Business

Business is like riding a bicycle....if you stop peddling....you're gonna fall off.

Getting back in the swing!

Momentum is so important, especially for me, if i get a break away from things i find it hard to pick up again where i left off.

It's really important that i tear into the work for this spet, oct, now and dec...... there are changes in work that may require me to take on more staff..... there are some big contracts out there waiting to be won and delivered, there are a lot of good and positive things going on and there are a lot of distractions.

There's the football club championship, and all the work that's involved in that.
There's Roscommon being in the all ireland....and all the excitement that goes with that.
There's the champions league, and Celtics fantastic draw of exciting matches.

Without being fundamentalist about it, i have to handle all these things without letting them impinge on the important work i have to do.....i need dsicipline (not always my greatest quality) and it's going to require a big effort.... still i have lots of evidence to show me that i can achieve all of that...

sorry for rambling......it;'s time to get the head down!

A whole bloody month!

oh too long, far too long it's been since i last posted on here, actually i nearly had to figure out how to do it all over again, it's also been too long since i stood in celtic park, my self imposed exile has ended and i'm mad to get back there, looks like the hibs game in spetember, the huns game in october and perhaps the champions league might bring us to some sunny and exotic place as well, my preference right now would be croatia perhaps.

Reading fiction for the first time in about a year, the book seems to throw forward the idea that life and war is not about how much pain you can inflict, but how much you can endure, and of course it set me thinking that the only thing standing between us and whatever we desire in this life is fear, fear of the pain it will cause us to get whatever it is, and that once we decide to have what we want, we have only once question to answer.

Are we willing to endure what has to be endured in order to achieve it?

we know, or we can easily find out what must be done, once we have set our objectives, it does not take an awful lot to figure out the raod that must be traveled, if we want to lose weight we know it is going to take sacrifice and exercise, if we want to be a magician it will take learning and endless practice, if we want a new BMW you have to spend lesss or earn more, earning more will mean doing stuff you don't particularly like, or working harder, it's all pain, and we need to figure how much we can get used too, how much we can endure.

That's why we test and stretch ourselves, a life without any pain is a void, the sort of void that one finds when they are hign on heroin, when they blank the world out with alcohol, when they lie to themselves.


There is no such thing as a world without pain, it would be a non world, that does not mean that we should always welcome it, but we should surely respect it's good side, it makes us stronger, it forces us to learn, it's is not a one dimensional "bad" thing that needs to be relieved as soon as it starts, that would make us a world of spoilt brats who get everything we want to avoid the pain.

what am i really trying to say here, i think that i am saying that pain is neither a good or bad thing, it has two sides, and if we want to grow, if we want to sidestep the void, if we want to satisfy our yearning gnawing hunger, then we can only do it by having the courage to decide to face the pain, but to facing it knowing that we will come through it, that it will paly a valuable role in our lives and that if we want to grow,to become strong, wise, courageous, attractive human beings, the we have to take the hit, we have to endure the pain.... it's not our enemy, it's not our friend, but it is our ally, an ally that we should appreciate and respect.

Things we get used to!

I remember a time when i was delighted to just have a car, but today i got a service and had to drive in a small car, it was horrid and cramped and clunky, but years ago i would have been delighted with it.

My internet connection is really slow this evening, by slow i mean slower than "normal" but in reality it is still ten times faster than the dial up connection i had a year ago, so i've adjusted to a new "normal" and when i don't get that i feel frustrated.

I never had holidays years ago, now if i don't get a few breaks a year theres something wrong, another new normal.

it was announced yesterday that ireland is the second wealthiest nation per capita in the world, when i was growing up our cousins did not have an inside bathroom, now normal means jacuzzis and hottubs.

the problem with all this affluence is the feelings it caused whenever our new heightened expectations are not met, we seem to have more anger and frustration than ever, still we must try to keep a balance on it all.

I try to be grateful for the real things in my life, wonderful friends, healthy children, a good home, and lots and lots of laughter, i hope they never dissapear

Another character leaves the stage!!

Wanted to blog today in the hope that some of my inane ramblings will spark some inspiration and I can finally write that magazine article that i've been struggling with over the last 2 days, deadline is tomorrow so i better get a move on, i've even though of plagerising something although right now i'm thinking of the concept of "flow" or authentic happiness as the next step, i have already written 15 articles for this mag so i don't want to be repeating myself either, i think i'll do authentic happiness, i'm feeling really happy myself these days, i have appreciation, i feel i am doing work thats worthwhile, i'm definately putting something back, and i have a fairly positive view of myself and my world.

it's good!

My friend David died last night, i have been happy and sad all day, happy with the memories and sad that a young vibrant life should just dissapear like that, i met some friends for lunch and we laughed so much with stories and memories. I'm not sure people ever get to see or really believe the appreciation that other have for them, maybe we are as well off, we might get arrogant and conceited, but still every know and again we should be really let people know what they mean to us while they are around to hear it. It's the rare compliment that goes astray, even if it's shrugged off at the time, it will usually be remembered at some quiet moment when it will bring a quiet smile.

The session tomorrow night should be some fun, it will bring together a lot of the ludhers who have been on many trips.

World Cup

It's been really great fun so far, England are crap, Argentina are magical and the supporters are not half bad either, what more could you want.

Great Karoke party on Sat night with the best selection of songs i've ever seen, i gave them a green day trilogy, cathy and I did american idiot and holiday and i did minority on me own, such craic.

Sunday was the Rossies, brilliant first half, dire second half, but still not so long ago we were always dire in both halves, we had a good day out though, all those who were laughing at the raincoat and hat earlier were too bloody wet and grumpy after the game to comment.
the Ocean FM job is going really well, we are making great strides.

I had some real surprises today!

Oedipus, Sophocles, Ajax and the rest of the lads!

A passionate man, who did his country some service, but was unable to control his mercenary side which ultimately lead to his betrayal of this republic and the values it's founding fathers held dearly and led to his disgrace in the eyes of many.

A mercenary man, who did his country some service, but was unable to control his passionate side, which ultimately lead to his betrayal of a nation and it's people in the cause of self justification, and lead to his disgrace in the eyes of many.

Of course have their followers, blind to reason or fallibility, who will continue to misrepresent their legacy, exaggerating their strength and minimise to their weaknesses

History will remember both of them well, like those great Greek heroes who we're ultimately exposed by their weaknesses, it's the basis of all tragedy, this apparent fact that we have all been given feet of clay

I feel an opera coming on!

Lovely and Sleepy

ah yes, i love the feeling of my eyes just beginning to droop, and i know i have to go to be and that I will be deliciously asleep 30 seconds after my head hits the pillow.

lots of interesting stuff going on, played a lot of football last week and made my peace with the roscommon masters team over the dilemma last year, in fairness the 1.3 i scored probably helped, but i really enjoyed it and am delighted with my decision to stick with the primrose and gold.

spent a couple of hours surfing tonight and came across myspace.com, what a weird and wonderful place, they have 24 million members, 24 million, it was set up in 2003 and now it's got 24 million members, that's 6 times the population of the free state, put me thinking about how i had origonally intended the business to have a strong online presence, i really must make it a project now for me to get cracking on..... next week is the busiest week ever, just took on far too much but i'll get through it.

apart from that all is well, my friend Mr. A is wrecking my head with all this analysis, spiritual stuff and how i can live a much better cleaner life and be at one with myself and all that jazz, i am sure he is appalled by my views on love and religion and spirituality, but sure let him off.

Maggie and the girls are well, the girls are getting so grown up and Joy is a real teenager now, oh the tiredness is catching up with me, i have to snuggle down........ night

Nervous!

Ok So the Nigella pic has nothing to do with the blog, who cares?

It's Tuesday morning after a great bank holiday weekend, the sun cracked rocks all weekend and I had a ball, busy with the GAA on Friday and Saturday organising golf classics and flag day, party on Sunday, great party, will be getting feedback from the neighbours on this one i'd say, and monday a lovely chilled out day at the beach, along with the other 10'000 people who chose to go to the same beach. Mind you the scenery was fabulous even if the sea was a bit cold, still had a good swim though, can't be showing hesitancy on front of the girls.

I'm nervous because I am starting a new project tomorrow and it's going to be somewhat new to me, plus i am not entirely sure what is expected of me, i would have liked more detail and structure before starting but hell what can i do, bowl into it and see what emerges, i know i am pretty good at what i do and can make some difference to these guys so i might as well have a crack.... the first job will be to get a good rapport going and get them onside and i know i can do that.

otherwise the head is fairly good, still a bit upsy downsie but i'd expect that anyway, it's not easy getting into a groove after all the fun and enjoyment i've had, still the summer stretches out in front of me and i'm doing my best to look forward rather than back, now the person i was supposed to meet this morning at 10.30 still has not shown up and it's 11.05, so i better make a few phone calls.

Cheers

friday evening, bank holiday weekend

life is good, it's friday evening, tough week workwise, but now it's 3 days of taking it fairly east, as you can see from the pic, the weather is beautiful, it's shorts and a tee shirt.... can't take the tee shirt off anyway after the burning i got in Portugal.

Cathy is gone to the beach with friends, Joy is headin off to a party now, and Maggie gets home from the states tomorrow, i have a flag day still to pull together for tomorrow, and a golf presentation tonight, but otherwise, the lawns are cut, the house is clean, and i have nothin to do, no plans except to take it easy and enjoy the beautiful weather.

life has been really hectic lately, some wonderful times and some rough turbulence, but i hope the captain will be able to turn the seatbelts light off soon.

i'm also in the middle of one of my periodic "ramadans" a case of too much partying, the impending serious football championship season, and most of all, the feeling i had that saturday on fifth avenue. that day i noticed all those people in thier 40's and 50's and it hit home like a hammer how important it is to be in shape. The ones in shape all looked young and vital and vibrant and just great, but all the one's out of shape we slouchy, looked grouchy, heads pointing at the pavement, like life was something that happened to them years ago when they we're young and fit....... and i decided that it was time to cut down on somethings and gear up on others, so i'm back training, off the beer, and smoking very little.... i'm eating carefully and much much less, and the great thing is i can already see the signs, after only two weeks, i look better, my skin is better, i feel really good and my belt had slipped a whole notch.

it would be such a pity to move forward in a slouchy feeling sorry for myself whingy sort of way, it's just not for me, it's time for head up, back straight, chest out and smile!

enjoy the weekend.

20 years on!

This may have been brought on by that show on RTE 1 last night called "20 years on, Ireland 1986 - 2006" but today i have this strange feeling that the world is passing me by quicker than i can keep up, i'm only 41 but i feel like Buster Keeton trying to keep up with the train, desperately hanging on, but knowing full well that no matter what i do it's going to get away from me, and the really strange thing is that lots of my friends are not even net savvy.

This leads me back to a question that has been bothering me for sometime, would a man lead a happier life if he grew up in a little villlage in the west coast, lived all his life there, knew everyone, never left and died there surounded by people he knew and loved. Or would he have lived better if he left at 16, emigrated to England, then went to America, made a fortune, travelled the world, and spent his whole life trying to catch that train that always seems to be going a little bit faster than you are, more knowledge, more travel, more money, more opportunity, more expectations.

I suppose i ask the question as a traveller, in the last month I've been to france, NYC and Portugal, I have "chasing" in my blood, chasing trains, sales, fun, life, but i often wonder, is it better to just live a quiet life in a quiet place?

Pain V Pleasure

Pain and Pleasure, The stuff of life.

There’s a really effective advert running on the telly at the moment for Vodafone business, the advert begins just as the champagne is about to be popped, freezes, and then rewinds throught the whole deal, right back through all the stages, back to the initial phonecall.

The advert is good at showing you all the physical things that happened, all the calls, and the meetings and the contracts and the celebration. What it can’t protray however is all the emotions and feelings that accompanied each step of the process, we never get to sense the trepidation with which the first phone call was made, we never get to see the times when the deal looked hopeless, when it appeared it would never come together, the late nights when it all seemed pointless, and yet without that, without the fears, and the prospect of it all going pearshaped, what would there have been to celebrate? What would it have to do with skill and effort and persistance? Nothing!

This year about 80 people will win the national lottery, will this be due to their expertise and diligence and persistance? of course not, It will be down to pure luck, fortune that will ocaasionally smile down on people but which always has two sides.

We need to accept luck whenever we get it, be thankful for it, but lord knows those who decide to depend on it are in for a unfortunate business life, because sitting around waiting for a lucky break in business is the very same as sitting around with a roll of lottery tickets waiting for a miracle to happen, it won’t!

Luck does not work like that, our achievements in life will be caused by our thoughts and actions, what we think and what we do, and not by some imaginative twist of fate, luck will even itself out, it probably already has, remember around 80 people will win the lottery this year, yet over 400 will be killed on the roads, so you have a 5 times better chance of getting killed in a crash, and still they go, “it could be you” don’t make me laugh. It would be more truthful to say hey, your lucky to be alive.

So if we accept that luck is something that evens itself out over most peoples lives, then we have to look at what makes some people successful and has the champagne corks popping, while some just drift on occassionally getting to celebrate somebody elses success. The answer to this question is our understanding and attitude towards pain and pleasure.

There are those who dream of a painless life, where there is constant peace and pleasure and where we never experience fear or doubt or feel unable to cope with it all, and that’s what they are, dreamers! It’s time to get over it, wake up and smell the coffee, everybody experiences pain, everyone experiences doubt, everyone wonders if they will be able to cope. There is no way a life can be pain free, it’s like trying to have day without the night, to have the light without the dark, you cannot experience pleasure unless you have experienced pain, you would not know what it was. The important thing is not to become paralyzed by the pain, to be able to feel it but still keep moving forward, to not let it stop you from doing what you know you have to do in order to move toward pleasure, to solve that problem, or close that deal or sort out that angry angry customer.

The businesses that inspire me have known struggle, just as the lives that inspire me have, they have achieved not despite but because of their hard times, it is the difficult times that have made them great, when teams win the All Ireland they remember the pain, the running up hill, the scarifices, would an All Ireland have value if you could buy it? If you could experience the Joy without have gone through the pain, what would it be worth?

The world is always looking for quick fixes, to attempt to get the results without the pain, and yet all those ab rollers end up in the attic while those who knuckle down and go to the gym twice a week get results. There is no life without pain, it’s often the struggle that becomes the most valuable part, so please remember when the doubts come, when you are wondering whether to pick up the phone or not, that this is a hugely valuable part of the game, this is a hugely important part of life, and then as the NIKE man says…. Just do it.

Springbreak!!!

The Iraqis are fucked now!

NYC (Springbreak)

Those Munsters!

Are myths created out of thin air, or do they have some basis in reality. Congratulations to Munster on thier fine win. The amount of BS and hyperbole it has created is interesting though. According to voices in the media we now have to recognise that there is a superior province, we always knew that we were inferior to Cork, but now it appears to have spread, we also always knew that Tipperarians had a divine right, to be right and to win things... this also appears to have infected the rest of Munster.

Still it's proof that Limerick people really are tougher than the rest,,,,,,,, anybody with an ear to the news over the last couple of years would have known that anyway...... it just makes me wonder, will the children of munster now be brought up to be believe this crap, thier level of innate superiority.

will they be like generations of English people who were brought up to believe they were superior to the wig wogs and nig nogs of other nations, or maybe it's only a bit of harmless fun.

maybe i'm a begrudger, and maybe i just want to see a bit of rationality restored to the whole thing, if ronan o'gara kicks a penalty 500 miles away, does that make you a bigger, better, superior kind of person.... god i don't know... but according to the media contributors over the last few days it appears it does.... munster people have a "special" thing..... this little bit extra....stand up and fight..... sure you're only Irish by birth, you're Munster by the grace of God.

this time last week,

I have been wandering round all weekend thinking.....this time last week i was........ it must be time to get over it,,,, life is littered with highs and lows and none of the can ever last that long....so the trick seems to be....enjoy it all when its there, and then get over it.... leave it go....the good stuff and the bad... ok will take my own advice and realise that no situation can last forever...and that clinging on to memories is not living life.... roll on the next trip

Am I a Craic Addict!

It's been a while, NYC was everything i thought it might be and then a bit more, we had so much fun over the few days, on trips like this you find out a few things about yourself, I found out that

I totally love life
I have fantastic friends that make life so much fun.
I should wear more comfortable shoes.
I enjoy my sister and brother even more than i thought I did.
I can go bloody nowhere without running into people who know me.
I need very little sleep.
People find me "interesting"
I have limits.
I am a craic addict.
I can let others be the centre of attention.
I have no need to entertain the fears i sometimes do.
I totally love life.

We had the most fantastic time, from arriving in Sligo Airport on Thursday morning to arriving back there on Tuesday, the Craic may have lulled occassionally, but it never stopped, I am grateful for each of the 14 hours of sleep i managed during that time.

The bar in the pic is called tonic in times square, great music, fierce bad bubblegum shots, to all those in scruffy's, kevin st james, the iris and gerald b cantor rooftop at Moma, (what a place), Tonic, The rainbow room, gaelic park, the playwright and many others i can't remember the name of ....... thanks.....

there are a few things about new york i will never ever forget, abercrombie and fitch on fifth avenue, that little spanish place in greenwich village, the irish famine memorial, the rooftop bar overlooking central park, riverdance, and the mad mad taxi driver on the last day.

penalties downtown, cricket in yonkers and gun gun (get down) on Park Avenue.

pure mad ted

Neglecting the blog!

life is good, don't feel great today, sore back and stuff, perhaps have been overdoing it the last few weeks, still am really looking forward to new york this day next week, that will give me a great chance for rest and relaxation.

Have had such a good business week, am getting much more assertive at getting decent fees and even collecting them.....

have just read a great book called blink by malcolm gladwell, really good stuff about making good decisions and how important it is not to linger over it, am also doing a good bit of personal coaching which is very interesting and very rewardiing, especialy when the people get great results, makes me remember what got me excited about this business in the first place.

everything else is cool and the gang

The architecture of happiness

my latest read......... about half way through, it's about architecture, it's development and it's affect on us as people.

About what building say to us, what they speak of, what they say about us, how they encapsulate our desires and values and how we identify with some and they make us happy while others grate on us and we hate them.

all very interesting, but havent time to go into it all as i am a lone parent this week and i have children with tougher sporting schedules than Michael Jordan