Inside Out

“Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.”

Andre Gide

I leave my Twenties today. In a moment of reflection I decided to make a list of 20 things that I have achieved and I am proud of that took place in my twenties. They are in in no particular order.

1. Got a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Imperial College.
2. Got married to the lovely Ruth.
3. Started a company.
4. Led the first circumnavigation of the British Virgin Islands by Kayak.
5. Climbed Mt Gioberney.
6. Crossed the Andes on foot.
7. Run the Snowdon Horseshoe.
8. Come 15^th out of 900 in the Round the Island Race.
9. Got my ML, SPA, Level 2 Canoe and Level 3 Kayak.
10. Paddled a 32ft Waterfall in the Mexican Jungle
11. Helped grow a company.
12. Bought a house.
13. Visited the most Northerly, Southerly, Easterly and Westerly points of the UK.
14. Climbed the Old Man of Hoy.
15. Became an Accredited Practitioner of the IOL.
16. Thrown some awesome parties.
17. Changed some young peoples lives.
18. Been published in a Europe-wide magazine.
19. Read over 1000 books.
20. Passed my Driving Test.

I guess I’ll have to manage 30 things in the next 10 years.

Nicki from Saltbox has been running a research project on “the ways in which creative arts, the natural environment, and holistic or healing techniques are used in training, and whether they help people to learn.” After her initial questionnaire, she writes;

We’ve been thrilled with the response – over 50 people have completed the questionnaire and we’ve also had lots of additional contributions via email and telephone. We are also reviewing existing research and good practice, and have amassed loads of really interesting and useful information as a result.

Our next stage is to follow up the initial survey with more in-depth discussions and investigations over the coming weeks, and to this end we are holding a Discussion group on Wednesday 16th December from 10.30am – 1.00pm at the Pierian Centre in Bristol. This is a great opportunity to participate further in this project and to do some valuable networking.

If you design/deliver or purchase training which uses creative or unusual techniques to have an impact, or have experience of this as a learner, and would like to come along and share your views, please email us to book a place.

Those who participate in the discussion group will get a free place at the launch event in the new year, where we’ll disseminate the results of this research in the form of a really useful, practical book or guide. We’ll also run workshops at this event to showcase some of the ideas and techniques explored during the research project, so it’ll be an event not to be missed.

We’ll be there, perhaps we will see you?

“In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.”

John McCrae ~ “In Flanders Fields”

I recently posted an open letter to my friends call “10 years to save the earth”. I got a number of repsonses, the ones that kept me most amused are below.

Anna had more pressing concerns:

“10 years? The end of the day seems like a lifetime away at the moment Glad to see you’re keeping us all on our toes, though!”

Alia was looking towards leadership (I think):

“There seems to be two parts to doing stuff – doing stuff and handling the communication needed. Will have a think.”

Adam posted it in his blog saying:

“an extremely thought provoking and memorable email” adding “Got me thinking…”

I turn 30 this month.To mark the occasion, below is an open letter I wrote to my friends…

Dear All,

If you get this you have probably just turned thirty, or are about to in the next few months.

That means that it’s ten years since you turned twenty. Ten years ago the Euro was introduced, the Kosovo War started, Napster was invented, Lance Armstrong won his first of seven Tours de France and the ExxonMobil Corporation merger was completed, heralding the start of the age of super-corporations. Ten years ago, thirty looked a lifetime away.

Now it’s arrived. Read More »