Tuesday 22 January 2013

Money - Rich or Dead?

Yesterday's Blue Monday brought a flurry of Life Auditors laying claim to it being all about the money.  Forget the snow, the failed New Year's resolutions, the long-time-till-summer-ness of the day that has given it its pantone rating -  no, January 18th was proper gloomy because the Christmas spending credit card bills were hitting the inbox and doormat.

"Its my personal bank balance, stupid" groaned Jon from Brighton which prompted Joe in New York to point out that the saying, first intoned by Bill Clinton, was a "snowclone."  

Snow bound as I am right now at the foot of three hills all too slippery to venture up, I  had to look it up.  Nothing to do with icy blasts it is instead apparently a "neologism for a type of cliche and phrasal template originally defined as a multi-use, customizable, instantly recognizable, time worn, quoted or misquoted phrase or sentence that can be used in an entirely open array of different variants."  So there you go!

Not much comfort for one colleague who sadly observed, "Rich or Dead" when considering his financial predicament.   Worryingly it was less a question and more a statement!  

Thursday 10 January 2013

Health - Fit for Purpose

Grey, grey days at the start of the year, compounded by staying in Bristol city centre hadn't done much to help me keep my New Year's resolution to have daily exercise and fresh  air.....until we walked on Clifton Downs!  Never mind the physical stuff, which we got from putting accelerator foot in front of brake food for an hour, it was more the exercise in 'spectator' sport we enjoyed.

Which included model aircraft flying - and look at the lovely architecture behind, of the Clifton houses that encircle the Downs.  The one benefit of this time of year is that they are very visible and stand out against the bare trees and the sullen sky.

There were several dads and sons footie games going on plus dozens of people running, cycling, walking and talking.  It was a feast of community enjoyment of a big open public space and put my slightly dragging feet at the thought of the walk to shame. 




Talking of walking - it was muddy!  Very.  But my Christmas present waterproof walking boots had their first outing and proved totally 'fit for purpose."  More of which later. 



Friday 4 January 2013

Daily data - Blessings counted!

Life Auditing is a private process.  Quite the reverse of group therapy.  The data you put into the charts is for your eyes only and comes from the private observations you make of yourself and the life you lead.   What falls out of the bottom at the end of the process is the individually tailored answers you've been looking for.  (And often knew already in your heart of hearts)
 I presume the private nature of the process is why Auditors prefer to email individually questions and comments rather than chatter about them in a more general sense.  Either is fine and I am always pleased to hear individually from anyone as they carry out audits on all or parts of their life.  In the last couple of days, since New Year,  new joiners have registered from all over the world and the new App is registering in top app charts.  These comments summed up some entries being made in the Blessings Counted section of the first Life Audit Daily Accounting chart - the Daily Journal.  

"Gave my girlfriend a big hug before we left for work and loved the familiar smell of her perfume. It stayed with me all day."  Steven, Barnes, London

"Stuck in traffic but seeing children playing and laughing in a park was a joy to watch."
Dilys, Manhattan.

"Woke up early and had first coffee in favourite mug watching the sun rise...,,,,feel excited about the day ahead and doing something positive to make changes with The Life Audit. Curious too about what it will show me."  Laura, Adelaide.

"My bad cough has gone!  Brilliant!"  John, Enniscorthy, Co Wexford.

"Very happy to see my colleagues  - I am lucky they are such a good crowd, I'm glad to go to work each day" Sam, Toyko.



Tuesday 1 January 2013

Resolutions are not just for New Year's Day - Thank goodness........

......because, in our household  there have been many failures at this New Year's Day's first hurdle including the diet controlled diabetic who has had a large bowl of left-over Xmas pudding with brandy butter and who is now on the sofa enjoying the sleep that only that sort of sugar rush can induce.  Snappy exchanges with loved ones over little things, walks that haven't been taken! Dogs that haven't been walked.  Bottles that have been opened and glasses poured. Trashy films chosen over unopened improving Christmas books.  Duty calls not made, tidying up not done.......the list could go on.  
Yes I know this blog is meant to "accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative and latch on to the affirmative"  to quote the magnificent Johnny Mercer/ Bing Crosby song but sometimes having a plan, letting that plan change and going with the flow is the best thing to do - and that is what has happened here today.  

The only good thing about this list of failure is that things that can only get better (to coin another hijacked lyric) and that thank the Lord, tomorrow morning and every one after it will always be the first day of the rest of life to make fresh starts and new resolutions. 

Happy New Year to you - how have you got on?