Life Without Limbs

I have times when everything seems like an uphill battle, and giving up on my dreams seems like the easiest option.  I think most of us have these.

That's why I think it's so important that people like Nick Vujicic are out there.  This is a man who was born without arms or legs, who wanted to commit suicide at the age of eight, who attempted it at the age of ten, but who's gone on to live an inspired life.  He has a degree, he plays sport, he's loved and lost.  He's now travels all over the world, giving talks about how anyone can take control of their lives.

I think it's his ability to laugh at his own disability is the reason he speaks to me.  I don't feel like he's trying to guilt me into feeling grateful for what I have.  He just shows me that it's never too late to achieve our full potential, or find meaning in life.

See for yourself.

Talk to Me (short documentary)

A man makes a documentary about his life by using voice messages left for him over a twenty year period.

When asked in an interview what the biggest lesson he learnt from making the film was, Mark Craig replied "Life's short, and nothing stays the same for long."

This made me cry.

Talk to me.

Cover Junkie

For anyone who loves magazines more for their beautiful design than their content!

Cover Junkie

The Little Prince

My God Daughter's christening is tomorrow, and my mother instructed me to buy her something that "she will have forever".  Well, whatever I got for my Christening (a silver spoon?  a rattle?) is long gone.  So what kind of gift will you really have forever?  Answer:  A book.

This led me to a book shop where I bought a hard-backed copy of "The Little Prince", and promptly started spazzing-out with the shop assistant about what an incredibly, amazing work of literature it is.

I like it just a little bit!

It's ostensibly a children's book, and for a child it's a great read.  But when I picked it up again as a teenager, I realised what a rare gem it is.


It tells the story of a man who, stranded in the desert, meets a strange little boy.  This little Prince has left his home planet to explore the universe.  Through his adventures, and his innocence, the book makes touching observations about life and human nature.

For me, the most potent moments in the book are the relationship he develops with the little fox that begs to be tamed ("You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed"), and his departure from the planet, which leaves the narrator and reader in a state of ambiguity about life and the after-life.

Originally written in French by the writer Antoine de Saint-Exupery (who did many of the illustrations), it's less than 100 pages long, and it's just beautiful.  Read it here. 


A graphic novel has just been brought out.  For me it's sacrilegious, but out of interest... 


And if you're lazy, you can always watch the cartoon ;)

Imagining the tenth dimension

Quantum physics is fascinating.  For me, it's the meeting point of science and spirituality.

This amazing little video advertises itself humbly as "A new way of thinking about time and space."  But actually, it makes quantum physics understandable, and engaging.  Enjoy the feeling of your brain flexing :)

BARAKA

Released in 1992, 'Baraka' is a timeless fusion of music and some of the most beautiful shots of all time.

Creativity and the Education system

I think this amazing, impassioned TED talk will resonate deeply with anyone who feels the education system passed them by.

Sir Ken Robinson challenges the way we're being educated. He makes the point that there are multiple types of intelligence, but that only a few of these are nurtured by the school system. Standard education is based on outdated knowledge, and Robinson champions a radical rethink of our schooling systems, so that each individual's potential can be realised.





(If you haven't yet heard of TED - here's the blurb: "The annual TED conferences, in Long Beach/Palm Springs and Oxford, bring together the world's most fascinating thinkers and doers, who are challenged to give the talk of their lives (in 18 minutes).")

Live the Questions Now

Live the Questions Now

Have patience with everything unresolved in your heart
and try to love
the questions themselves
as if they were locked rooms or books written
in a very foreign language.

Don't search for the answers, which could
not be given to you now,
because you would not be able to live them.

And the point is to live everything.

Live the questions now. Perhaps
then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even
noticing it,
live your way into the answer.

Rainer Maria Rilke, 1903
in
"Letters to a Young Poet"

The Ballad of the Sad Young Men

Today is National Poetry Day and, for shame, it nearly slipped by me.

Calendars generally inform us of these (important?) days, but I don't think I've ever celebrated anything but the standards - Christmas, Easter, Valentines day, Father's day. To be honest, they annoy me - I hate being pressurised to conform, and to buy presents. Wouldn't it be nice to celebrate all the lesser known days instead? I could see that actually enriching people's lives, instead of just being another greeting card sales ploy (bah, humbug!)

This month, for example, is Black History Month in the U.K. It highlights African and Caribbean history and heritage, and promotes a greater understanding of the UK's diverse cultural heritage.

It's also International Walk to School Month (although I can safely say this does not inspire me to walk anywhere).

But one thing I can do is share a piece of writing with you.

THE BALLAD OF THE SAD YOUNG MEN

Sing a song of sad young men, glasses full of rye.
All the news is bad again, kiss your dreams goodbye.

All the sad young men sitting in the bars,
Knowing neon nights, missing all the stars.

All the sad young men drifting through the town,
Drinking up the night, trying not to drown.

All the sad young men singing in the cold,
Trying to forget that they're growing old.

All the sad young men choking on their youth,
Trying to be brave, running from the truth.

Autumm turns the leaves to gold, slowly dies the heart
Sad young men are growing old, that's the cruelest part.

All the sad young men seek a certain smile
Someone they can hold for a little while.

Tired little girl does the best she can
Trying to be gay for a sad young man.

While the grimy moon watches from above
All the sad young men play at making love.

Misbegotten moon, shine for sad young men.
Let your gentle light guide them home again.
All the sad young men.

- FRAN LANDESMAN

I read this when I was a teenager, in a volume of poetry, and it stayed with me ever since. It made me sad to think of all these men who were feeling so empty inside, and who weren't able to communicate it. But what's interesting is that when I posted the poem, a guy read it and proclaimed that it was written by a man-basher...! When I read back over it, I could see what he meant (though I think 'man basher' is a bit harsh!)

So: a romanticisation of masculinity, a homage to men's secret hearts, or a condescending ode to "boys"... what do you think?

Life is a tightrope

The Flying Wallendas are a world-famous tight rope walking family. One of their unique features is that they train and perform without the use of a safety net.

When asked about their success, the mother responded that because they don't use a safety net, every step is life or death. This is the greatest motivation one can have to do their best.

Perhaps in life, when things are too easy, we don't strive for our full potential. Instead of being limited by fears of failure, maybe we could be motivated by the desire to live.



Thanks to my good friend Elizabeth Gaffney for sharing this story with me. Check out her London shopping site here: http://www.shophoppingmap.com/

Wise words from the founder of Apple

I first read Steve Jobs' words of wisdom five years ago, and they had a significant impact on me. I hope you find them as inspiring as I do.

Click here to watch:
The man behind the apple.

The Other Seven Wonders of the World

A group of students was asked to list what they thought were the present "Seven Wonders of the World." Though there were some disagreements, the following received the most votes:

1. Egypt's Great Pyramids
2. Taj Mahal
3. Grand Canyon
4. Panama Canal
5. Empire State Building
6. St. Peter's Basilica
7. China's Great Wall

While gathering the votes, the teacher noted that one student had not finished her paper yet. So she asked the girl if she was having trouble with her list. The girl replied, "Yes, a little. I couldn't quite make up my mind because there are so many."

The teacher said, "Well, tell us what you have, and maybe we can help."

The girl hesitated, then read, "I think the 'Seven Wonders of the World' are:

1. To see
2. To hear
3. To touch
4. To taste
5. To feel
6. To laugh
7. And to love."

The room was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop.

A gentle reminder -- that the most precious things in life cannot be built by hand or bought by man.