervous. The governor of the Bank of England was quite dovish in his comments a week ago, (see earlier in the blog), and this could lead to lower interest rates for a while to come. If this is contra to expectation, then that will cause the pound to fall. On top of that, economic momentum is not exactly rushing, so investors continue to worry.
Even if the Conservatives win, and uncertainty is lifted, what will happen? Fiscal tightening will start earlier and with more "oomph" than if labour win. This would likely bring lower short and long-term interest rates, and a more "competitive" pound. The Tories are putting their money behind an export led recovery in other words.
..............and if Labour win, surely the pound will go up? Very unlikely, because although they are unlikely to be as "tight" as the Conservatives, they need all the same things, it is just that they are likely to happen anyway, if slower!
The most important risk to UK plc is not borrowing, but the recovery. So sayeth Mervyn King, Governor of the Bank of England. Yes, he wants the deficit cut, in fact cut considerably by the end of the next parliament, but, and it is a big but, without economic recovery, we may not be able to cut the deficit. How can we ensure some sort of recovery......................
Encourage our financial services businesses to perform, and not handcuff them too tightly. We could even make them feel loved, (a little bit).
Encourage our manufacturers to invest and to explore export markets more fully. Sterling is weak so opportunity is there, if only we would take it.
Free up lending to encourage investment into property thus giving the construction industry a bit of adrenaline.
Ensure people have money to spend, we are all taxed to the point of having less and less to spend.
"Well done", doesn't really do it: does it? But..............................Amy has won an incredible Gold medal in the skeleton competition at Whistler. Fantastic Amy, and "well done".
