Thursday 29 December 2011

THE MYTH OF TALENT

Having devoured more than my share of turkey and of chocolate over the past few days I've also begun devouring some of my Christmas gifts.I started with the DVD of the superb Danish thriller The Killing, and I managed to consume all 20 one-hour episodes over just 5 sittings, so I am now hunting the 2nd series with my HMV vouchers. My appetite then shifted to the slim paperback called Bounce by Matthew Syed, journalist and former international table-tennis champion. His book aims to debunk the notion of the "talent myth" that super-achievers are born not moulded, and he trumpets the extraordinary successes we can all achieve if we practice enough, work hard and believe in ourselves. His anecdotes are really inspiring and the book is an optimistic and stimulating slant on the recipe for sporting and business success. This time of year seems to accentuate my appetites for so many things, and I am sure some January trimming will be required, but the core messages of Matthew Syed's book will stay with me long into 2012.

Friday 2 December 2011

REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL

Over an expresso this morning with a golf buddy of mine we were bemoaning the prevailing gloom this week, punctuated by the Chancellors Autumn Statement, the public sector strike,the intensifying crisis in the Eurozone and yesterdays Financial Stability report from the Bank of England. Our antidote to this was to create a list of "reasons to be cheerful" (as the late,great Ian Dury once declared)...we came up with the following gems; 1. Coffee is apparently now good for you. 2. Stoke City are through to the knockout rounds of the Europa League 3. Julian Barnes novel "The Sense of an Ending" 4. Berlusconi is NOT our Prime Minister. 5.The mild weather is predicted to persist this weekend so golf assured. 6. We are not in the euro. 7. I am going to see Coldplay in Manchester on Sunday. 8. The sheer doggedness of charity fundraisers. 9. Gary Oldman in Tinker,Tailor Soldier,Spy. 10. The John Lewis Xmas TV advert. 11. Having great people in our businesses. 12. A new Jaguar car plant for the West Midlands 13. Rory McIlroy 14.The Leveson enquiry. 15. Children of all ages at Xmas................and so many more reasons I'm sure.